Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1868-02-27
1,a.g,l The Atsbsms Eiection.
Sp<ofa1 Cosyepopderoe % 0.e ~. Y. 7Litsr..
MoSTooMEBY, ALABAMA, q

hhg tttutHS VI INC gttCtlOtI l0 AlHUaUlH
come In very slowly, but enough 10 know
to make IL tolerably certain that the
number OF votes allowed to be put into
the boxes will lack some 5000 or !, 900 Of
Q majority Of all those borne on the reg
istration list. In many counties the deep
mud and snow prevented voters from
getting TO the polls, but the chief cause
Of the small vote Is to be found In the
fierce denunciation Of all who dared to
openly support the Constitution. At
nearly every poll in the State men stood,
az in 1860, armed to the teeth, jeering,
hooting, eursing and thresteninR all
white men who voted, and when intimi.
dation failed TO keep away colored men,
their votes would be challenged, the
voter sworn, cautioned at great length
against false swearing, and badgered
with all manner Of irrelevant questions
TO coDsuHas the time, while hundreds in
the rain and cold waited for their tarn.--
The printed lists Of voters were misera-
bly, defective, and IL can hardly be sup
posed that the proofs were ever correct
ed. Every name wrongly printed was
rejected, and many votes were thus lost
In every county. Wherever new regis
ters had been appointed by the present
head of the registration office, mon hos
tile TO reconstruction were installed az
officers Of the election, and every obsta-
Gle that could be devised was thrown in
the way of the ratification OF the Cvnsti-
tuition. At Livingston, In Sumter Couu-
ty, the polls are said w have been broken
open, the ballot-box destroyed, and the
ticketslost. In Lowndes County, which,
on fair ballot, would cast $500 votes for
the Constitution, but one poll was open
ed during the first four days of the cleo
tion, and voters had to swim the waters
faf f<x< 81 \.
Many did actually swim through the icy
water, and one man was drowned.
On the last day box was carried
across these waters, and second poll
opened, but when the election closed the
Sherifftook the ballot boxes, and allowed
them to be stolen from his possession -
In Montgomery County, every white man
who dared to vote was jeered, threatened,
and cursed by the rough nocks who sur
rounded the polls. This county was un-
fortunate in having had last Summer a
register who is partially deaf, and he
wrote down the names OF voters as he
heard them, making many errors, such
as Watson for Watts, Bunch for Burch,
Lings for Sings, &c. All these voters
were lost. In many hundreds of cases
the names given by the voters when they
| came to register were translated by those
who wrote them down, and when the
voter gave his name as Sy, it was likely
to be Cyrus, or Isaiah or Josiah on the
list, and his vote was lost. In this county
alone we lost not less shan / 200 voters in
this way, the polls closing on Saturday
night with hundreds of voters waiting
their turn to get to the boxes, many Of
whom had been waiting five days for
that purpose. 8 :
Such an unfair election could not be
equaled anywhere, aud it is not to be
wondered at that the results fall short of
our expectations: There is no doubt in
the minds efany fair men, that there is
to-day in Alabama a majority of 10000
registered voters in favor of the Consti-
tuition, but the voting shows a minority
of votes east. What Congress will do in
the matter is problematical, but of the
utmost importance to all lovers of the
Union who live in Alabama. If the
Constitution is not accepted as ratified,
and loyal Government established un-
der it, no Union man can live in the
State. The name of every white man
who voted for it is paraded in the Rebel
newspapers with the fouIest abuse. in
order to injure him here and abroad, and
to destroy his business. Threats ofexile
are plenty, and those who have Hved
here since the war ended know full well
that the desperadoes who do the dirty
work of the Conservative party will stop
at nothing to drive those from the State
who opnose their claim To run the Gov.
ernment and opnress tbe negroes IF
ieers and abuse win make Northern men
leave thew will ieer and abuse. If tbraats
are needed thew will tbreaten and If v;o.
Ience is reouired thew are ready to mai.
treat and murder. This seems severe
but one look at panD of them around a
pOil. with their trowsers i'm their boots
their broad trimmed hats half coverin1
their faces. the reyolyers in their belts
and the oWie-kniyes i'm their ho.om.
will satisfy the most ipereduIoIs Ths
aame reign of terror which eowed ITnion
men i'm 1861 and brought about Secsssion'
exists Mt this time in Alabama and onjy
the Knowledge that Federal bayonefs
NAV he brought fnto reouisitjon restraius
acti,al violence in the larger towns and
cities. In the countrv places. away from
troops. Union men RETAINED from Voting
rather thar run the rjsk of eucounterinS
these banded .assa.sins. At present the
case stands TINS: A Conyention elected
under the Recommendation acts. has nada
a Constitution. which has heen suhn,it.
tad to a nonular vote. Seventy tbou..nd
and inward of votes have heen cnst for
m and none against II Hinder ordinarv
,,,rcnmstancss' ,,, II wonJd he declared rats-
6.S and the IJn;om p,en of the Set.
claim that II is an ratified row : - -
Judos Peck the President Of the Con-
vention. an old and able iuri,t Griffin of
Mobile. * etfer O Nontsomery' and other
leading minds of the (IonyanfionI always
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