Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-10-20
THOUGHTS ON ARMY VOTING.
Extract from Letter.
ARMY OF PoroMAc, SEPTEMBER 20, 1856

ARMY OF Potomac SEPTEMBER 20, 1864.
MY DEAR -: You ask my views as to the elections
in the army Let take OCCASION thsn to make record
of them.
The very idea of election, choice after Information, dis
cussion, delberaton in army seems, regards the
selection of civil rulers preposterous and its formal re-
azaton free expression of intelligent preference is
scarcely conceivable by habituaed to army life Above
all must this be true in the for which, among the
experiment has been intated-where the actual Com
mander in Chief is of the candidates and his late
Lieutenant in command, displaced by himself to cripple
him rival is the alternate. An emphatic expression
of free choice in such case is hardly supposabe except
under the conditions of nsubordinate facousness vr
tua protest, akin to mutiDy
In army confronting the enemy entire campaign
there be open and free discussion of the qus6ca
tons policy measures, Of its chief commander, and of
the question of his continuance supreme command The
very statement suggests to you that it must sweep dscp
line and unity from army pestilence sweeps life.
Unanmity concerted and united action. and real har-
mony of feeling, felt in army to be necessity, and
this not only to but to Eepreservation And this
convection like instructive impulse will always tend to
carry armies like tide, way the other; but any
how together And this and above the added and
present Influence Of authority which cOnstan and
of habit of conscious dependence the will and power
of superors in office.
Such are the views of thoughtful and experienced
in the army itself They depore the fact of election
thrown into the army during campaign To old army
officers, long accustomed to dgafed abstinence from the
trifes and freedom from the passions of election times it
Is an unwecome and Odous innovation And the authors
and abetors of WILL in the end be forced to bear witness
to the wisdom of sound craftsmanship which, principle,
deprecated and protested against it, because it inva
sion of the field of individual civil suffrage by the organized
and compacted force of body corporate such army
must necessarily be- The change it is felt is not in the
variable accidents of poty, but in its substance
fundamental and organic time and events will prove.
1t indeed from being yet ascertaned however
what the army vote will be- The days and hours too
pregnant with events exertpg and controlling infu
upon the and susceptible public mind both
in the army and out Of it, to warrant prediction
And there this remarkable fact to be weighed and
membered 10 all reasonngs the subject it stands be-
fore in the pending experiments that the votes for
the candidate will be given from policy and under the
dark stern influences of partisan adhesion to repre-
sentative and instrument of certain dominant opinions and
interests the votes for the other from glowing and
personal admiration confidence and affection towards
the tried principles and character of the mao weknown
aud loved But voice may be lifted up within the army
to utter and impress such thoughts however true and
only make record of them and leave results where
they belong Yours -.