The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1864-09-30
"1Confdential.

with the President, Secretaries O
State, War, &c, 1t had been decidet
TO effect the operation proposed 70
the 18th. Arrangements have beel
made to have government steame
at Annapolis TO receive the prisoner
and carry them to their destination.
"Some four or five of the chic
men in the affair are to be arreste,
today. When they meet on the l7tl
you will please have everything pre-
pared to arrest the whole party, ant
be sure that none escape.
at is understood that YOU arrang,
with Gen. Dix Governor Seward tn
modus operandi. 1t has been intima
ted to me that the meeting might TAX
place on the 18th please be prepar
ed. / would be glad to have you ad
wise me frequently of your arrange
ments in regard to this very import
ant matter.
'lf it is successfully carried out
it will go far toward breaking the
back bone of the rebellion. 1t will
probably be well to have q special
train quietly prepared to take the pris
oners to Annapolis
IL leave this exceedingly import
ant affair to your tact and discretior
and have but one thing to impress
upon you--the absolute necessity ot
secrecy and success.
with the highest regard. am,
dear General, your sincere friend,
GEORGE b. Mcclellan,
Major General L. S. A.
This is the famous order under
which the members of the MARYLAND
Legislature were arrested, and impris-
oned for some months, to prevent
them from voting the State out of the
Union.
Our Democratic readers will not
fail to observe that their candidate
was the originator of the phrase, "the
back bone OF the rebellion" which
their papers have heretofore ridiculed
so much.
The evidence of Gen. McClellan's
interference with elections is contain.
ed in the following order of his Chief
of Staff:
HEADoRs. ARMY OF THE PoToMAC, J
WASHINGTON, Oct. 20, 1851.
GENERAL There is an apprehen
sion among Union citizens in many
parts Of Maryland of an attempt at
with their rights of suf-
frage 10y disunion citizens, on the oc.
casion Of the election to trke place
on the 9th OF November next.
In order to prevent this the Major.
General commanding directs that you
send detachments of sufficient nun.
Der Of men to the different points in
your vicinity where the elections are
to be held, to protect the Union vo-
ters, and see that no disunionists are
allowed to intimidate them, or in any
way to interfere with their rights.
He also desires you to arrest and
hold in confinement, till after the cleo
tion, all disunionists who are known
to have returned from Virginia recent
ly, and who show themselves at the
polls, and to guard effectually against
any invasion of the peace and order
of the election. For the purpose O,
carrying out these instructions, YOU
are authorized to suspend the hQb,aS
corpus Gen. Stone has received sim.
liar instructions TO these. You will
please confer with him as to the par.
ticular points that each shall take the
control of,
j am, sir, very respectfully, &c,
II b, MARCY, Chiei of STAFF.
Major-Gen. n. +. Banks, &c.
This covers all the trailing charges
brought against the President except
that of emancipation and it will be
seen by the following extract from
Gen. McClellan's Harrison Landino
Lelter lhat he was among the first
to recommend that policy;
/" "The right of the govern.
ment to appropriate permanently to
its own service, claims to slave labor.
should he asserted, and the RIGHT of
the owner to compensation therefor
should be recognized.
This principle might be extended,
upon grounds of military necessity
and security. TO all the slaves within
a particular State, thus working man.
in such State and in Mis-.
souri,, perhaps in Western Virginia al.
so, and possibly even in Maryland,
the expediency of such measure is
only II question of time.
A system of policy thus constitu.
tional and conservative and pervaded
by the influence of Christianity and
freedom would receive the support of
almost all truly loyal men, would
deeply impress the rebel masses and
all foreign nations, and il might bo