Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1867-09-20
THE SOLDIERS RIGHT TO VOTE
Who Opposed it2 Who Favored it?
If the COpperheads were the True
Friends Of the Soldier during the
war, Why did they not Favor
their right to Vote? Soldiers,
Look at the Record!

No argument can be adduced more
convincing to the candid mind,that the
real motives which actuate and control
the Democratic politicians are base, IN
patriotic, and known by themselves to
ne destructive. of the best interest of the
country, than their bitter and unyieId-
ing hostility entertained always, and
boldly exhibited whenever they dared
or were forced publicly to declare them
selves against the right of the soldiers
in the army TO vote as well as fight to
exercise some control by voting over
+ the management Of that Government
which they are fighting to preserve.
The COpperhead leaders knew that
the soldiers who were perilling their
lives and undergoing bitter hardships,
witnessing the death of their comrades
on the battlefield Tor the salvation Of
/ the. country. were not to be deceived in
relation to the great issues which were
/ involved in the mighty conflict of arms,
1 which engaged the attention of the
/ whole world, between the soldiers of a
free Republic, of a Peoples Govern
/ ment, and the armies of a pro-slavery,
1 rebeIliOus despotism. Knowing, there
/ fore, that the soldiers, if they voted in
/ the field, would vote patriOtieally, re-
/ gardIess Of old party ties, and that no
/ gIitteTing generalities of craftily word
/ ed letters Of acceptance could blind the
! Intelligent soldier to the essential trea-
/ son of a party platform like that adopt
/ ed at Chicago, and supported by every
rebel and traitor, North and South, the
/ COpperhead Democracy have not hesita-
/ ted to oppose, by every means in their
/ power, all attempts to confer upon sol
/ diers in the field the right to vote.
MAINE.
In the Pine Tree State with 80 Repub-
1 Iean and 1 Democratic Senator, and I2I
Republican and % Democratic Repre-
/ sentatives, the Copperheads, although
I bitterly hostile to the right of soldiers
/ to vote in the field, made only a show
/ of opposition in the Legislature TO a
/ proposed amendment of the State Con
stitution securing the right. The vote
/ before the people, however, shows that
! even II. 900 majority for the Union can
didate for Governor did not prevent the
I Copperhead hostility from manifesting
itself.
In the whole State the vote was:
GOVERNOR.
Cony, ...--.-----. 81, ,3ot
Howard, ...-....- -.------.---.- as
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. -,
Yes bfs 40
The whole Union vote and about 2, ,OOC
other votes were cast for the amend
ment about 10000 Democrats boldly
voted against il, and about half then
voters did not vote at all.
NEW HAMPSHIRE.
, In the Granite State, the ancient Glib
ralter of New England Democracy, tbs
right for soldiers to vote in the field fol
Presidential electors and representa-
tives in Congress, was secured only By
the most determined p6rs1Steucy on the
part of the Union Repu bHcans undel
most discOurag aging circumstances.
In 1862 the Union men bsrs Of the Leg
isIature attempted to pass a bill allow
ing soldiers to vote in the field for Statl
NJ. I'm
: posed by the COpperheads as uncOnsti
+ futiOnal, and as furnishing the mean
for the destruction of the freedom anC
purity of elections, for Overthrowinl
our free institutions and establishing
in their DIa se-as chance may dictate
either anarchy or despotism." The Onl.
q test vote was 165 Union yeas, 123 Cop
9 Iperhead nays but the Supreme Cour
having decided the bill unconstitutional
the subject was postponed to the mex
h session.
. IN 1864 a bill allowing soldiers to yot
a for Presidential Electors and Represen
tatives in Congress was introduced b,
the Union members and passed. tn
I Supreme Court decided the same to b
/ constitutional. The COpperheads Op
posed the bill in every possible form
and every motion relative to it wa
carried by a strict party vOte-abOu5 IL
Union to 105 COpperhead votes.
During the debate the remnant of tn
battle-hag of the New Hampshire Elev
enth Regiment, whichwa rescued frOL
the rebels in the desperate fight in th
p exploded mine at Petersburg, wa
brought into the hall, and eceived wit
prolonged cheers from the Rpeublicans
the Democrats Te7eOiyaal0 silent as u
4 Craze.
William Little, a Democrat froI
h Ward Five, Manchester, warned III
Republicans to beware of passing IL
bill, for the Democracy were determine
NOT TO SUBMIT to what they termed ''v
N oIation of the Constitution" by the r
sp publicans, he asserting that attempts
he pass soldiers voting bills were 'sviOli
s tions of the Constitution"
be John G.. Sinclair also declared that t.
20 Democracy Of the country SVo1tJd NEVE
~ SUBMIT TO THE RESULT OF AN ELECTIC
Of DECIDED AGAINST THEM BY SOLDIER
ed VOTES.
en- Alter the passage of the bin the Co
~ perheaGs induced the Governor to ent
bq into an Unfortunate intrigue with the
ON and to attempt to veto the BIZ. N
veto message was, however, sent 10 4.
House one day too late, and being Sc
9k' in an unusual way, by a Copperhej
see mem ber instead of the State Secreta
u the House refused to receive it. TheI
upon, the CopperheRdB created IN
upon the floor OF the HOUSE, interrupt
lLE business for several hours bv riOto
ing disturbances. shonting-RPv v0Iutio1
RevOiutionl The Supreme Court final
decided that the veto message was sc
too late, aud the bill was a law Withu
u the signature of the Governor; whel
~. upon The CopperbeHds tnsulted I
~ Court, and Harry Bingham, a Cuppl
4 h Id - Il