The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1863-11-19
elections i'm Ohio and Penn'a.

h Elections III OulO anu Chh q
:, From the London Herald (aristocratsorgan) Oct.
e The partizans of Mr.. Lincoln, here an
! in America, are jubilant of course over tn
result of the State elections in Pennsylvs
5 MIA and Ohio. These States are generall
b reckcned among the doubtful ones. LII
Q Democratic party has always been stron
! there, but never so strong as to reduce II
| opponents to despair. AS neltne
the government organs in America nor tn
, federal advocates here are likely to affor
any explanation of the means by whieI
r this result has been arhieyed-as they are
: certain to treat it as bona tide declaration
; lin favor of the republican policy OF pro
scription in the North and determination ii
the Seuth-as they will inevitably claim /
as cohdonation Of the past tyranny OF the
administration, and a sanction for slnllal
usurpa1ions in fnture-it may be as vel
that we should point out briefly its real sig
nl6cance and the method by which II has
been accomplished. .r ..r
q In the first place the States in question
are under martial law, the Habeas Corpus
act having been suspended throughout the
North with an especial view to these cleo
tions. This tact alone depriyes the repub
licau victory of all moral significance. Who
UalueS Uote gipen like those Of kentucky
or Maryland, under the most riolent form OF
compulsion! In England the scrupulous
jealousy of the constitution removes the
soldiers beyond the boundaries OF town
where poll is to be held, so that the civil
power itself may not be strengthened by
military support against the liberty OF the
electors; in the Northern States military y
force is applied for the express purpose OF
forcing upon the constituencies candidates
agreeable to the administration. We do not
think much of the significance of French
election, but elections in France are pat
terms of popular freedom in comparison
with those held in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Again, every man who is seen to come
up to the polls to vote for the democratic
candidate-and, the ballot Notwithstanding,
it is almost always known in America how
a man does vote-is marked man, has
proclaimed himself the enemy of q power
which has rendered itself despotic, and is
pretty sure, in one way or another, to pay
its debt of vengeance. His republican
neighbors may harass him at their pleasure;
he will have no protection from a law
which is Interpreted either by federal
courts martial or by Judges who are the
mere creatures of the administration. III
he be of military age he may feel pretty
sure that the next conscription will some
how or other, include his name. II he gets
into any dispute with drunken soldier or
his farm pundered by marauders from some
German regiment, it will be sufficient for
the culprit to say, "He voted for Wood
ward or for Vallandigham," and the COM
plainant will be dismissed,n merely with
out redress, but with menaces and insults.
In the cities there is regul "reign of ter
ror," ana man of any note who takes an
active part against the administration does
SO at the risk of imprisonment, punishment
or ruin, and with ths certainty Of malignant
official and social prosecution. Not salts
fed with all this, the federal government
has gone so far as TO insist that the votes OF
soldiers in the field shall be counted; that
is that some twenty, thirty, or forty thou
sand votes shall be placed at its disposal;
for what soldier would dare to vote agai nst
the canpidate OF the government? An
officer who did so would lose his commission;
a sergeant would he reduced to ranks; a
private would have his life made a burden
to him. It is not long since federal gen
eral boasted of having reduced to ranks a
non commissioned officer whose only Of
fence was that, on being questioned by his
superiors, he had avowed his disapproval OF
the policy of the administration. Finally, |
d. Il. 10 of
ballot boxes was in the hands Of the re-
publican candidate, and scrutiny was OF
course impossible Under these circum-
stances it is as impudent for the federal
government to boast Of its victory in Penn
sylyania and Ohio as for the wings to exult
in the return of the Duke of Somersets
candidate for Tothes. Ia either case the
election is a mere mockery. Every man
who voted for the opposition did so at the
risk of ruin, and number Of votes sufh'
cent to turn the scales, were held by men
absolutely dependent on the mercy OF the
victorious party.
This is the country which is fighting for
human rights and the extension OF political
liberty. This is the country which wages
aninternecine war on behalf Of justice and
freedom With nation which has not, IN
the midst of invasion, found it necessary to
suspend the writ of habeas corpus, or al
lowed military necessity to interrupt the
course of civil law In the South the press
il free: in the North several papers have
been suppressed. and even in the Empire
CITY the Provast Marshall has warned the
journals to publish no news unfayorablo to
the federal cause. In the South no State
has for moment been deprived Of any
portion Of its rights; in the North, Ken
tucky and MaryIand are subjected to mill
tary despotism Of the most hateful klnd'
their sovereign status being entirely ignor-
ed and their local governments oveithrown
at the point of the bayOnet In the South
no man has been imprisoned or banished
without legal trial. in the North imPri'oI-
ment and exile at the pleasure Of the ad-
ministration are habitually inflicted upon
| its leading opponents. And yet there are