The Portland daily press., 1864-04-29

At one time it was the usual refrain OF the
Democratic press and politicians, that Repub-
llcans, or the friends and supporters of the
administration, did not come forward to swell
the ranks of the Union army, but left all the
fighting to be done by Democrats. Demo-
cratic defeats at the polls we're explained on
the ground that the Democratic voters were
absent in the field, fighting to uphold the flag
and to maintain the authority of the Govern
ment and the integrity Of the Union, while
their opponents meanly remained at home to
secure their political ends. OF course there
was neither justice nor truth In such allega-
tions, and none better knew their falsity than
those who made them.
Time went on, and while some states made
provision for their soldiers to vote in the field,
others refused or neglected TO do so, and the
soldier was obliged to loose one of the free
mans highest priyileges-the election of his
own rulers-or come home to cast his vote.
1t is a notorious fact that where Democrats
have controlled state action, no provision has
been made allowing the soldiers TO vote when
absent from their respective states. In New
York Union legislature passed bill author
ling them to vote, but a Democratic Cover
nor vetoed it. In Pennsylvania Union Leg
islature enacted similar law, and Union
Governor approved it, but Democratic Judge,
(Woodward) himself a candidate for Cover
nor, pronounced the law thus made unconsti-
tutional, and thus cut off the defenders OF
their country from voting for the rulers of
the country they had fought to save. A
Democratic New Jersey legislature has re-
Gently indefinitely postponed a bill designed
that state
The New York Tribune has set this matter
in its true light, and in language of the most
forcibe and convincing character. The World,
an oracle Of Copperheadism, got up COM
planning, fault-fndlng, malignant article, of
which the following is an extract:
There are men in that (Unionl party too
h onest to endure patiently the sending home
OF only Republican soldiers to vote in State
Elections. The great mass of Radicals, delu-
ded by their leaders into a belief in the con-
stitutionalty OF legal-tender paper currency,
now repent their folly when its consequences
are emptying their pockets and visibly send
ing the nation headlong down the sleeps of
bankruptcy.
To this article, under the head, "Who Com
plain ?" the Tribune replies as follows:
i. There was no "sending home of only Re-
publican soldiers" 70 vote in Ohio last fall.
when all her VoluHzeers voted in camp, or
field, or hospital, wherever they might be, and
gave an aggregate of II Asa votes for the
Union TO 2,39l for the Democratic candidates.
Nor was there any "sending home OF only Re-
publican soldiers TO vote" last Fall in Iowa.
when all her soldiers voted wherever they
might be, and gave 1901 votes Tor the
Union TO 1904 for the Democratic candidate,
though the latter was at that moment Gen
eral in command of a portion of those very
soldiers, professedly in favor of vigorous
prosecution OF the War. Nor was there any
sending home Of only Republican soldiers TO
vote in Wisconsin, whose soldiers all likewise
voted wherever they were, and gave D ,2J7
votes for the Union TO TAT for the Democratic
candidate. Nor was there any sending home
OF only Republican soldiers to vote" in Mis-
souri,, whose Volunteers who are legal voters
: all voted in the field last Fall, giving an ag-
gate of y, s25 TO IN for the Conservative
candidates, though one of the latter was Col
onel Of one of the Missouri regiments, where
in he received exactly 6S votes. Beside the
above, the conservative" authorities OF Mis-
could not reject enough to falsify the verdic
OF those who are fighting for their country.
Why has not some Copperhead journal or
speaker the manliness 10 face these and kin
dred facts? They are constantly pretending
that the "Abolitionists" don't volunteer, ,chea
the soldiers Of every State Which has dllotved
its soldiers TO pote In the field hace uniformly
gioen an overwhelming majority for our side
and against them. We dare them to attempt
10 show an exception. The six States that
enabled their soldiers TO vote last year lone
Of them only those in hospital within her own
limits showed an aggregate of S2915
Union votes last Fall to 7,l12 Democratic.
Dare you face these returns, quibblers? Why
has your party not enabled the Soldiers OF
Delaware, or those of New Jersey, or those
of Illinois, or those OF Indiana to vote? You
have the power why do you nerer exercise it
In favor OF allowing all the Soldiers to vote?
We dare you to do it where you can, and
SO obyiate all pretense of Partially in the
premises.
III. As to the clamor against Paper Cur
rency, IL means just exactly stop the War
and succumb to tue Rebels"-nothing less nor
more. We can return to Specie Payments
by doing that-not otherwise. Whatever ap-
proach to Bankruptcy there is in our case
results from the cost Of maintaining War of
such gigantic proportions. When a Copper
head asks, "Why not have maintained Specie
Payments Notwithstanding the WARP" we are
tempted to retort-"Why not run the waters
OF Niagara through a nine-inch ringp" The
matter was simply impossible; as none knew
better than those, who, for base party ends,
are clamoring against the depreciation of our
Currency.