Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-11-12
IHE MARYLAND ELECTION.
GOV. BRADFoRDs REPLY TO PRESIDENT
LINCOLN.
STATE OF MARYLAND, EXECUTIVE DEPT,
d8n0D0lis A0pSuabgr g 1876,


His Excelency ABRAHAM LINCOLN,
President of the United States:
SIR Your letter Of I'd instant in reply to mine OF 3st
ultmo reached to-day after had already read 1t IN
the Baltimore papers of this morning Your Excelency
has in this respect the advantage of me- for though io
lowing your example shall send duplicate Of this to the
press the probabilities are looking recent events that
the military authorities will not allow IFS publication.
When wrote to you Saturday last, had not been
able procure copy of the military order IN reference
to the election, and acted merely on the rumors OF it's
character When il, as did for the first time on
Sunday found it even Objectionable than rumor
had Represented it, aud when shown on the same
day copy Of your letter t. Mr. Swami in which you say
you trust there just ground for the suspicion he
had expressed and declaring that you felt mortified that
there could be doubt upon this point of your his) 10.
| qury,' which point was suggestion by Mr.. Swami
that the election about to take place will be attended
with undue interference the part of persons claim
ing to represent the whes of the Government rested
satisfied that should from you prompt coun-
term aud Of the order 10 question.
II the sending ovt Of regiments OF soldiers,
distributing them among several of the counties to attend
their places of election defiance OF the known laws Of
the State PROHIBITING their presence; ordering military
ers and provost msrshas arrest voters guilty in the
opinion OF such officers of certain offences and menacing
Judges of cleo ion with the power OF the military arm in
this military order not respected IS not an I'M
duo interference with the freedom Of elections, confess
myself unable to imagine Whatis
The purport OF your Exceency remarks in your letter
to me is conned chiefly justification of the exclusion
OF dsoy from the polls by means OF the admins
tration Of oath Of allegiance Without stopping to
syze the particular oath in question: it may be sufficient
to ray this clause Of the order by far the least OBJ
ectouabe of the three If any who citizens
I'm ,h uct
justly DISTINGUISHES them let them take the consequences
for one have not erftred and shall not interfere to
prevent it, But insist that the judges whom the State
has provided the exclusive judges Of the question of
such citizenship and that they shall be allowed TO exercise
their judgment upon that question and shall never
to protest against any attempt Of the military power
loyal State, to control that Judgment aud especially
against the of any threats tending to observ
auce by these judges of any law which such power shall
| undertake to prescribe.
The first and third sections of the order the most
remarkable items of the arbitrary authority it assumes
The first places all persons supposed to have given aid
ID comfort encouragement TO persons engaged in the
beion and those who do not recognise their allegiance
to the United States at the mercy Of military oicer
and proves, marshal and orders the latter them
when approaching the polls" &C.; aud the third cause
nimstss to the judges Of election, in very unmstakabe
terms the dsnger they incur in they disobey the
military authority These sworn officers of the law have
law prescribed to them In this military order, and
for disobedeuce of which they to be reported to
these headquarers and must of course, take warning
of the consequences that will ensue
sm aware that your Excelency has so far modified
the FIRST of said sections substitute for it direction
to csc provost marsbals prevent all disturbance or
violence about the polls Sc; and that in speak ng Of
the terms If the original order you admit that these
Of 10
shall be arrested the provision is liable to abuse But
submit with Difference that whilst this modification may
relieve that part Of the order of Of the mmo
derse of its powers il sl leaves these officers the
elusive judges of who guilty Of violence drturb
and of OF sho liable to arrest therefor
and leaves them consequently the opportunity Tor
ilar abuse Of power the probability of which you may
toe readily estimate when inform you that several
them are themselves candidates at the election
for some of most important ofices.
You refer several times in your letter to the Missouri
case aud my approval Of your therein and
to that the two States in the condition and
have been treated in like Without paung
pare their condition their respective liability violence
at polls oppose contrast proceeding which have
seyersy taken place in the You say My order in
Missouri which you approve and Gen scbenok order here
reach precisely the END" The only action yours
reference to the Missouri cas-, Of which have expressed
approval Of which have any knowledge, is men.
toned my letter to you that disclosed in your letter
Of instructions Gen Schofeld bearing date the ls of
October last and whether the instructions contained in
that letter aud Csn Schencks order reach the same
end you tuppose, OF not, they certainly propose to
reach it by very different means.
To estimate correctly this difference, must compare
the respectively taken by the department
ders IN the two States.
Gen. Schofed in his order Of the 23h of September,
1868, and to which l understand you to refer when in
your letter to him, above mentioned, you by
say lug, under Your recent ORDER which have ap.
proved, &c. lays down the following the military law
for Missouri the subject Of elections:
The right" says be, Of the people peacesbly to as-
smbe for all lawful purposes and the right freely
press their will the polls according lap essential
civil liberty No interference these rights either
by violence, threats, intimidation, otherwise, will be
tolerated"
Again, in the order he says
Amy officer, soldier or civilian who shall attempt to
intimdote my qualified voter in the exercise If his hit
vote, ,ha attempt to prsuent any qualified
from going TO HE polls oong rhal be PUBLISHED by i'm
prisonIneDt or otherwise" &c.
II these provisions compared with the first and
third sections Of Gen Schencs order the contrast rather
than the similarity, will think be striking.
In your same letter TO Gen. Schofed you further say
At elections that those and only those allowed
to vote uhO tned do By the ta,cs Of Missouri"
| Tn fha INN fhe IN