Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-11-12
THE MARYLAND ELECTION"

President of the United States was apprzed of the
"orders" which the military commander at Bal
tmore had assumed to issue in view of the elec-
ton in Maryland, he directed that the first Of the
regulations" should be annulled. That regula-
tion was in the following words:
IT. That all provost marshas and other military officers
do arrest all such persons Ii e.. all persoDs who have
been engaged in rebellion against the lawful Government
given aid and comfort encouragement to others
gagged who do not recognise their allegiance to the Uni
It'd States found at hsuging about, approaching
any poll place of election the 4th of November
1868, and report such arrest 10 these hsadquarers
The second of Gen Schenck's "regulations"
prescribed test oath as qualification of suffrage
supplementary to the laws of Maryland.
The third /" regulai a" is in the following words :
Provost marsbals and other military officers d
rected to report to thce headquarters any judge Of
election who rha refuse his aid 10 carrying this order
who challenge Of vote beng made the ground
Of disloyalty hostility ths Government shall refuse
to require the oath Of allegiance from such voter"
1t is difficult to conceive Of the political or mill
tary understanding that could indite and publish
such !" orders" as these in the face of the Ameri-
can people. And yet this is the shape in which
Gen. Soenck deliberately chose to issue his origi-
nal regulations They are, therefore, the standard
by which we are authorized to try has notions as
to the extent of the power of military commander
to supervise and control the elective franchise in
Loyal State. And we know of no better commen-
tary on the nature and elect of his regulations
than that Of Gov. Bradford, whose proclamation
Gen. Schenck undertoos Il. suppress according to
his will and pleasure. Gov. Bradford says:
The fret and third ons Of the order the most
remarkable items of thr srnrary authority il assumes
The first places all pers supposed to have given aid
and comfort To persons engaged in the
rebellion and those who do not recognise their allegiance
to the United States. at the mercy of mill airy officer
and provost marshal and orders the latter to arrest them
when approaching the pols &C.; and the third clause
ntmstes to the judges of election in very unmstakabe
terms the dangers they incur n case they dobey the
military authority These sworn officers Of the law have
new law prescribed to them in tins military order and
for disobedieDce Of which they To be reported to
these headquarters and must Of ccurse take warning
Of the c1naquences that will ensue."
In word these orders" gave to the Provost
Marshal of the Fifth Congressional District, whom
Gen. Schenck knew to be candidate for Congress,
full power and authority to arrest all person.
"found at, or hanging about, or approaching any
poll or place Of election" and whom his saJordi-
mates might consider to have given aid and CON-
fort, or encouragement, to the rebellion. The Pro-
vost Marshal and lis subordinates were thus not
only empowered to preside over the judges of the
election, but also to bar to the polls in the
case of any and every person whom they might
choose to arrest for supposed disqualification under
the rules prescribed by Gen. Schenck That is,
nobody could reach the polls except such persons
as the Provost Marshals subordipates should allow
to pass when discovered in the act Of approaching
the place OF the election aud, after this gauntlet
had been run, all voters who succeeded IN reach
ing the polls might, if challenged, be further sub
jected to test OATH prescribed by Gen. schenck
the condition precedent Of exercising the right
Of suffrage in loyal State where, as in other loyal
States, the judges Of the election are sworn to
discharge their duties according 10 the ldtcs Of thc
.State-au oath which they could not keep il they
regarded H., njunctions; and yet, if they did not
perjutc tho mselves by giving to has mandates the
effect of lsw, it was provided by the third Of his
/" regulations" that all judges who " refused their
aid in carrying out this order should be reported to
the Generals headquarters At Baltimore Such
WIS the ccde which Gen. Schcnck framed and pub
lisL,d as COMFORTING with has views Of right and
duty
Fortunately for the credit Of this country, the
President instantly rescnded the most obnoxious
of Gen. schcnck's prescriptions--.hat giving to
the subordnatcs Of the Provost Marshals full pow
er and authority to arrest anybody they might list
in the act Of approaching the polls. And the Pre-
sident was careful to rescind il 10 terms and for
reasons which conveyed severe rebuke TO the off,
Ger that could publish such an "order"
for Mr.. Lincoln Significantly said, in speaking Of
the terms Of the original order, that he annulled
it because these officers being Of necessity The e.
elusive Judges as 10 ,cho shall Je arrested, The pro-
Visioa is liable 10 0LaSe."
And as, after the Presidents hint, this fact
must have been as plain to Gen Schenck as it was
TO every body else without such hint, We had
supposed that this arbitrary edict was destined
simply to stand rs a monument to mark the ex-
tent of the military assumption to which General
Schenck would have been willing to 60 if he had
not thus been promptly restrained by the Pres-
dent Bat We find we we're mistaken. Though
the President had straghtway annulled this por-
ton of his "orders," no gticiai ,ntimation of the
fact asas communicated 10 all the Judges aoho had
received The original orders regulating the election
~ IL ;,4; Al.