The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1863-12-24
Correspondence Of the Cass County Republican.
FrOmW ashingtOn.


Correspondence of the Cass County Republican.
From-SV ashinston.
WAsHING1oN, d. g. Dec. II, '63.
The prsts1ders % seats in the
Houss, Or members from Louisiana, Of
vhon Ispoks in my last, come as rep.
resentstiyes of what is left of the
slavs power 10 thai State. They are
Tor the Union with Slavery, and just so
/ far a. the Union ean-be made in the
future to minister TO the protection and
perPetpity of slavery HQnuH
The RSds of their selsction was the
merest of burlesques upon everything
ike q legal popular election. The of.
iicers OF the State Government having
all fled on The CONQUEST Of the greater
portion Of the State, including it's Cap
|itof, by the u Mon forces last year,
there was no such thing as "a Board Of
State canvassers to ascertain and Ger.
fifty the result Of an election. Indeed
the whole political power Of the State
having by the law Of nations passed
into the possession of the conquerer,
with the abolition of all laws for its
exercise BY the conquered, those Off
GERS would have no legal power to as
certain aud certify such result, had
they remained at home. For the same
reason, there were no local officers lie.
galIy empowered to act as INSPECTORS
of Election and receivers, canvass and
return the votes of the different pre-
cincts. 't''H''
|ooTo be sure, 1.-The military power
might by the law OF nations, have per-
nitted the State and local officers SO to
act, las in Missouri, and Virginia, for
example1 but it. did not; and SO we
have seen no officers of the State gov
eminent remained to act even .nnder
such permission! y7h''i '"' 10 zion" I
Esr Under these circumstances the cleo
ton in question was necessarily "with-
out form aud void,n like the chaotic
earth. 1t was IN fact much like the
elections of delegates to political con-
ventions in our township caueusses,
except good deal more of the close
communion order, there having been
no opposing candidates and the voting
having been by little squads collected
here and there by pro concert amongst
themselves, or at least, by means Of
wbichths uninitiated had nointention.
And besides, most of these were men
who have possessed loyalty only to
save their slaves and other property
and escape expulsion from within our
lines, and portions of them were
doubtless on the saddle as guerrillas
within twenty-tour hours after thus af-
fecting the exercise of the elective
franchise.
The credentials of the Democrats
thus selected" are signed by John Il.
RiddeH, elected "Governor," at the
same time and by the same mode OF
''honors easy" Riddell cerlifics to
the election of the bogus Congress.
men, but unfortunate for the whole
batch, there is no ono to certify fol
Riddell.
And yet, the Democratic" organs
will howl long and loud over the refu.
sal of the Republican majority to con
,inue the imposters in their seats, as an
"unconstitutionar' and despolic viola.
ton of "State rights!''
In my last, ], intimated doubt
whether Etheridge, the Copperhead
clerk Of the House, would ventu REQ,
enter their names upon the roll. HI
did venture to do that and good dea
more. Forewarned by the Copper
head manifestations so abundant, du
ring all the last Congress, that at
tempt would be made to substitute
ballots for bullits and bayonets when
ever the latter should have failed al
agencies of treason, and that in pursu
ance of that design, just such delega
tons as that from Louisiana, would b,
fabricated to order and sent hither t.
claim seats in Congress, the Republi
can majority of the last session passct
an act specially designed to defeat any
such scheme to render treason success
full and safe at the same time. K"
This act provides that the clerl
shall enter upon the roll, the names o
those and of those only who are shown
by, their credentials to have beer
regularly elected according to tht
laws of their States respectively or o
the United States; ,ss, .tosdz < bae
Upon examining the credentials flee
in the clerks Office, prior to the com
| mencement of the session EtheridC,