The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1864-08-24
NUMBER85
ni!Itar, interference with EIsetien..
Tbi. ha. taken place ip Two way. !:

This has taken place ip two way-:
First. BY the selection of soldiers OF the
army to be sent home temporarily TO par
ticipate in State elections.
This practice, in connection with sending
home on such occasions large numbers Of
Government officers and employees in the
civil service, has changed The result OF
many Stale elections and given 10 the party
in power an unjust sdyantags. With the
large powers possessed by the ADMINISTERS.
ton Tor the purposes OF the war with the
large increase of appointments to civil Office
and The employ ment of vast numbers of
persons in all parts of the country in the
business OF Government, the Adminislra-
ton and its party hare bsen enabled TO in
huence elections to an alarming exteut-
The powers conferred by the whole people
upon the Government and ihe revenues de-
rived by taxation from the whole people or
derived from loans which become charged
upon the whole mass OF individual proper
tv, have been used in an Infinite number
OF ways for party purposes aud 10 secure to
the Republican interest, in the Federal and
State Governments, the continued possess
sion OF power. The injus,ice and corru2.
tive tendency Of this system cannot be de-
MED, and alone should be held sufficient TO
condemn the party of the Administration -
1t is notorious iha, time after time, on the
eve OF doubtful elections, thousands of vo-
lers have been sent home from the army 10
turn the scale between parties and 10 secure
an Administration triumph. And THE has
been done, no, upon the principle of send.
ing home citizen soldiers inciscriminateIy
and without reference 10 their polite4R
opinions and attachments, (which would
have been just,) bui upon the principle OF
selecting republican soldiers, or OF granting
furloughs upon the cordi,ion of promise
from the persons favored that they would
support Administration candidates. We
mention elections in New Hampshire Con
neciicut, and Pennsylvania as instances OF
such most base and unjust proceeding. by
which inscriptions power has defeated
the true expression Of popular opinion, and
obtained political advantages which were
shameful TO il and deeply injurious 10 The
country. Will free people consent TO have
their system OF elections thus perverted
and corrupted, and expect TO enjoy, in spite
thereof, The peaceabe fruits OF good gov
ernme enl and honest rule?
Second sill more grave offense against
the purify aud Independence of elections
has been committed by The Administration
in the States of Missouri, Kentucky, Mary
land and Delaware The particular circum-
stances Of Government interference were
somewha, different III each OF these Siates.
but the subs tsntisl facts in all, were hhese
!. That the military power OF The Gener
al Government was directly applied TO con-
troll the elections, and that officers and SOL
diers of the army ot The United States were
openly used for that purpose.
2. That the States in question were at
the time in state o. profonnd peace and
quiet, and that with the exec ption OF sim
gle congressional district in Kentucky, no
Rebel raid or invasion into them was then
in progress or expected
,. That in each of them ;here exis, ed an
adhering State governmen ent, exercising COM
plete and unqnestioued jurisdiction under
Governors and other State officials whose
devotion and fidelity 10 The Government of
The United States tEere unq uesiiorabIe.
4. That there was no official call upon
the Federal Government by the Executive
or Legislature of any one o. those States for
protection sgainst domestic violence, (un-
der the particular provision of the Consti-
tuition OF the United States authorizing such
call } but that the inerterence, in most
cases, was against the desire, and notably
in the case OF Maryland against the protest
of the State authorities.
8. Tha: thousands OF qualified persons
were prevented from voting at those elec-
tons, and in the most OF those States the
result OF the election was changed from
what it would have been without military
interference. The aged and timid were de.
tered from attending the elections many
who attended were kept from approaching
the polls and, in many cases, actual out
rage prevented the legal voter from exercis-
! ing his right The foil proof of all this ap
pears in a number oil contested election
cases in Congress in official papers from ths
Govornors OF several OF the States in qnes-
lion, in reports Of committees of the State
/ Legislatures, and from other reliable sour
/ ces and we recommend tie whole subject
/ as one of fearful importance, TO the exam
ina,ion and judgment, of our country
! ngrsssionai ADDRESS.
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