Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-04-21
tFor the Rutland Herald.
The Eiectiy. Franchise.

and place for holding an election among
the troops of the General Government
the commanding officer could issue or
ders for preventing it, OF what force
then would law be if a military order
could render it nugatory? ...r
A State has as much right to enact
any other law affecting the troops in the
Government employment as it has to en-
act an election-law 1t might invest its
own quota of troops with the power to
decide as to the term of their service, or
whether they will serve at ALL
1t is fundamental maxim of all free
States that the civil power should be
kept superior to the military. If there
fore a considerable body of men, suffic-
lent to give a casting vote in any ques-
ton concerning the Government should
be invested with both the military and
civil power it is plain that there is no
adherence therein to the maxim. If we
invest such a body of men with boin
civil and military power, it will depend
upon them and not upon fundamental
maxilns, or Institutional provisions
which power shall be the superior. 1t
would not be impossible under such an
arrangement. for the military to vote
for officers of the General Government,
such as President vice-President, and
Representative and these officers in re
turn allow the, military high pay, long
gurloughs and easy times generally,
II will doubtless be remembered by
many of the readers of the HERALD, that
with view to the subjugation of Mex
leo, Mr.. Van Buren's Administration
proposed scheme of organizing and dis
ciplining large military force in time
of peace; and that this measure received
the marked disapprobation of the coun-
try Mexico was subiugated, Tor good
or evil, without recourse to any such
corupting measure as this. The scheme
was got up by MIR. Poinsett, Mr. Van
Buren's Secretary Of War, and the effect
oft upon Mr.. Van Buren's political
prospects are too well known to be re-
peated to politicians, and none others
would need to be reminded of it,
Let us suppose the case of the soldiers
of camp coming together to pass reso-
lutions instructing the civil officers OF
the country how to vote on questions
affecting their pay The supposition
would appear absurd to one who thinks
that soldiers should be content with
their wages, whatever they may be and
vet it would be a natural, right accom-
panying the right to vote. If we are
not mistaken it is right secured to the
freemen of Vermont by the fundamental
laws of the State. .sf... d.. f..r -s.
If is admitted that State can en-
act laws, OF any kind, binding her citi-
zens while under obligations to serve the
General Government, we cannot see why
the pompous and absurd Virginia and
Kentucky resolutions of 1898 should not
become established as the law of the
land. The doctrine of those resolutions
was that State had a right to impose
restrictions and even prohibitions upon
the General Government doctrine
which has led to the present rebellion.
But this doctrine was designed only to
affect the civil measures of the Govern
ment, while it would be much more
ruinous still tc impose restrictions or
hindrances upon the military arm of
the Government 3i '
We must beware of the danger of en-
acting laws merely for party ends, as ex-
pedients, or as partial remedies. 1t
might be argued, that if all the brave
and right thinking men go to defend the
country, the weak, the timid, the politi-
cal and corrupt may remain at home
and vote to surrender the country to the
enemy, But the safest remedy here
would be to withhold the power of vot-
ing from the latter class, and not resort
to the dangerous expedient of giving it
to the military If the ignorant and
vicious of New York had not been al
lowed the ruinous privilege of exercis-
ing franchise which they do not un-
derstand, there would have been no
bloodshed in the city and no opposition
in the State. FIVE shut our eyes to the
defects of existing laws, and attempt to
supply these defects by the mere expedi-
ent Of passing other injudicious laws,
we do but merely put off for a short time
the day of reckoning, when we shall
have to meet the evil full in the face.
Men who go to the war should be con-
sidered as voting for the war, if they are
volunteers and if they are not, if they
are drafted men, it would be contra
riety and an absurdity to allow them to
vote, for they would vote against going.
Should party spirit become so unfair as
to take advantage of the absence of sol
diers in the field and vote in opposition
to their efforts, it is questionable wheth-
er laws Of any kind, whether for the
military voting, or any other. will sayp