The Aegis & Intelligencer

THE AEGIS.

Bel Air, Md., Dec. 2, 1870.

THE GEORGIA ELECTION.

The election in Georgia is rapidly approaching, and already Gen. Grant's military are on the move to that State, to superintend affairs in the interests of the present administration. It might be supposed that the result of the recent elections in other States had shown the failure of a policy so diametrically opposed to all notions of a free expression by the people at the ballot-box, but Gen. Grant refuses to be taught by experience. This Georgia election business has been a swindle throughout, as the following history of it from the Lancaster Intelligencer, conclusively shows:

The Constitution of the State of Georgia provides that the State election shall be held on the second Tuesday of November, which would have fallen on the 8th of the present month. After a long contest Congress recognized the complete validity of the State Constitution by an act passed on the 15th day of last July. That seemed to cut off Governor Bullock and his party from the opportunity of controlling the coming election, but Attorney-General Ackerman managed to have things fixed up. On the 15th day of last September the Radical State Central Committee met, and Grant's Attorney-General was present. The Legislature was then in extra session. It had been expurgated so as to secure a reliable Radical majority, and the following resolution of instructions was adopted by the State Central Committee under the direction of Mr. Ackerman:

"Resolved, That the State Central Committee urge upon every person claiming to be a Republican member of the General Assembly the prompt passage of the election bill endorsed and approved by the Attorney-General of the United States."

The bill prepared by the Attorney-General nullifies the act of Congress and the State Constitution of Georgia. It fixed the 21st, 22d and 23d of December for the election, and contained the following provisions:

1st. The voting is for three days, that the negroes may be voted from poll to poll, as the exigencies of the party may require.
2d. No challenging of votes is to be allowed. 3d. Citizens cannot even interpose an objection to the most flagrant fraud perpetrated under their very eyes. 4th. Every "male person of apparent full age" is to be allowed to vote, so that negro lads may be brought in to swell the Republican vote, proof of non-age being excluded under the section forbidding challenge. 5th. Three of the election judges at each poll are to be appointed by Gov. Bullock, and two by the Ordinary of the county. 6th. The judges are to take the ballot-boxes home with them every night, and to keep the keys; and finally, these judges are to have the power of arresting and imprisoning, without warrant, any person who they may think violates the act.

To bring the election more completely under the control of Radical officials, the original act, which provided that the Ordinary of each county should appoint two of every five judges, was changed. The Senate passed a resolution that the ordinaries must submit the names of their appointees to the Governor for confirmation, and Bullock issued his proclamation announcing this as the law. A resolution by one House of the Legislature is not a statute, and the Ordinaries are not bound to pay any attention to the proclamation; but this action shows the desperate determination of the State Government. A contemporary well says that it was simply villainous that the chief law officer of the U. S. should be the author of such a bill. There cannot be a single honest Republican who will hear the recital of this act without a blush of indignation.

One would think the Conservative voters of the State of Georgia would utterly despair of accomplishing anything, under the existence of a law so infamous, and so certainly designed for the express purpose of preventing a fair election. Yet the indomitable Democracy of that State are working as harmoniously and energetically as if no such law existed. Bullock, Ackerman & Co. have made themselves so completely odious, that the desperate devices to which they have resorted can scarcely save them from defeat. Should Grant's Attorney General fail to carry Georgia for him by the rascally means he has adopted, the defeat of the President will be humiliating indeed. Should he succeed every intelligent citizen of the United States must feel that one of the foulest wrongs has been perpetrated to continue the rule of a set of graceless scoundrels.