Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-08-03
EXTRA STANDARD.
RALEIGH. July %, 1864.

influence to prevent free and fair vote in the
army, but we confess we we're not prepared fF
the force and fraud which have been reserted to in
order to influence And control the votes Of the SOL
diers.
The elections held in the hospitals in this City
were the merest farces. As general rule, no free
dom of selection was permitted, but the soldiers
we're told by the officers standing over them, that
if they voted against Vance they would be imme.
diately sent to their regiments. The tickets were
opened, and the names of the voters written on the
backs of them, in the very face Of the law of the
State on the subject which leaves it optional with
the voter to hand in an open or folded ticket
Friends who were present at the election in one Of
the hospitals, inform us that two of the Surgeons
in charge-one from Florida, and the other from
Vrginia-stood over the polls as the soldiers voteds
declaring that no one who voted for Holden could
stay in that hospital. The voters ticket was open.
ed, and his name written on the back of it. A
soldier who avowed his intention few days before
the election to vote for Holden, was sent at once
to his regiment by these Surgeons another. whose
name was taken down to go forward to his reg
iment on the morning Of the 9th, because he
was known to be for Holden, refused to 60 that
day, but remained and voted for Holden. All who
who were known or supposed to be for Vance we're
allowed to remain and the impression was pro-
duced on them that if they voted for Vance they
would not be sent on their regiments for weeks to
come A soldier by the name of MeManus, from
South.C Carolina, was allowed to vote for Vance in
this hospital A soldier by the name of Ward vo-
ted for Holden, and as soon the Florida Surgeon
saw it be ordered the clerk to record his name,
company, ard regiment exelaiming no man who
votes for Holden can stay here ?" The same Sur
geon Was asked by soldier if he could vote f5ld-
I'd ticket, and his reply Was, at is best not to
risk it."
We have obtainsd these facts from three persons
who were present and witnessed this tyranny
We believe, from what we know Of these persons,
that their statements are strictly true.
At another one IF the hospitals the officers were
very active in debating to the men; and BY their
permssion-for it was done in their presence
without rebuke-the negro walters attached to the
hospital went out among the men during the cleo.
ton With Vance tickets stuck in their hats. If
poor soldier in that hospital, or in the Fair Ground
hosnita, had stuck Holden ticket in bis hat, he
would have been ordered at once to his regiment.
High times, indeed, when the negro is allowed, by
HOSTING a certain name, to indicate to our white
soldiers how they ought to vote. Great God y
has it come to this? Is this one of the results
If .peaceable secession !" But this insult to those
Rad bo ho uro1 for &c
any soldier had inflicted merited chastisement on
hese slaves, he would no doubt have been sent
ut once to the army as a punishment for SO doing
We obtained this fact from citizen of Wake Coun-
ty of undoubted character for veracity, who saw
with his own eyes these negroes going about with
Vance tickets in their hats.
I We learn aso-indeed, the fact is in the mouth
of every one-thst number of females said to be.
long to the Raleigh Relief Association went to the
hospitals while the elections we're going on, tore
up the Holden tickets, and by every means in their
power prevented full and free vote! One soldier
who at last voted for Holden, had his ticket torn
up seven times before he could deposit his bsllot
We state these facts without comment
1t is our opinion, from what we have heard, that
the Surgeon in charge of Pettigrew Hospital, Dr..
E. Burke Haywood did all in his power to have
fair election, but this was prevented by the per
sons referred to above. We have heard, however,
that even in this hospital the names of the voters
were marked on the hack Of their tickets. We
give the report as We heard it and if unfounded
~e will take pleasure in correcting it. If so, how
ever, it proves that the tickets We're opened and
thus marked in accordance with special instruc.
lions from Raleigh or Richmond for Dr. Haywood,
knowing as he does the laws of the State on the
subject would not have done so of his own accord
We have no doubt that the votes at the other
hospitals in this State and Virginia were controlled
in the same way.
Large majorities are claimed for Vance in the
hospitals, and in some regiments which the De.
structives of this City say they have heard from.
We have received no returns up to this time, Fri.
day evening four o'clock If any dispatches have
Seen made up by our friends at Petersburg. or
Wilmington, or Kinston, and placed in the tele:
graph Office, they have been withheld no doubt
under military orders until the Confederate and
Conservative can have full time to get their dis.
patches before the public SO as, i: possible, to
operate on the people at home in favor of Gov
Vance. If the returns which these papers contain
be correct it proves that large number of the
soldiers have not voted at all, but have been pre-
vented from exercising their right of suffrage either
by the direct use of force, or by opening their
tickets and marking their names on them There
are some thirty thousand soldiers who are entitled
to vote, yet the returns which these papers contain
though the majorites for Vance are large show
that the vote itself was small The probability is
that the true Conservatives in the army have not
voted at all, or to any considerable extent on &C.
count of some special tyranny practiced on the day
Of election We shall soon know.
And now, citizens Of North Carolina, what do
you think of these things! Are you indeed free
men! If you are, shom 1t at the polls. The SOL
der with the scars of twenty battles on his body,
has been insuted and deprived of bis right of suf
frage as free citizen by lnsolent and overbearing
officers from other States. Your own Governor
gave the order to spot and detect every soldier who
might vote against him, by printing his tickets on
s,per of an unusual color; and the same is intend.