Year: 1863

its genuineness. The order has been carries


into effect by the dismissal of Lieut.. Edgerl


from the service, and is left to speak for itsel


without further explanation than II carries up


on its face.


We have no occasion to say anything In vim
dication OF the officer thus rudely and with at
tempted indignity removed from commando


Ills fidelity, capacity and courage have neve
been questioned. The order itself expressel
the sole reason on which his dismissal Ia based


That reason consists in the fact that happening
to be OF home on the day Of our annual election
Lieut. Edgerly, In the exercise of the un-
doubted right OF freeman, cast his vote In &C.
cordance with his own convictions Of right and
duty.


Our election took place on the 10th Of March
on the 18th day of the same month the order
ID question was issued-so ready and swift was
the Executive to bring oondign punishment /
upon one guilty Of the grave offense of voting
as his conscientious judgment dictated No
notice was given, no charge WAS made or ex-
PLANTATION desired, no opportunity for bea,in, +,
was afforded, no time was taken for examins'
tion OF the case even by the Government itself
ror the Intervening period rhetDafs, Slsunfcient
apaytle. .asstlieence to reach Washington by tho
ordinary course Of mail--tbough in this Gaze
as in others, telegram may have been con-
adhered sufficient bssis for Executive action


Under any circumstances such on order for
such cause would excite the severest indigna-
tion; but IL anything we're wanting at the pres.
ent time to add to such Indignation, that want
would be supplied by the fact that tho same
Administration which 90 summarily visited ita
vengeance upon Lieut., Edgerly for exercising
hie uuqueslionable right Of suffrage as a free
citizen OF this State, week after week, during
the late political campaign, allowed-if IL did
not order-military officers from other States
of the highest rank and receiving the largest
salaries, to actively participate 10 the canvass
and assume to dictate to our people both their
political principles and their political action.


Is may be of little consequence whether
Lieut.. Edgerly is in or out of the service. Il
may be OF little consequence to him personaly
But 1t is of the highest Importance to every
citizen of New Hampshire to understand wheth.
er he Ia to enjoy the rights of free man with
out awe and without punishment to know
whether In becoming soldier for the defense
OF his country he ceoses to be free citizen, and
becomes the mere subject of on irresponsible
despotism. If for voting the Democratic tick
ct an officer Ia to be punished by dismasal from
the service, what is to be the limit in the kind
or degree of punishment which officials in pow
er will infict upon the private for similar of.
fense Certainly nothing less than conacrip-
tion will force the Democrats of this State into
the service If they are thereby to forfeit free.
dom of opinion and the dearest right of the cit.
izen-the independent exercise OF the elective
franchise.


But this order addresses itself to you directly
and individually. In IL the President goes out
OF his way to apply to you, the 80 800 Demo
Nratio UntoFa nf Nau Ho pahina khao Nj
Qua epitaet which he will not repeat 10 it,
with a degree of faleehood equalled only by its
rvulgarity, he charges you With liboFing to pro
mote the rebel cause. The ticket for the sup.
port of which Lieut. Edgerly has been thus Of
iclally vilifed and punished, was the same
ticket supported by each Of you and the charge
and the insult and the indgnity which this or
DEF conveys to him, apply and were intended
to apply with equal force to you.


In your name and behalf we denounce the
charge contained in this order as false (; and
without descending to the level of its author to
handy eptheta, we express your contempt for
any denunci0tions and threats intended to deter
you from the fearless assertion and exercise Of
your inherited and inalienable rights.


Love for the Union and devotion TO the Con
stitution are no new emotions with the Democ-
racy of New Hampshire. All your lives long
you have assiduously labored through evil re-.
port and through good report to preserve the
national unity by unwavering fidelity to the
common bond. No sixteen starred Asgs with
reasonable inscriptions, have been given to the
breeze by your hands. In the past you have
believed no sacrifices too great to be made for
the preservation Of the Constitution and the
Union, and we know in the future there will be
no defiance too determined to resist aggres-
sions upon either. II the President is "press-
ed" to Issue orders rejecting upon the patriotic
integrity OF the people, those orders might with
greater propriety be addressed 10 those with whom
he is at present politically and socially affiliated
and whose whole career has been chArac terized
by unbounded denunciations of the compact
which gave TO Us an undivided country-thougt
In such case we think his "orders" should con
tain no language calculated 60 mantle with
shame the cheek Of every man who appreciates
tue dignity of our Government or possesses the
ordinary pride Of an American citizen. Your
tried and true devotion to the Constitution and
the Union, and yOar patriotism are not TO be
confounded with blind and unquestoning ac-
ceptance of the political opinions or policy OF
any Executive. You have opposed tae meas
ure, tf the present Administration, because you
believed them TO be fatal to the Union-You
have denounced its illegal and arbitrary acts
because you knew them TO be not only subver-
sve Of the Constitution but fatal TO civil lib