Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1864-02-06
Shut City 4tgisttr
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1854.

Resolced, That the freedom of the bal
lot must and shall be maintained sacred
and inviolable; and that We, the democracy
Of New Hampshire, will unite with our
brethren of other States, by force of arms,
1t need be, in resistance to every attempt
from whatever source it may come, to
over,urn or abridge, by menances, or Dis
rect interference by military force, the
Independence aud purity of the ballot box
in the elections, State and national and
to this end We pledge, each to the other,
and to our brethren Of other States, our
lives, fortunes and sacred honors, being
firmly resolved to maint ain at all hazards
our rights as free and patriotic citizens of
the American Union.
We are induced to make the following
remarks BY perusing the above pledge
solemnly made by the Democracy Of New
Hampshire in convention assembled. 1t
would be much more agreeable to avoid
all allusion to such probable or possible
result of military interference with the
free and untrammelled exercise of the
right Of suffrage, or usarpation of the
powers aud duties Of those, whom each
State has made the guardian Of the ballot
box. But il we depreca,e such proceed.
ings, we are actuated in doing so scarcely
more by the sense of what is due to the
laws and Constitution of the State, where
they are perpetrated, than by regard for
the safety and success of the Union, and
the maintenance Of that popular respect
for, and confidence in its constituted
authorities, so important to the triumph of
the great cause we all claim to regard 40
highly. 1t becomes US all, as American
citizens, to consider whether there is any
remedy within our power by which such
proceedings may be, in any degree, res
trained. That of physical force we mus,
al regret the exercise OF, nor a.e we pre-.
pared to advise it being rssorted to at all,
preferring rather to rely upon so large
majority Of the people coming to realize
the full extent of the danger of allowing
any undue interruption with the free ex.
ercise of the right Of suffrage-that the
moral weight Of their opposition shall lie
sufficient Of itself, to prevent its con,inu
ance.
That such an exigency may arise as the
voting masses Of the North being brought
into actual personal collision with the
armed soldiery which a generous people
have supplied for different purpose than
sitting the freedom of elections in faithful
States, intimidating sworn officers, and
violating the rights Of citizens, is not only
possible but probable, as such a resolution
as the foregoing would seem to foreshadow,
and the simple possibility of such cat.
astrophy would seem to be suf!icien. war.
ming to those in power, to cause them to
reflect solemnly upon the extent of the
responsibility which they are assuming, in
driving people to adop. such desperate
measures for the protection Of their poll.
tical safety, without attempting to disguise
what must be perfectly apparent to all
Such a resolution as :his can be construed
to mean but one g-rebellion--and
not undertaking to decide under what cir.
cums,ances rebellion would be justifable
the propre.y of abstaining from further
indulgence in these acts which would tend
to hasten such misfortune must be patent
to all.