Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-10-27

eieotion IN any State, 1t surely will not be pre-
tended that subordinate of the President
having in this relation no power or authority
except such as he has received from, the Pre-.
sident, can assume to do more under this head
than the President himself. To state the pro-
position is to expose in all its badness the So
phistry of such statement. And its want Of can
dor is disclosed by the action Of the President in
the case of Maryland, when, just year ago, Gen
Sohenck undertook to regulate the elective franz
chise in that State The assumption was most ills-
gal, and had the President done his full duty in
the premises he would have revoked the whole or
der Of Gen. Schenok on this subject but, in fact,
he only modified it. If, as he now argues, the
OF Presidential election in any State, and if for
this reason he excuses himself from any interposi-
ton Of his power to protect the people Of Tenncs-
see from the assumption of his military subordinate
why did he not bethink himself of the same apology
in the case of Maryland? He surely has as much
right to interpose for the revocation or modi6cs-
ton of the proclamation Of Andrew Johnson, his
military Governor of Tennessee, as he had for the
revocation or modification of the proclamation of
partment Of Maryland in the year 1858.
But the President urges that he cannot discern
that Gov. johnson, by this plan for dsfranchisirg
| all the friends Of Gen. Mcclellan in Tennessee,
purposes any thing more than "to keep the peace
among and for the loyal people Of the State" We
are to understand then, that the Presidents highest
idea of keeping the peace in any State, among
and for the loyal people," is to allow only par.
ticular class of such loyal people to exercise the
elective franchise-to wit those who will vote for
him as President and for bis Military Governor
as Vice President Of the United States. 1t Is
true, perhaps, there will be no disturbance at the
polls, if only Lincoln and Johnson men are allowed
to vote, and if the friends of Gen. Mcclellan in
Tennessee should submit, peacefully and loyalty"
the President phrases il, to be disfranchised in
the way prescribed by this "plan" of Mr. Lincoln's
military subordinate and political associate on the
Republican ticket. And, as If he took delightn
adding insult to the injury devised by his m tary
subordinate and political associate the Republican
ticket Mr.. Lincoln says to the disfranchised Lyal
lists of Tennessee who Rave the presumption TO
prefer Gen. Mcclellan to him as the next President
of the United States, if you object to the plan,
leaving it alone will be your perfect security against
tit is not proposed to force you into it,
That is: 81 know very well my military
subordinate and political associate on the epub-
lican ticket has prescribed a test oath which no
friend of Gen Mcclellan can conscientously take,
without, in the act OF taking it, abb urng his
didacy and pledging himself to me aud my party.
But this is the very design Of the plan contrived by
my military subordinate and political associate 10 CT.
der to make Of the electoral votes of Tonnes
If you do not like this plan it is only because you
are not wiling to forswear your preference for Gen.
Mcclellan. But observe 1t is not proposed to force
you into taking this OATH We merely propose to
keep every body from the polls who is not ready
and willing to take it, and you will serve our pur-
pose perfectly well by staying at home and keeping
your Mcclellan ballots to yourselves. In any
event, my military subordinate and political as.o.
ciate has arranged matters 20 that our friends in
Tennessee will have 1t all their own way. And
this is what meant when said to Mr.. Lellyett
that expected to let the friends of George B.
Mcclellan manage their eide of this contest in
their own way, and IwW manage mig side Of IL
an my Day.'"
We take occasion again to say, as we have said
before, that do not protest against this usurIa-
ton because have any fear that 1t will be con-
summated. Fortunately the men Of principle
who dictate and control the policy Of the Republic
can party in Congress-he men like Senators
Sumner, Wade, and others--are as much pledged
to resist such Executive encroachmcnts as the most
determined sdherent Of the opposition to the Ad-
ministration. Honorable men Of all parties will
concur with the Springfield Mass Republican
when it says: "Gov. Andrew johnson has no
more right to require an oath against the Chica-
" 60 platform than one against the Assembly cate
" chism, as condition Of voting in Tennessee.
ct is to disfranchise every Democratic voter in
, "the State u Is impossible 10 say one aoord in
. qualification, or eUea IN pauiation Of such acts.
: "D they are mere blunders, they are IF the
"sort that are in effect 1oOrse than crimes"
And even so intense Republican sheet as the
Chicago Tribune is frank enough to simit that
/" Governor johnson has erred in prescribing this
test-oath )" and it truly adds that the whole
scheme of holding an election ia Tennessee is
supreme farce"