The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-03-14
The New Hampshire Election.

AS only one instance out of similar hun
dreds, showing how the thing was done in
the recent Republican triumph in the State
Of New Hampshire, We clip the following
from letter in the Boston Courier:
=. A young man who enlisted from New
Hampshire, and has now been in the service
nearly three years, recently asked for fur
Tough on account of the death of sister
thinking himself particularly entitled to it
from the fact that he had not been absent
from duty day during his long tenn OF
service. After patient waiting he received
from the chaplain of his regiment letter
to this effect :-"We find you are voter
in New Hampshire. If you will pledge
yourself to vote for Gilmore you can have
a furlough of fifteen days, and transporta
ton furnished home and back again" These
terms he refused in letter to the chaplain,
and 50 was refused his furlough. Nothing
intimidated, our hero told his story and ex
hibited his correspondence to his Colonel, a
brave and loyal Kentucklan, who indignant
at this attempted outrage, told the young
man that he should have his furlough, If it
cost him his commission. The Colonel soon
after handed him furlough for twenty
days, at the same time reminding him that
he could save all expense by the required
pledge. "My..rights as freeman are worth
more to me than that paltry sum-" replied
the soldier. "Well said, young man. re-
piled his Colonel, and at the same time
drawing his pocket book he handed the sol.
der twenty-five dollars. saying" take
that, my brave boy, and vote for whom you
please"
fear, Mr.. Editor, that such instances Of
heroic resistance on the part of the men, or
manly cooperation on the part of the OH
GERS are not SO common as to constitute the
rule, but this statement, the entire truth Of
which can be relied upon, ought alone to be
sufficient to convince candid mind, n
such thing be left in the country, of the
means by which the "duty of success" has
been, and is to be achieved by the power
now on the throne. Upon such facts, COM
ment and argument seem wasted, for where
the fact will not penetrate, what room is
there for hope? Is Russian serfdom, or feu
dial servility, or the slavery for the destruc'
ton of which We are wasting our country,
more AFFECT than this?
While speaking of McClellan's POPULAR.
ty with the army, this same soldier remark
ed that though every soldier in the army
loved and revered him, yet the question OF
voting for him was quito different thing,
for we at home rad no idea how strict and
complete was the surveillance exercised
over the political opinion of the soldiers in
the field. Every petty officer was spy,
and any private convicted Of voting against
the administration, or storngly suspected Of
entertaining opinions hostile thereto, was a
marked man, and thenceforward to be sub
jected, if not to open punishment or disgrace
at least to such series Of petty annoyan.
ces and discomforts that he was soon con
vertcd to the belief, that in matters of state
as of war, the duty of the soldier is to
obey.
Who, after these things, calls our gov
eminent republic, democracy, govern
ment Of the people2 If this be freedom,
what can despotsm be?