Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1867-09-20

Pr vote to allow the soldiers the right to
TYRANNIzE OVER BE. Who are these
soldiers They are ORGANIZED RUF-
fans AND THIEVES sent bY Lincoln
into the South on an ABOLITION CRU
SADIE"
The Union members urged that a
soldiers voting law be passed, to be
void if the Supreme Court decided it to
be unconstitutional, but the Copper
heads, although a majority OF the Court
were Democrats, defeated the prOposi-
tiou. All the Union newspapers of
the State advocated the measure, and
the Democratic papers opposed it.
Thus, in the home Of Abraham Lin
coin and the lRmented Stephen A.
Douglas, who on his doing couch said /:
he IS q loyal patriot" " COpperheads CALI
ing themselves Democrats have pre-
vented such men as the gallsnt John A.
Logan and the noble soldiers of Illinois
from voting because it would be "dan-
gerous to public liberty"
WISCONSIN.
In Wisconsin, in the fall OfIS6O, Gov
ernOr Solomon called an extra session
Of the Legislature for the purpose of in
creasing the soldiers pay, and allow
ing them the right to vote IN the neld.
In his message he said:
The views OF these brave and pa
triotic men should be heard through
the ballot box and should have proper
weight in shaping the destinies of our
imperilled country. Justice seems to
demand that they should be re Rarded
in a different manner for their patriOt
ism than by loss of one of the most
important rights OF citizenship, especi-
ally in tbs present crisis" fa
The COpperheads denounced the bill
as tone of the most dangerous and
and mischievOus political measures ev-
er devised" " and also opposed It as un-
constitutional. The Attorney General
of State furnished the Assem- bly, with a
clear and convincing opinion, that the
bill was constitutional, but the Copper
heads still opposed the bill, their news
papers attacked it, and parliamentary
tactics we've resOrted to in order to de-
feat ii !; but at last, in September 1862,
it passed-19 UniOnists to z Copper
heads in the Senate, and 81 UniOuists
70 40 COpperheads in the Assembly.
CoNULUsIoN.
An inquiry relative to the right to
vote of the soldiers, from other loyal
States, whose record on thissubject has
not been stated, would not materially
alter the general conclusions to be
drawn from a survey Ofthe whole field.
The Union Repu ublicans of the loyal
States have uniformly and persistently
advocated the soldiers right to vote.
IN states Wn6FG the OulOnlSCS nave naQ
a majority they have originated sol
diers' voting bills; their newspapers
and public speakers have urged their
passage if constitutional objections
have been made they have cOntended
for their constiUutionality in Legisla-
lures and before courts if real cOnsti-
tutiOnaI difficulties have existed they
have proposed and carried through the
necessary constitutional amendments /;
and, at last, after encountering innu-
merable difficulties and overcoming
unYielding Copperhead hostility, the
right of the Union soldier to vote for
Presidential electors has been establish
ed in the controlling States Of New
York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, and IN
EVERY. OTHER STATE WHERE
THE UNION REPUBLICAN PARTY
HAS HAD COMPLETE POLITICAL
CONTROL. In short, the Union party
and its supporters stood as the distinct,
positive and unqualified Champions of
the soldiers right to vote.
On the other hand, the Democrats Of
the North have been from the begin
ningof the rebellion persistent and de-
termined opponents of the soldiers
right to vote. During the first year of
the war, and IN one or two States where
they have been in hopeless minority,
they have made their opposition secret
lY or upon hypOcritical pTetencess But
with only this qualification, the Cop
perhead leaders have attacked the sol
diers' right at all times, in all places,
and under all circumstances denoun-
cling soldiers voting laws as unconsti-
tutfOnaI and if constitutional. as mex
| pedieub, IMPOLTTIC, and DANGEROUS
TO LIBERTY attempting to defeat
/ them by dishonest and digraceful ex-
| pedients and besides and worse than
| This malignant hostility to their right
/ TO vote, attacking, slaDderlng, and de-
/ flaming the soldiers themselves, whose
| absence fighting rebels at the South,
/ prevents them from repeuiug these
| cOWardly assaults from rebels at home.
/ These Democrats have opposed the sol
/ diers' right to vote in every State where
| the right has been established by Union
maiorities, and in Illinois, Indiana
/ New Jersey and Delaware, the only
/ States where there have been an a bsO-
/ Lutte Cop perhead majOrities, nOtwith-
/ standing the earnest efforts of the
/ Unionists of these States, the soldiers
| have been REFUSED AND DEFRAUDED
| OF THEIR JUST AND CONSTITUTIONS
| AL RIGHT TO VOTE .s -......
| Ex-President Franklin Pierce, aided
! by his former law partner, Josiah Min
| OF, Edward W. Harrington, COpperhead
| candidate for Governor, who hoped
| s'everv Union soldier would come home
says the South cannot he conquered
| and he thanks God for it, labored inces.
sanity to defeat the soldiers right tC
vote. ..-s........ ....=.
CONNECTICUT.
/ Governor Buckingham, in 1862, urged
| the Connecticut Legislature to pass
soldiers voting law. Such a bill was
introduced, and passed the Senate with
out opposition, 1t being unanimously
| Republican, but was bitterly opposed
| by the COpperheads in the House. They
demanded, and the UniOnists conceded
the insertion Of a provision that the Law
/ should not take effect if determined b7
the Court to be unconstitutional bu
| ifter such provision was inserted, tn
/ bill passed. only by a strict party vote
The Court decided, by the casting VOt
/ of its Chief Justice, a member of III
| COpperhead Mcclellan party, that tn
/ bill was unconstitutional, and so th
| Copperheads defeated the soldiers fran
chise for that year.
Immediately the Unionists commend
] ed the work of amending the COnStitu
ton, Governor buckingham recommen
/ ded, and the Union members unani
mouslY favored it. The COpperhead
unanimously opposed it, and tough
every step of its progress. By part
vote, it passed the successive Legisls
: lures, and was submitted TO the people
The Copperhead newspapers opposed i
: and openly appealed to their partisan
| 10 defeat it. By these efforts of th
Copperheads, a large vote was cas-
against it, but it was carried, thanks t
: the friends Of Abraham Lincoln, by
majority of 10000, and the soldiers {
P Connecticub were allowed to vote i
3 spite Of Thomas II. seymour and Isaa
TOucey.
NEW YORK
5 On the 10th day of February, 1868,
bill was introduced into the Assembl
e to allow the soldiers to vote. On tt
: 18th the COpperheads commenced the
D factious opposition to it, by motions
g adjourn, &c, hoping thereby to stave
S off and defeat its passage. The Unio
b men, however, managed to secure