[no. 89. see page 758.]
In obedience to the orders of the
President and by the assignment of
Major-General Dix commanding Department of the East,
Major-General Butler assumes command of the troops arriving and about to arrive, detailed for duty in the
State of New York to meet existing emergencies.
To correct misapprehension; to soothe the fears of the weak and timid; to allay the nervousness of the ill-advised; to silence all false rumors circulated by bad men for wicked purposes, and to contradict once and for all false statements adapted to injure the government in the respect and confidence of the people — the commanding general takes occasion to declare that troops have been detailed for duty in this district sufficient to preserve the peace of the
United States; to protect public property; to prevent and punish incursions into our borders, and to insure calm and quiet.
If it were not within the information of the government, that raids like in quality and object to that made at
St. Albans were in contemplation, there could have been no necessity for precautionary preparations.
The
commanding general has been pained to see publications by some not too well informed persons, that the presence of the troops of the
United States might by possibility have an effect upon the free exercise of the duty of voting at the ensuing election.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The soldiers of the
United States are specially to see to it that there is no interference with the election of anybody unless the civil authorities are overcome with force by bad men.
The armies of the
United States are “ministers of good and not of evil.”
They are safeguards of constitutional liberty which is
freedom to do right, not wrong. They can be a terror to evil-doers only, and those who fear them are accused by their own consciences.
Let every citizen having a right to vote, do according to the inspiration of his own judgment freely.
He will be protected in that right by the whole power of the government if it shall become necessary.
At the polls it is not possible exactly to separate the illegal from the legal vote--“the tares from the wheat” ; but it is possible to detect and punish the fraudulent voter after the election is over.
Fraudulent voting in pre-election of
United States officers is an offence against the peace and dignity of the
United States.
Every man knows whether he is a duly qualified voter, and he who votes, not being qualified, does a grievous wrong against light and knowledge.
Specially is fraudulent voting a deadly sin and heinous crime deserving condign punishment in those who having rebelliously seceded from and repudiated their allegiance to this government when at their homes in the
South, now having fled here for asylum, abuse the hospitality of the
State and clemency of the government by interfering in the election of our rulers.
It will not be well for them to do so.
Such men pile rebellion upon treason, breach of faith upon perjury, and forfeit the amnesty accorded them.
