The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-10-20

solsnn and respectful appeal shonld be
throRn aside with . contemptous sheer
Look toll If you, thepeople Of the North
srn States, shall sustain this act Of tyranny,
your own time will soon come. II the Pres
ident of the United States may "manage
hisstide of this contest" by setting aside
thu vary letter of the Constitution, and al
teffnk Che election laws of the State 30 as
to disfranchise his opponents, liberty is al'
rsady dead. JOHN LELLYErT.
PROTECT OF LOYAL TENNEssEEAEs.
To his Erouency, Abraham Lincoln, Prss''
,Ndsat of tie United States:
Sra: The undersigned, loyal citizens OF
the United States and OF the State OF Ten
nessee, on our wi behalf, and on behalf Of
the loyal people of our State, ask leave to
submit this protest against the proclama-
ton of his excellency, Andrew johnson,
military governor, ordering a n election to
be held for President and Vice-President,
under certain regulations and restrictions
therein set forth. A printed copy of said
proclamation Is herewith enclosed. The
Constitution of the United States provides
that "each State shall appoint, in such
manner % the Legislature thereof may
direct, . number of electors" &c. Under
this provision of the Federal Constitution
the Legislature Of Tennessee, years before
the present rebellion, prescribed the mode
of election to be observed, which will be
found to differ essentially from the mode
prescribed by the military governor. We
herewith inclose q copy of the law Of Ten.
nessee governing the holding Of said cleo
ton. The military governor expressly as.
sumes, by virtue Of authority derived from
the President, to alter and amend the cleo
ton law of Tennessee, (exacted under
authority Of the Constitution of the United
States, as above set FORTH, as to make the
same conform to his own edict as set forth
in the proclamation aforesaid. He assumes
70 80 modify our law as to admit persons
70 vote at the said election who are not en-
titled to vote under the law and the con-
stitutiun of Tennessee. Instance this: Our
constitution and law require that each voter
shall be . citizen of the county wherein he
NAV offer his vote, for six months next
preceding the day Of election; while the
governors order only requires, that he shall
with other qualifications named) be q cit
izen Of Tennessee for six months, DC. This
provision would admit to vote many per-
sons not entitled by law. We will, for the
sake of hrevity, pass over some less lmpor
tant points of conflict between the procla-
nation and the law, but will instance in
this place another. By our law it is provi
dsd that the polls shall be opened in every
civil district in each county in the State;
but the proclamation provides only for
aheir being at one place in each county.
This provision would put out of the power
of many legal voters to exercise the elective
franchise.
We solemnly protest against these in>
Judgements of our law, conflicting as they
do, with the very letter of the Federal Con
stitution, because they are without author
ity, and because they will prevent a free,
fair, and true expression of the will OF the
loyal people of Tennessee. But We protest
still more enphatically against this most
unusual and impracticable test oath which
it il proposed to require Of all citizen voters
in Tennessee.
IT solemnly swear that | will henceforth
support the Constitution of the United
States, and defend it against the results OF
its enemies; that / sm an active friend Of
the government of the United States, and
the enemy of the so>called Cont derate
States: that l sincerely rejoice In the
triumph of the armies and navies Of the
United States, and in the defeat and over
throw of the armies, ~navies, and of all armed
combinations in the interests of the So
called Confederate States; that 1 will cor
daily oppose all armistices or negotiations
for peace with rebels in arms, until the
Constitution of the United States and all
laws and proclamations made in pursuance
thereof, shall be established over all the
people of every State and territory EN-
braced within the National Union, and that
I will heartily aid and assist the loyal PEG,
pie in whatever measures may be adopted
for the attainment of those ends; and furth
or that l take this oath freely and volun'
tarily and without mental reservation. So
help me God"
A citizen, qualified to vote, and whose
loyalty cannot be "~disproved by other tes-
timony," is to be requil ed to swear that he
will henceforth support the Constitution
of the United States, and defend it against
ell enemies" This obligation We are will
ling to renew daily. But this is not deemed
a sufficient test of loyalty. He is required
to make oath and subscribe to a mass of
vain repetitions concerning his activity as
Q friend of the Union and an enemy to its
enemies concerning his desires, his hopes
and fears, and that he finds it in his heart
to rejoice over the scenes of blood, and OF
wounds, Of anguish and death. wherein his
friends, his kindred, his loved ones, are
slain or MANNED, or made prisoners of war
whereby the land of his birth or adop-
ton is made desolate, and lanentation and
mourning are spread over the whole nation.
While all the civilized world stands aghas.
in contemplation Of the unequaled horrors
of our tremendous strife, the citizen of Ten
nessee is called upon by her military gov
ernor, under your authority, to swear that
in these things he finds occasion to rejoice!
As if this were still not enough, the citizen
2. C--kl.. ..-.-.l - 4 " =. a.