The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1864-02-03
Probing by History.


"No governments ever survived the vote OF ia
.,n;es The governments Of Rome, France
Mexico. and some others, all bear witness 70 tni'
fact The military powers and armies OF nc
country can WELD and control the election o.
civil officers. without giving TO that government
and it, civil powers great shock No govern
mont has vet been able TO Withstand abe shock,
no natter how honest and intelligent It's armies
NAV have been. Let Us then take heed and
nro6t by the history Of the past Let us a. al
tines. and By ell means, give to our brave sodi
ers al the encouragement aud privileges "e can
Within the limits Of our authority, and they VIII
be satisfied.
We read the paragraph three times, before We
could discover. for 4 certainty, tie idea the
writer meant 10 convey. We 6nally concluded
that il was ali attempt to embody, in form Of
words, a notion which has been floating loosely
In the minds Of many Of our legislators, that Al
lowing soldiers 20 vote is necessarily dangerous
70 the Liberties of our country. Such al idea
whether true or false, deserves examination
The Erst proposition of the writer strikes Us as
very strange. mo government ever survived
the vote Of its aruies :" and quotes as witnesses,
the governments OF Rome, France and Mexico.
We have been a general reader OF history, ano
yet We cannot call TO mind single instance il
which the armies Ct either Of thoec countries
were allowed 70 vote ir "hs election Of civil
officers" We presume our readers ere equally
ignorant. If Instances as numerous as thOse the
committee refer 70 have occurred, We should
Ike to know the volumes and pages where this
'fhistory Of the past" may be read. No modern
nation. 10 day, SO far as We know, permits lie
armies TO vote. We have had en- army in the
United States for nearly hundred years; yet
whoever heard of its voting at civil elections or
Who has proposed that it should do so, until
within two years past. To make cut their argu-
ment the gentlemen must show, first, that
armies have voted in each Of the countries
named, in the election Of civil officers; and,
second, that THIS voting has destroyed the gov
eminent Of those countries. II these two aledged
fact" fail, then, so far as they are concerned
we cannot profit by the history Of the past"
But what is the real lesson that history teaches
in regard TO the overthrow OF the liberties OF
na,ionss Simply this: that every free nation
that has existed long enough, has, in the end,
lost its freedom by means Of a hostile military
force, sometimes coming from without the limits
of the nation, but usually from withiu, which ex
pels, overcomes, or destroys the legitimate eivii
power of the nation, which had teen established
by the votes Of the citizens, and establishes a
military power in its place, which is not depend
ent on civil votes for its continuance. This is
the Lesson history teaches to us, as our future
destiny, unless We are wise enough to avoid il
soldierss None whatever.
But suppose that all the armies of the United
States, both regular aud volunteer, we're allowed
to vote for all officers at the next November
election, what harm would be dones What evil
could grow out of it? The most important thing |
we can imagine is, shat all the soldiers might
concentrate on some military chief, like AcCIel- |
Ian or Grant. and their united votes you'd olees
him President, instead Of come civilian like Mr. /
Lincoln or Mr.. Chase. Suppose he was so elect |
ed and filed the Office for four years. according |
TO law, and then left il TO his legal successor,
would the government, therefore. be overthrown
By the election OF Gen. hcClelIn' Would il
give 10 the "gopernmsnt and 'ts civil porer a
great shoek"-so great that mo government
could Sihstand" it, We cannot see any such |
thing. II is possible that, 10 this way, Gen. |
Mcclellan might be elected President, when, if
the soldiers were not allowed to vote, he could
not be elected But has not q soldier as good
right TO vote as you bave who stay at home ?
Does he cease to become a citizen because his |
country calls him to be soldier, God forbid
that We should ever wish to dictate to a soldier
who he should vote for, or Wish to deprive him |
Of the power of voting, for fear be should have a
different choice from our own.
No; il our liberties shall ever be los. by MIL |
itary Usurpation, it will be in way very differ
ent from that which these gentlemen suppose |
Some general Of high rank, ike Haeck or Nc |
CielIsn, having conceived the design, will do as
all usurpers have done before. lie will follow
substantially in the tracks Of the first Cesar, and
Of the First and Third Napoleon. He will cor
rupt a. many Of the officers of the army a.
possible, and will promise the soldiers shorter
service, better ratiOus, larger pay, or great boun-
ties in lands. HaVing secured possession Of
Washington with dozen regiments on which he |
can depend, be will send word to Congress BY |
bis minions in both Bouses, Make me President
for life or these soldiers will drive you from your
seats" The members will, as other legislators
have done, listen, hesitate, tFemble and obey /
and the revolution may be consummated in half 1
an hour. Or, should there be virtue enough in 1
any members TO resist, they would be immed 4
sssly arrested, and lodged in prison. Our hber-
ties would thus be lost in a contsst between the
civil and the military power; and such a revolu.
hon would be the result, not Of a mutual co
operation Of action between the ballot man add
the oayonet man, but OF a contest between them;
and in this contest The bayonet lie almost .-sys
victorious The committee refer to the Danger
OF the elections for civil officers being controlled
BY the armies Of a nation. There 10 danger in
sneh control. Ehere IL comes from a eortsst Of
force and tiolenes between the citizen aud the
soldier. But WIEN the soldiers continue to vote
a. citizens, that contest is avoided for the
soldier continues to be a citizen, and having the
privilege Of expressing his choice through the
ballot, he has no occasion FOR using biz bayonet
for thar purpose.
There is 20 more efectual way Of preventing
the soldier from laying violent hands upon the
Institutions Of bis Country, than By continuing