The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-03-04
10 ADVERTISERS IN DETAIL,
THE RATES WILL BE AS FOLLOWS:
Military interference with ElectlOns.

The Committee on Military Affairs
and the Military, to whom was referred
Senate bill No 81, entitled "a bill to
prevent officers of the army and navy,
and other persons engaged in the mill
tary and naval service of the United
States, from interfering in elections in
which, among other things, they say
No one need be told that, long an
terror to the passage of any of the
Secession ordinances, there was a strong
party in many of the Northern slave
States who joined in the threat to break
up the Union in the-eyent of the cleo
ton of Republican President
That there have been all along, and
still are, great numbers of such persons
in the several "border States" admits
.of no doubt 1t is perfectly notorious
that, when the rebellion broke out,
there were large and influential por-
tions of the people of Missouri, Ken
lucky, Maryland and Delaware who
were open supporters and advocates Of
the rebellion. They were found in
every neighborhood, in all branches of
business, and all the walks of life By
thousands they entered the rebel army
both as officers and men, leaving at
home thousands of friends and rela-
tives, as traitorous at heart as them
selves. These last kept up the agitation
in favor of Secession and the slave
Confederacy No locality was free from
their agitations and their articles
They encouraged the rebels BY keep
ing up angry divisions at home. They
sent information to, and were in con
slant communication with the rebels
and the rebel chiefs. Remaining in the
midst Of communities not in open in
surrection, but apparently ready to
spring to arms against the Federal au-
thority, they industriously acted the
part Of spies, and did all in their power
to thwart the efforts of the government
Multitudes of them were continually
passing to and fro between the hostile
lines, carrying to the rebels supplies of
arms, provisions, clothing, medical and
military stores, and bringing back en-
couraging stories of the prosperity Of
the rebel cause, and hopelessness Of the
efforts of the government to defeat and
destroy it. Their houses became the
asyluns of emissaries and spies from
the rebel army, and rebel districts, and
and the refuge and hiding-places Of
rebel recruiting officers And so
formidable were they in numbers, in
fuence, activity, and craft, that, during
the year 1861, the whole loyal popula-
ton under an apprehension most pain
full and depressing, that they might
succeed in putting those States out Of
the Union, as the holder Secessionsts
had done with the ten seeding States
And it cannot be doubted that, but for
the presence of the loyal troops, who
fastened from the North to hold those
States to their allegiance by the iron
grip Of war, they too would have proved
false to the Union and Constitution,
and would to-day have been, as com
munities, either in arms against the
Government of the United States or in
military occupation. That they are still
IN the Union, and in the enjoyment Of
their rights under it, is due to the Union
bayonet and to the spotless faith and
heroic courage of the true Unionists
they contain-far less numerous than
has generally been supposed.
So far as the committee have been
able to ascertain, the evil which the
bill is intended TO remedy is almost
wholly imaginary; and the fact that
there is so little real ground for COM
plant against the military, considering
the scenes of excitement and disorder
in which they have been compelled to
interpose, speaks loudly in praise Of
their justice and forbearanee, and is
high evidence of the improperly Of
passing the bill
The committee say they would hard
ly do justice to the subject should
they omit to lay before the Senate
sketch of such proceedings as have
come to their knowledge in the use Of
this conservative power Of our COM
manders, 50 far as relates to elections
in the border States, and they proceed
to that duty accordingly.