The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1863-01-01
Cartridge EsOx Congressman.

1t m ght be supposed that the present
Congressman would have somewhat heed
ed the rebukc of the late elections; but il
seems to he more rabid, more vindictive,
and more revolutionary than ever Goad-
ed to desperation BY the prospect that the
Democracy will control the House o. Rep
resentatives, the attempt is to be made to
carve out new States, SO as to fill up the
Senate with bogus members, and to over
whelnl the Democratic majority in the
House, by clecling Abolitionists, under
the direction of Generals in the field, and
military GoveInors. Butler, Of New Or
leans, has already inaugurated the move
ment by electing two members of Con-
Gress in that city. 1t is notorious that
they do not represent tie citizens of New
Orleans any more than they do the deni-
zens of Pa'iS or London, Vel these bogus
Congressman. elected by til, cartridge box
instead OF the ballot box. will balance
Democratic Congressman from the North
Words iail to 10 justice to this assault, up
on the very basis Of free government
The Administration have jasi as good a
right to prohibit the fair election of Com
grossmcn as to forcibIy use their pow,r
TO overbalancc those rightly elected. The
right OF the people TO govern is defeated.
and tl.at, too, by making the military the
superior and ru..ng power. 1t is. in 2
word, using the army, not to carry OH the
war. but to perpetuate the polItica. power
of the Administration In the furtherance
of these plans, Wo:.ern Virginia has been
admitted, by Congress a a State in the
Union. in uiter violation Of the Constitu-
zion. y more glaring. more Revolution
ary act has no. been before committed -
But this seems TO be only the beginning
Of these high handed measures. A daily
Abolition paper of this city, says ''lhat the
project Of dividing Texas into four States,
with eight Senators to represent them in
Congress, is under consideration, with
good prospect tina. the measure will be fl
nally resolved upon" We aso see that a
'loyal State government" is to be started
In North Carolina, somewhere on the coast
which VII, Of course, furnish two more
Senators, and the same may be done in
Georgia, South Carolina and Florida, in
deed everywhere where there are a few
''cohtrabands' to vote Carry this plan
out, and with an army to sustain them,
there Will be no need of holding elections
in the North, for the cartridge box can
beat the ballot box in electiug men to of.
tice, two to one.
The question will come up in the next
Congress and an ugly one it will be-
What is to be done with the cartridge box
Congressmen? Are they to he placed on
an equality and 20 out-vote the ballot box
Congressman!
If the Administration intend 10 force the
representatives of bayonets upon the rep
reSentatlves of the people, it will have as
sumed fearful responsibility. Will rep
resenta:ives who have constituents, desire
10 be out voted by those who have none?
Will the people of the North. who have
just gone through hard fought battle, in
which all the odds were against them,
feel like seeing their labors, their sacrifices
and their efforts 20 for pausht! These
questions will come up, and they have to
be answered.
1t is most likely. however. that the very
boldness of the plan will defeat itself The
Administration is like a drowning
man. ready TO catch a; any straw to per
petuale its existencc. Having failed in
overawing the the people by arbitrary ar
rests and by suppressing freedom Of
speech and the press, it now seeks, by
fraud and cunning to hang on to life. Bu'