Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1864-10-20
TO THE PEOPLE.

npuUoH W Ue administration IN Nary
ta'd, and Tennessee. --7he Remedy 10 be
Used, dc. d., dc,
The Democratic National Committee of
the United States hold it to- be- their duty to
call inc attention of their fellow country
men without distinction of party, to certain
grave acts of usurpation and wrong now
practiccd upon the citizens of MARYLAND and
of Tennessee, but involving the dearest
rights of all the people in all the states
and the very existence of those constitu-
tlonal remedies against executive wrong do
ing which have heretofore saved this nation
from the convulsions through which popular
liberty in other lands has been forced TO as
scrt, to maintain, and to extend its guaran-
tees.
In the state of Maryland, on the 3Oth,
day of September, the Ercning Post, a
journal printed in the city of Baltimore,
which had that day for the first time pub
lished the electoral ticket of the Democratic
party of that state, was suppressed by the
following order of Major General Wallace,
commanding the U. S. troops in that city
EIGru Army CORPS, BALTIMORE, Sept: 80.
As the surcst means of preventing your office
being made the subject of violence you will dis
continue the publication of your paper The
Erening Post.
The sole pretext for this order was the as
sertion that several soldiers subject to the
command of Major General Wallace intended
to create riot in the streets of Baltimore,
and to destroy the property of the sup
pressed journal on account Of a etatement
upon its bulletin-board, announcing as an
item of news "a fearful riot in Cincinnati,
during which Lincoln club procession
from Kentucky fired upon the citizens,
men, women, land children, several being
killed and wounded"
Such a pretext for such an order is so
manitestly disgraceful to the military officer
who in issuing it confessed his inability to
restrain soldiers of the national service from
acts at once of military insubordination aud
of civil outrage, that it is impossible to be-
licve he could have been continued as he
since has been in his command by the Presi-
dent Of the United States, had not the sup
preston Of the Ecening Post, which was the
only Democratic Journal published in Balti-
more, been designed by the executive for
| the express purpose Of depriving the polit-
zeal opponents of the existing administration
in that city of their sole means Of advocating
their opinions; and even of disseminating
the information necessary to guide the vot-
ers of their party to intelligent action at the
polls.
Maryland is Il loyal state. To her fidelity
President Lincoln in his message to Con
E gress on the 18th of December, 1861, bears
this emphatic witness: Her bridges ant
railroads are repaired and open to the gov
ernment; she already gives seven regiment
to the cause Of the Union and none to tn,
enemy; and her people at regular election
have sustained the Union by a larger ma
jority and "a larger aggregate vote than the,
ever before gave to any candidate on an,
8 question.
) No enemy now treads her soil The vic
! torious advance of Sheridan has cleared cvcl
her iurthest borders of all rebels in arms
Her people are as fully entitled to absolute
freedom at the polls and in the discussion o
all political questions as the people of Mas
, sachusetts or New York.
1 To sanction an act by which they ar
r shamclessly deprived of this freedom is
deliberate assumption by the executive o
: his intention to perpetuate his authority b,
any exercise Of arbitrary power in contemp
Of the popular will, and in violation Of al
, laws by which liberty in America has beer
! hitherto protected.
5 All doubt as to the meaning of this con
/, duct of the executive in Maryland is put Il
an end by the simultaneous occurrence in tn
. State of Tennessee of an act equally hwless
anu cuutily ciouucHt vi Sctlic' pufpoSc u
. retain the control Of the resources and des
TIMES of the people by means foreign to ou
, institutions and fatal to our liberties.
5 On the Doth day of September, Andrey
!, johnson, Brlgadier General of volunteers
= holding by appointment of the Presiden
: the office unknown to our laws of mlltar
e z Governor Of Tennessee; and by the nomi
Il nation of the Republican party, candldat
for the Vice Presidency Of the Union, issue
c issued military order, commanding a
II election for the Presidency and Vice -Presi
$ dency to be held in that State, and prcscril
{ { ing arbitrary qualifications for voters at TIL
d election. This order is based on the pro
ceedings of political meeting which tn
7, military governor treats as a free conventio
{, of the people, absolutely subjected by til
Il will of Mr.. Lincoln to his authority; and i
u it the following oath is described to be take
e e at the polls:
- "I solcmnly swear that will hcnccforth SUI
- port the Constitution of the United states, an
l. that am an active friend of the Cove rnmcnt
, the United states and an enemy ofthc social.
:, suppression OF tile rebellion agninstthc Govcrl
. nncnt of the United States that sincerely r.
Jocc in the triumph of the armies and navics
the United states and in the defeat and owe
throw OF the armies, navieS, and of all armC
combinations III the interest of the so.callI
Confederate States; HoR triU cordially oppose Il
armisticcs or negotiations for peace with rebo
in arms until the Constitution of the Unite
l. States and all laws and proclamat!onS made
: pursuance thereof shall be established over II
;, the people of every State and territory With
II tho national Union, and that will heartily al
g and assist the loyal people In whatever mea
a uro may be adopted for the attainment OF tho'
ends,
q q This oath is directly intended to dcpriy
=, all loyal citizens Of Tennessee who may
;. constitutionally entitled to vote at ALL I
|, their right to support at the polls any polio
i for the suppression of the existing rebellion
= save that which is advocated by Mr.. Lincoll
= by Mr.. johnson, and by the party sustain
! ing them. That policy repudiates any issu
i of the war now waging, save the sublucatlo
Vt Of the States in rebellion and the aboitio
), by the federal power, of the institution
:, slavery, and utterly torbids all negotiation
. not only with the so-called republic of II
Confederate States but with any single Stat
while soldier remains in arms against Il
Union. The oath prescribed by the Repu
+ lican candidate for the Vice Presidency
l. the loyal citizens of Tennessee requires
ie them an absolute adhesion to this policy
Is his own party as the condition of their exc
lt else of the most sacred right of citizenshi
+ In other words, this oath commands evel
b loyal citizen of Tennessee to vote for tt
T. Republican candidate or to abstain from Il
I polls. Under the operation of this oatl
$, any citizen who holds such views of ii
I. policy proper to be pursued toward Il
- States in rebellion, as those put forth for O