Year: 1862

Governor YATES, of Illinois, issued an order
enrolment of the militia upon the day of cleo
tion There is no law for such an order. nor any
necessity for it, An existing law in that State
provides that there shall be an annual return by
the assessors of all persons fit for military duty,
and that duty has been performed this year. Illi-
nois has not only filled her quota under the two
calls of the President for six hundred thousand
men, but it is ten thousand men more than filled,
and without resort 10 draft. Neither is there
need for raising more men. But few OF the
States have filled the quotas required of them.
Not one third of the six hundred thousand men
been put in the field. The Government cannot
equip aud arm the number already raised and
called. and the winter will have passed before
they can be got ready for service. There is no
necessity for further call of troops until those
already ordered are put in the field, which t will
take months to do. 1t il made the duty
Of the draft commissioners by the order of Gov.
YATES to stand a person at each poll to take
the name, age, residence and nativity of each
voter, for the purpose OF military enrolment.
What can be the motive in this but to delay the
process of voting, and to interfere with the free
dom of elections Some of the most eminent
legal gentlemen in Chicago have given the opn-
ion that it, in the judgment Of the inspectors,
the standing of person at the poll for the pur
poses named hnders, delays, or embarrasses any
legal voter from depos.ting his ballot for the
d;date of his choice, il is the duty of the Inspec
tors of elections to exclude such persons from the
polls. They say:


" The act of exercising the elective franchise
is the highest privilege and duty of citizen for,
by this means, the measures and policy of the
government are determined, according TO the the
ory of a republican form of government. The
constitution and laws guarantee perfect freedom
TO the elector in deposting his ballot. without
hindance or embarrassment, and he can only be
arrested on the election day for treason, felony,
or breach of the peace. According to the laws,
il is the duty OF the Inspectors of the Election
and the police force to prevent any act that tends
embarrass the voter in the exercise of his priv


ege, and they are sworn TO the performance OF
this duty


Now what can be motive of this order of Gov.
YATEsY The assessors have already made their
returns this year throughout Illinois of all per-
sons fit for military duty. The enrolment or
dered can not be complete, for it does not en-
brace the persons subject to military duty between
the ages of eighteen and twenty-one. There is
no probability that another draft will be neces
sary for months to come, il ever; and if so, an
enrolment should be made which would include
all persons subject to military duty. Ii is plain
to every person of common sagacity that good
purpose was intended by the order. None can
be- Beyond any question, il was hoped and ex-
pected by those who cause il 20 be issued that il
might intmdate voters, and delay and embarrass
the election. 1t is palpable interference with
the freedom Of elections. If we hope to pre-
serve our form of Government the ballot
the free exercise of the elective franchise. In no
other way can the voice of the people be fairly
expressed in determining the measures and policy
of the Government. Step by step popular rights
have been invaded. The other day the right ofpeti
ton was assailed and for thepast eighteen months
the freedom of speech and the press has been re-
strained and in many places stricken down.
There is no longer security from arbitrary ar
rests the right of trial by jury and the writ of ha
beas corpus is denied and now in a sister State
the freedom Of elections is invaded and IL sub
mitted to we can not tell where il will end. All
these privileges guaranteed to the citizen un-


er and by the Constitution, but il they are sue
cessfully assaied and denied what hope for con
stitutiona liberty? What necessities for these
usurpations in States loyal to the Government
where the functions and authority Of the Courts
have never been obstructed and obedience 10 the
laws and all the requirements Of the constituted
authorities have been fully rendered? Think Of
these things.