Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-08-24

The Election i'm Kentucky - Burn
sides Declaration OF Martial Law
HOW the People were "Protected ia
their Sovereign Rights"
BLOOMFIELD, Ky. August 4.
To the Editor offke Chicago Times:
Burnside's declaration Of martial I W was fol
lowed by one emenating from T. H Butler,
commander Of the 5th Indiana cavalry, placing
bardstovn and Nelson county under martial
law. BardstOwn is the residence of Hon. G. A.
Wicklife. Democratic candidate for Governor.
Col. Butler announces, with a p~rofusion of large
capitals in handbills distributed on Sunday, that
the people are TO be protected in their sovereign
rights as citizens. and not molested in any way"
Bloomfield is a small town twelve miles from
Bardstown, in the midst of a 6De country. where
Democrats abound. On Monday morning (elec-
ton day) Capt Sea. formerly of Chicago, now
an Indiana captain Of cavalry-an abolitionist
who voted for Lincoln, avowed himself in favor
OF the emancipation and negro -arming policy of
the President. and defines "loyalty" to be a sup
port of the Presidents measures-w with a squad
of twenty five soldiers armed with carbines,
sabres. and revolvers. took possession of the
polls. He informed the judges that they
were under martial law, and would
have to conduct the election according to his di
~rections, which be had received from his superb
ors. He then declared Hon. @. A.. Wicklife a
disloyal man, and that no vote should be cast for
him He furnished State; Congressional and
county tickets. which he declared to be %"loyal,' .
and said that loyal men might vote for them
At a later period he stated that votes Of "loyal
mel" might be cast for other candidates. provided
the judges would indorse the loyalty Of the candi-
dates. admonishing them. at the same time, that
they would be held responsible for the loyalty OF
all men voted for; aud tbatif any of them should
hereafter be declared "disloyal" by the military
authorities. the judges would be punished: but
what the punishment might be he was not au-
thOrized to say. The judges, overswed by the
military, being acquainted with only n few of the
long list of candidates. and warned of exposure
to an underlined military punishment if by chance
a disloyal man should be voted for, concluded 70
receive votes only for the military ticket, OF which
Bramlette, for Governor, was the head. A few
Democrats offered to vote for Mr.. Wickliffe. but
were met with the assurance of the IDuiana, sbo-
lition, negro arming Captain. with his revolver
conspicuously displayed, that "Mr. Wicklife is q
disloyal man, and that in no case shall "a vote be
cast for him"
The Democrats then gave up the contest and
resigned the polls to the military and the "loy
atty" About nine tenths of this precinct is
Democratic, and il would have so appeared on
the poll books II ~e had been allowed to vote
but the military decreed otherwise. ard like our
OciOFtu DTtluItH, w NOtiutIu DCuuOCfdtc, WHICH
they ret in a tight place. eve are a law md order
people" "But for our forbearance, blood would
have been shed, " "a our Northern brethren say
when they allow the AboIitionists to "spit upon
them and rub il in" That is to say. we quietly
snbmitted to have our rights wrested from us,
and the soldiers had no occasion to "shed the
blood of so docile a people.
The whole number of votes cast was nineteen.
all for the Bramlette ticket. II the Democrats
had been allowed to vote, Mr.. Wickiiffe's ma
iority would have been 100 or more, The entire
"bogus Union" strength was polled, except per
hops two votes.
Old men who had been voting for forty and
fifty years, were yesterday refused the privilege
OF voting, while mere youths. just out of their
minority, freely voted. An aged minister of the
Gospel, who has been n legal voter. but not a
politician. for fifty seven years. was denied a
vote; whilst a young man without sufficient in
telligence to read his ticket, and known to he a
thief. voted for Bramlette 4 Co. Men of large
wealth aud high character. who pay heavy taxes
to State and national governments, could not
vote, whilst "squatters" and ''sponges" freely
voted. who will probably never pay > dime to
support the national government. and nothing
more than head tax TO the State Government.
Thus did ''the military officers aid the c~onstitu
ted authorities in support OF the laws and of the
purity of suffrage" under Gen. Burnside's order
proclaiming martial law. Thus did the com
mander Of Indisna troops, in Nelson county, full
FL, his promise made in flaming capitals that the
people shall mot be molested in any way. and
shall be protected in their sovereign rights"
At Bardstown and other parts of the county.
the same scene was enacted. The same was done
in several other counties heard from And vet
the Louisville Journal and other abolition papers
will claim n brilliant victory achieved
At Chaplain in this county, the judges support
ed by a few citizens "overawed" n diminutive
specimen Of a captain AND his squad of men. and
voted for Wickliffe-Brsmlette securing only six
votes, and Wicklife more than one hundred.