Book Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1905 edition. Excerpt: ... volunteers, and armed all who volunteered; many aged men offered themselves for home defence. Three regiments were formed in 1863. After the battle of Gettysburg, Governor Bradford appointed a day of thanksgiving. I On hearing a rumor that troops were to be sent to the polls in 1863, Governor Bradford wrote to the President, protesting against it. The President's reply was not satisfactory and the Governor issued a proclamation in opposition to the orders of General Schenck. The latter issued orders to the papers not to publish the Governor's proclamation. In his message to the Legislature upon Schenck's action the Governor declared, "A part of the army was, on election day, engaged in stifling the freedom of election in a faithful State, intimidating its sworn officers and obstructing the usual channels between them and their executive." At the January session of the Legislature the Governor reviewed the question of negro emancipation and called a convention to meet in Annapolis in 1864. This convention abolished slavery and issued the Constitution of 1864, which disfranchised all who sympathized with the rebellion. That Constitution granted the right of soldiers in the field to vote, and agents were sent to the army to receive the vote. Knowing that this innovation would be fought out in the courts, the Governor was particularly explicit in his instructions. Sixty points of exceptions were taken to the courts and the arguments consumed two days. The Governor's opinion was an able presentation of the case. The new Constitution went into effect in November, 1864, and slavery went down by the people's vote, some time before it had disappeared elsewhere by military orders. In 1864, upon a Confederate raid, the Governor's house...