Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1868-03-13
The Alabama Election.

The Alabama Election,
We make the following extract from
q letter from Montgomery, Alabama,
written to the Cincinnati Commercial
with view Of correcting certain mis-
statements concerning the late elections
in that State by the Commercials cor
respondent 80. w. NJ" The letter gives
an interesting account of the means
used by the Rebel population to bully
the loyal voters of the State and defeat
the new constitution.
And so it was found that the freed
men perfectly understood the situation,
an had understood it for years, For
as slavery drove in and smothered free
utterance, it developed that long and
silent thought which solves the deepest
problem. And thus it is that, to-day,
your fifty thousand voting freedmen,
taken any where from Virginia to Tex
IS, from Arkansas to North Carolina,
shall display and prove more patriotism
and true intelligence, more 4ncorrupti-
bility and acute political perception
than the same number swelling New
York city majOrities, and slecting Fer
nandO Wood and John Morrissey to the
Congress Of the United States. ''The
goose hangs high"
Southern and Northern Democrats
illuminate against negro suffrage, main
y because they can not command it..
But negro suffrage becomes entirely
respectable and intelligent the moment
I It is ''on the right side.' The Niger
then becomes-prestO change 1.-THE
equal, and the friend Of the intelligent
white Southern gentleman. quote
] from the Mobile Daily Regis5er-John
Forsyth, editor=edit0rial, of February
I IL, 1868.
ssEIaving published this black list, we
I are preparing a roll Of the other side-a
ro1A OF the cOI0E8u men who had the
1 good sense, the good feeling, and the
/ nanliness to resist the influence Ofhum-
/ bug and terror that were brought to
bear upon them by the carpet bag ad-
/ venturers. These men should be re-
1 membered and rewarded by the eneOur-
agement and friendship of the whites,
I 20 whom they have proved faithful
! friends IN moment of great tempta-
tiOn to use a tenn porary power for their
/ injury
/ And 50. we go on to the measure OF
1 tt3SIc UOs non Uobts1
y. w. NJ. says he saw a negro dis
charged by his employer as he stood in
/ line waiting TO hand in his tickets.
s'97he poor fellow grinned, looked down
/ said nothing, and UOted." Ay! there il
1 is. En- plOyment, money, bread he
might not have. But at the sight of
/ starvation he would, with Gods help,
/ have q freedman's right. win you tell
me that this ''black, black nigger" does
/ not know what freedom is-Whaf suf-
I frage means? Go on
1 But here is testimony, my Democratic
i friend, you dare not question cite
/ from the Livingston Journal Sumter
/ County, Alabama
"DEAD-BUT He YorED.-We are in
1 formed that negro named BuTrelI
L Hines, who attended the election IN this
4 place on Tuesday, and was exposed to
/ the Indictment weather that prevailed,
/ died on the roadside, a few miles from
town, while returning homes Who was
/ the friend who persuaded that man to
j encounter the exposure causing his
/ death, in order to cast a ballot that he
| could not read or understand 20
Dead-but he voted I Oh, unconscious
I poet Of the Livingston Journal, you new
1 er dreamed that in heading a "IocaI''
about q dead Niger, you wrote a grand
poem in four words. Perhaps a sick.
/ foot-sore, weak, starving, without CLOTH
/ ing to protect him against the inclem-
ency Of the Weather-but he voted
/ ellie, and no ballot Death-but a
| vote /; and he voted His soul is march
ing on % And we are asked to believe
| that not understanding his ballot, he
| yet confronted danger, Illness, expos
/ ure and death-all for a piece Of paper
that, to him. had no meaning Once
! again-go to !
| Not was this case of BurreII Hines
| all honor to his name-an isolated one
/ During the first two days of the cleo
/ ton, il rained necessarily all over Mid
| die and Southern Alabama. In North
eTn Alabama this rain became snow,
which made travelling even worse. Ali
the creeks and rivers were swollen, and
I know of three freedmen who were
! drowned at different points in under
| taking to pilot large bodies Of their
| brethren across EuCn streams.
As far as my observation has extern
| ded, no physical intimidation has been
resorted to-" says -. W. M Doubt
less so but this observation was limi-
ted to a short time at one point. Intim-
idatiOn kept thousands from the polls.
The unaccounta bic blindness and vio-
latiOn of the act of Congress, under
which orders were issued, at MOutgom-
cry and Mobile, to conduct the election
according to the laws of Alabama, and
TO allow any rebel to challenge any low
al registered voter, is something that
passes comprehension.
just here cannot help recalling that
beautiful sentiment, "Out ofthe mouths
of babes and soldiers" I know that
some versions have it suclzlngs, but the
correct one is soldiers, and here is a
specimen Of the unconscious wisdom
and truth from those innocent mouths
proceeding
HEADQUARTERs PosT OF MOBILE,
Mobile, February 4. 1868.
General C. A. Dimon, Chief.of Police
GENERAL-It is reported to me that
the Registrars refuse the right and
privilege of challenging votes at the
polls, viii you please notify the Regis
trars and judges Of elections that this
right must be respected or the election
viii be invalid.
+ 81 have already notified the Regis
trars and judges of election that two
clerks appointed by the Democratic par
ty would be admitted within each poll
ing place.
Very respectfully, your ob't serV't.
"EDWIN r. HUDSON,
''Brevet Colonel Commanding.
How touching the simplicity of this
unsOphistioated soldier who, neither
knowing nor caring for nice nominal
distinctions, naturally calls the clerks
sent by the rebels to take down the
names OF all whites voting, TO be pub
lished in tbIaclg lists" or rolls of tnfa-
my, "clerks appointed by the Demo-
cratic party" The terms rebel and
Democratic are evidently convertible /
ones in the candid ColOnelis mind.
A word about this challenging mat |
ter. The usual elections in Alabama
are not preceded by registration, and |
the only opportunity Of testing an ilie- /
gal voter is by q VIUG Voee challenge