The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1864-11-05
Wholesale Forgery CT Votes for
Mcclellan.

Mcclellan.
| A terrible fraud upon the soldiers has
been discovered and confessed. BY the con-
iesSion of Mr. Ferry, State agent Of New
York, and by other proof equally strong, it
IS established that he in conjunction with
another State agent, Edward Donahue, and
instigated by prominent Democratic polti
clans, has been actively engaged IN forging
the names Of manN thousands IF Ncr York
soh'ieys. tc bioni forms for roteS, in order to
rast Hteir rotes fer Mct1eUan ant Pendlcion
IN the Presidential c'rction Ferry, who
seems to have been the tool rather than the
leader Of this infamous conspiracy, confesses
that these forged votes had been sent to
New lo!k in dry goods boXes The State
was evidently to be carried for Mcclellan by
n fraud upon the soldiers, unparalleled in
audaci'y and wickcdness. Nothing can be
meaner than the attempt to swindle the
brave soldiers of the Union out of their
sacred rights as citizens. Not content with
opposing the legislative acts giving the sol
dlers the power to vote when away from
iheir homes in the National service, we find
these miserable men guilty of yet greater
| crime. All the false accusations against the
Administration fade into insignfcance be-
fore this fearful reality. And this fraud was
committed by the agents formally appointed
the following full confession:
81 do not rccolcct the time when the first
papers were forged, but it was in the pres
ence of O. X. Wood, of Clinton county. New
DIRK; it was done in my Office, No. So
Faycttec street, Baltimore | am, and have
been for the past two years, the agent Of the
State of New York, appointed by Governor
Seymour, to look after the sick and wound.
ed soldiers of New York first saw Wood
on Wednesday Of last week 1.-The 10Th ult. at
my office. He came and represented him
self as an agent of the central committee of
his county to look after its local ticket. He
talked about the way in which the votes
could be taken; it was agreed that we should
sign the names of soldiers and officers and
send them home to have the local tickets
filed in; made out small papers; | signed
the names of soldiers on quite number of
Them ! :annot tell what names We signed
the papers are in the bundle now on the
tables ! did not sign the names Of officers.
but Donahue signed any quantity of them
there was large package of these papers
left with me, which destroyed that pack.
age contained over two hundred Donahuc
signed them all. The idea of forging these
papers was first suggested by man named
Stephen Maxon; he is from the western part
of the State of New York | do not know
from what county; he is not in the service
he is n State agent: | cannot say at what
time it was first proposed to forge these
papers, but it was, at most, two weeks ago
do not think there was anybody present
but Donahue and myself when Maxon first
man named S. NJ. Brundy in my Office he
is now in New York ; also, man named
ii. Ncwcoma never saw HIM until he
came there; he is a lawyer in Albany; part
OF the forged papers were made in my office,
and part brought there's they were usually
brought in bundle, tied up; do not know
who brought them; l had no letters from
Peter Caggcr, except what were found in my
desk | never knew of any correspondence
on this subject with General Farrell, the
commissary of subsistence, except the pack.
age which You have; the packages contained
lot OF blank envelopes and powers of attor.
ncy, with a letter from General Farrell
marked confidential which contained a
list OF the names of residents of Columbia
county; | did not let any one know that |
destroyed the forged papers left with me,
J but told my associate that | sent them to diff
farcnt parts of the State to be marked a
young man came from Washington on Friday
or Saturday last. DIST or 22d ult. saving.
if had any spare blanks to send them on to
Washington; am not certain that he did
or did not say anything about there being
twenty men over there who could attend to
these matters; | do not know how many
forged papers were sent off, but | heard them
say that they sent them from Washington by
the dry goods boXfull ! do not recollcct
hearing them talk despairingly, but they
talked quite juLllantly and confidently
sent package of forged papers to General
Farrell
In speaking of this astounding attempt to
delraud the soldiers and the people by stuff
ing the ballot. boxes with the votes of dead
soldiers. the Tribune remarks as follows:
q In spite Of the overwhelming evidence
of the origin and existence of this Infamous
fraud, the Copperhead journals, by precon-
ccivcd arrangement, resort simultaneously
to the saline defense, and with all assumed
indignation, that would be ludcrous in a
less serious matter, declare that they and
their party are the victims of horrible plot,
and that wicked Government is trying not
only to blacken their unspotted regulations,
but is robbing the mails to suppress the sol
diers' votes' With them evidence under
oath goes for nothing the confessions of
detected criminals 60 for nothing the con-
duct. Of men in high official and military
positions, whose characters are above re.
proach, go for nothing; but like pick
Pothcto III Siomut tHcy cry SLOp tnle1
and hope, by dropping the stolen purse into
bystander s pocket, to escape detection
If there is any such thing as honesty in our
public men; if there is any truth in human
evidence; if there is any solemnity left in
courts Of law which exercise restraining
influence over the minds of men; if the
sanctty of an oath before God has any vir-
tue in it ; if government is not farce if
honor among men is not forgotten senti-
ment; ii we are not, as a people, utterly
lost to public virtue, and given over to
destruction, then we must accept, all fair
minded men must accept the existence of
determination on the leaders of the Demo
cratic party to put themselves into power by
the most stupendous villainies that the
world has ever seen in public men, and,
failing that, to usurp power through violence
and bloodshed. 1t is easier 8 to swear the
seal off the bond than to gainsay the array
of evidence which has been piled up to
prove this, and the assertions of the Demo
cratic organs to the contrary is only to add
turpitude and cowardice TO the boldness of
the most gigantic of crimes.
Let the people ponder these things. Let
them reflect to what national ruin this party
madness and criminahty must lead us. We
know what we are contending with when we
confront Rebels in arms in the open field
But the party which fights its battles at the
ballot-box stuffed to overlooking with forged
votes, and robs dead soldiers Of their names
to betray the cause in defense of which their
right hands have crumbled into dust, is a
thousand, ten thousand times more danger