The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-04-23

very q slave In the hands or Z brutal 0verseer
as any negroeve driven In a cotton. field and
laws to protect his personal freedom than a1
African bondSman the auction block be-
clude that one of the fruits OF the war, under
the nurture and cultivation of the Republican
party. was the extension OF slavery, rather
than its overthrow and destruction? Was he
not impressed with the fact that the liberation
| of one race had been followed by the enslaveT
anG the thoughts of hts fellow-victims, who
had also been his fellow-soidiers, as they lay
Offering to vote? How did their bitter thoughts
in that hour of depreciation compare with
their glorious dreams as they often lay together
on the tented field; when their
bugles sang truce; for the night cloud had
And the sentinel stars set their watch IN
And thousands had sunk on the ground
oyerpOwered-
The weary to sleepand the wounded to die.
In such an hour as this they dreamed not
only of returning to the dear ones at home, OF
or IIerr kiss Snt eT RsWise dreamed ofr
turning to a land of liberty, to homes made
free from the invasive steps OF the spy and in
former, and to a state of personal security un-
der laws OF their own making These bright
dreams have all vanished. and in their place
braced a reality as horrible and as unbeatable
to the soul of a man fit to be free as Dante5
mind. The following description of election
day in DayeHport's court In New \ DIRK is said
to be but a tame and imperfecs preseDtment OF
| the facts as they there transpire from ear TO
year as the elections occur-
.Such a scene as the rooms of this court pre-
sented on that election day has never before
been witnessed in this city or in this country,
and it is to be hoped never will again. From
early morning until after the polls were closed
these rooms were packed and jammed with a
mass of prisoners and marshals- Not only
were they crowded beyond their capacity, but
the halls and corridors were thronged with
those who were unable to obtain admission,
so that the counsel representing the prisoners
and hOnCSmRn Offered
their release had the greatest difficulty, and
were frequently unsuccessful in ootaining en-
trance. In addition to al this was that detect
able iron pen on the upper floor, in which
men were crowded until 1t resembIed the black
hours hungry. thirsty, suffering in every way,
until their case could be reached. With
the polls ex Expecting to be absent but a short
time. Many of them were thfnly clad; mum
bers had SICK wives or relatives; some were
left their horses standing in the public streets;
men whose situations depended on their
city on certain trains. Every Imaginable vex-
alton, Inconvenience, injury, and wrongs
which the mind can conceive existed In their
cases, SO that 1T was painful for the counsel
who were endeavorfng to secure their release
to approach sufficiently near the railing to
tress which they had no power to alleviate.
And over all this pushing, struggling. COM
Davenport sat supreme, with a SOFT of oriental
magnificence, calmly indifferent to every
arrested was allowed to vote"
May not, in view OF this dark and shame
| full picture, appeal to senators without impro-
priety to know whittier we are drifting? Are
| we still hugging the miserable delusion that
| there is no danger, while scenes are being en-
acted in strict accordance with the laws on
our statute books which would be disgrace
to Turkish civilization If enacted by the arbi-
trary authority of the sultan? Has fatal
| lethargy seized the American people, and are
we indeed to follow the downward pathway of
| all the republics that have risen and fallen in
sailor Northern
into safer waters the moment he feels the cur
rent OF the great maelstrom under ms Keel;
We are in the very vortex of the whirlpool
wherein every local privilege, every right of
citizenship, all the sanctuaries of hoTt. and
the ship of state itself is being drawn down
and dashed to pieces, nd yet the cry ths all is
WELL uttered by false pilots, lulls into sense
trynen to awaken, for the hour of mortal
peril to their institutions is here. What has
happened in New York has happened else
where, and may happen everywhere. Shall
| the laws which make such scenes possible
main in force?eI invoke against them the
dependence; who enriched the sou. OF
Massachusetts, with their blood at Lex
who struggled with Washington at
Brandywine, and charged under his
eye at P5in Ses' Trenton t and Monmouth;
and Eutaw Springs, in order that we might be
free; who yielded up their brave spirits ON the
final victory. By these great souls, by their
privations, sorrows, anguish and pain, i'm
value of those liberties Which are now tram
pied under foot with every circumstance of
scorn and contempt.
At this point however and in this connec-
| ton, another branch of legislation on the SUBJ
ject of popular elections calls for our consider
alton. In presenting the elaborate and care
| fully constructed system of laws for the sup
| preston of self-government we are next con-
| fronted by those provisions which place the
| land and naval forces OF the United States at
the polls. Those who conceived and enacted
these laws were not content until the sword as
tod
| to the suppression of free elections. have
| only to appeal to the laws themselves to m ske
| The section most familiar to the public mind
is 52S of the revised statutes, and is often cited
La proof OF the harmless purposes Of the army
| indecent aspect, but moments inspection
will show taat like the Trojan horse It's real
| object is to carry armed men into q citadel-in
this instance the citadel of liberty-without
| exciting suspicion or resistance. 1t was en-
] follows:
LIVERY officer of the army or navy, or other
Of the United States, who orders, brings,
keeps, or has under his authority or control
any troops or armed men at any place where
general or special election Is held in any State,
| unless such force be necessary to repeI armed
| enemies of the United States or to keep peace
at the polls, shall be fined not more than
5000. and suffer imprisonment at hard labor
/ not less than three months nor more than five
Here is simply a cheap display of pretended
severity against military interference with
4 elections, while the sole purpose OF the sec
/ ton was to authorize the presence of armed
/ troops at the polls under the vague pretext of
| keeping the peace. Sir, who is to determine
/ the necessity of the presence of the army or
/ navy at tile place of voting election day to
| keep the peace: Who is to pass upon this plea
i of military necessity and give the command
! to close in on the balot-box with the bayonet?
/ Under this section 1t is evident that the presi-
dent OF the United States as commander-in-
chief would have that duty to perform. What
dazzling field here opens for the usurper! 1t
Gaul sent his emissaries to Rome to incite
riots and disturbances at the elections in or
der TO give him the pretext he craved, TO
keep the peace at the polls with his trained
legions at his back. Napoleon the Great
crushed the liberties of France under the
tyrant's usual guise of preserving public
| order by force Of arms; and Napoleon the
| Lesser in our own day followed his exam pie
What temptation is presented, by the section
1 have read, to some American executive TO
practice the same usurpations! He has only
to stir up troubles through his partisan ennis