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

DEL.AMABE.

In little Delaware, in which the Cop
perheads and traitors controlled the
Legislature, of course the Union sol
dier has not been allowed the right TO
vote.
At a special session of the Legislature
in 1852, Mr.. H. H Appleton, a Union
member of the House, introduced a bill
entitled, can Act securing the right of
suffrage to volunteers from this State.S'
February 6, 1852, the vote was taken on
its final passage and the bill was de-
feated-lO Union yeas, IL Copperhead
nays.
Such injustice as this toward the I'M
ion soldiers might be expected of Leg
stature which by a strict party vote
indefinitely postponed resolutions ap-
proving the conduct Of Major Robert
Anderson in defending Fort Sumter,
which refuses to aid the poor and suf-
fering families of Union volunteers, or
to purchase q lot at Gettysburg Gene
terry for the interment of Delaware's
noble dead.
Why should such, Copperheads desire
to allow the soldiers to vote.
t.-srs ,# f OHIO.
In Ohio, at the beginning of the re-
belliOn, by the patriotic and voluntary
action of the Republicans in waving
their party organization, the State was
carried at the election in 1861 by a large
majority for the Union candidate for
Governor, David Tod, and legislature
was chosen without reference to old
party distinctions, containing a large
Union majority, composed of nearly as
many members of Democratic as of
Republican antecedents, the former
pretending to be warmly in favor Of the
prosecution of the war and of soldiers
rights. During the Legislative session,
February Is, 1852, a soldiers voting bill
was Introduced and referred by the
Speaker to three war Democrats who
had paid special attention to the sub
iect, and prOfessed extreme friendship
for the bill. This committee retained
the bill five weeks, and reported it only
two DAYS. before the time fixed for adj
iournment, and too late for careful con-
sideration, and by general consent the
bill was postponed 10 the next session.
At the session in 1868. the Democrats
not daring to oppose the bill openly,
! endeaY YOred to kill 1t by indirectiOn.-
/ A COpperhead amendment was offered
that no soldiers vote should be cast for
an officer in the military service, and
| voted doWn-18 Democratic yeas, and
/ 1 Democratic and 81 Union nays. The
| COpperheads eudeavored to attach a
particular amendment in the House
! and failed. The Senate adopted the
| same amendment, and in the House, the
/ COpperheads knowing that disagree
4 ment between the two Houses would
defeatthe bill entirely, now voted against
/ their own amendment, which the House,
i to save the bill. consented to adopt,
/ nearly all ths Union mem bers and one
/ Democrat voting for it, and % Demo
! Gratis against it, -ea
In the first elections held after the
/ passage Of the law, there were many
counties where the Democrats had q
majority on the home vote, but the I'm
ion candidates were elected by the home
and soldiers vote. In many such cases
/ Copperhead county clerks unlawtulIy
I and fraudulentIy gave certificates Ol
election to the defeated COpperhead
| candidates, and this disregard of che
/ soldiers voting law caused many cleo
/ tfons to be contested before the courts
and in the Legislature. where Copper
head candidates were determined tC
hold office against the viii of a MAORI
" of the legal voters of their respective
counties.
/ Before the Supreme Court the counse
4 prominent in attempting TO defeat tht
/ soldiers right was 4. W. Bartley,
Mcclellan and PendletOn candidate fOl
/ ElectOr at large. He not only argued
II that the bill was unconstitutional, bu
that It was impolitic and destructive o
? the liberties of the people; that allow
, ing the citizen sOldiery of the country
/ who have left their homes and saCridc
ing their lives to save the liberties of th'
! country, to vote, would make the people
t'the slaves Of despotic power ~ ''Ihert
is not an instance upon record, in any
r age or country, in which popular gov
! ernment has been preserved any con
: siderable length Of time after the eX
r ereise Of the elective franchise has beer
{ bestowed upon the army in the field
3 As if the free soldier voters of the Un
= ion are to be compared to the slavisl
Il population of old Rome or mOderl
a France, and the liberties of the peopl
and popular government are depend
e ent upon the political ascendency Q
E 1 Vallandighann, Pen Teton and FernHn
2 do Wood, and the success Of the blood
(. despotism of Jefferson Davis !
i Fortunately the Supreme Court sus
q tanned the law, Judge Ranney, the onl
- Democrat on the bench, alone dissent
n ing and the soldiers of Ohio have tn
Q riTht to vote in the fed, as their 1000
8 votes for John Brough and 1000 vote
> for Vallandigham have apprised tn
country.
Is In the contested elections in the Les
Il islature the Copperheads uniformly VC
h ted to deprive the soldiers of the righ
q which they had exercised to sustain tn
Is most glaring frauds upon the ballot
Ii box, and to keep in office Copperhead
.e against the viii of the people and so
u diers Cf Ohio, particularly in cas-
where COpperhead had obtained b
certificate by q forged poll book, prove
20 be fraudulent by the oath of she car
70 tain, first lieutenant and first sergeaI
+ OF the company, who made the lawn