The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1866-08-30
The Achme OF Political In
fanny.

Registers 10r thlS NounJi
few had been selected who had lndcpen-
dence and Loyalty sufficient lc.t 70 en-
force the strict letter Of the Law, inde,
pendent Of Copperbead suggestions ana
nl;beral constructions" has sent Mr..
John NJ. Carter, his Secretary OF state,
to remedy the error by intimidatlnS
those Registers by instructions, menacees
and threats from His Excellency O.
Governor Swami, in order that gene.
raj and indiscriminate Registration OF
Rebel, Coppcrheads aud Sympathlscrs
might be effected. An assumption OF
power SO fragrant, unauthorized and pre-
sumptuous has probably never before
been sought to be imposed upon any
people, and cannot fail to arouse the
lust aud righteous indignation of free
and loyal community. The Law itself
furnishes all the necessary instructions
to Registers, and it is those instructions,
alone, that they are sworn to obey, and
any further interference, either from
Governor Swami, his Secretary, or any
one else, can only be viewed as an in-
ducement to perjury and Is the most
flagitious insult that could be offered to
any sworn officer. 1t is also stated that
some of the recent converts in this place
have made themselves quite conspIcu.
Gus in this matter, but Of this we Will
be better prepared to speak in our next.
The above is from the Westminster
Sentinel of last week, where IL appears
as an Observation-Disclosures the work OF
one of its corps Of volunteer editors. 1t
is a good specimen of the caption to its
own article" The acme If Political H.
funny"
The Radicals, into whose hands the
Registers in this County happened first
TO fall, are very much afraid lest the ia
vorabIc impressions then made should
be lost. We are told that these officers
expected to receive instructions as tc
their mode Of procedure and that ih'
Manchester Register stated that he had
received his instructions along with hi
commission; which turned out TO b.
nothing else than the printed form o
the oath. aud the Catschism for voter
prepared by the Union League Of Bal
timorc, used last year, aud given on
again ut the Court House this year. i
the Registers were generally comPeten
to construc law as well as any judge O
lawyer it might not be necessary to gIY'
them advice, but it is notorious tina
they did need such advice, aud equal,
so that the ideas with which they frs
started out, no matter from whence the.
derived them, were by no means favor
able to an impartial discharge Of the du
ties ofthe office.
About the time these appointment
were made, the Governor had to be al
most constantly at the bedside Of dy
ing son; aud IN consequence thoro"
much of the responsibility dcvolycd OF
John NJ. Carter Esq the Secretary o
State. Mr. Carter, hearing all sorts o
rumors about the mistakes made in TIN
county. aud the alleged unreasonable
ness Of some Of the Registers, deter
mined 70 visit Westminster and see 70
himself. Whilst here, il was though
advisable for him TO sec aud couyers
with two Of the Registers, which he did
Mr.. Carter il a man Of mild aud gentle
manly manners, aud would not approach
these gentlemen in any other way AM
we have no doubt they cannot truthful
" represent il otherwise. We dare "a.
that he disabuscd their minds. II the,
were laboring under the impression tia
they were acting under instructions re
ceiyed from his department; and tha
he may have attempted, by fair argu
ment and reason 10 induce them to dis
charge the duties Of their Office in
manner crcditable to themselves AZ wei
MS to the appointing power.
Ifany one had the right to confc
1
with, and advise, these officers il wa
the Governor, who appointed them uu
der tho full expectation that they woulc
give his policy reasonable support
1t was, undoubtedly, his wish that they
should discharge their duties fairly to
wards all, and not rs mere partiZani
who would battle applicants by cour ,
of procedure not warranted by the law
and thus deter many from appearing be
fore them who were well qualified fol
registry 1t was with such views, anc
for such purpose only, that Mr.. Garter
visited our county. The public SHOULD
therefore understand that the bas,
charge, contained in the above article
that he came to use intimidation, mena
ces and threats, to compel "a genera
and indiscriminate registration of Reb
els, Copperheads and sympathisors,
and to induce perjury, &c.,--are totally
uncalled for, aud unjustifable though
at the same time, clear proof of the
meanness and degradation to which
Radical politicians now usually descend