XEW YORK. 



583 



selves for registry on or before that day ; and all such 

 persons coming within the department after that day 

 will report immediately on their arrival. Those who 

 fail to comply with this requirement, will be regarded 

 as spies or emissaries of the insurgent authorities at 

 Richmond, and will be treated accordingly. The 

 registry in this city will be at the headquarters of 

 Major-Gen. John J.' Peck, second in command in the 

 department, at No. 37 Bleecker street; and in all 

 other places out of this city at the offices of the near- 

 est provost marshals. The registry will contain a 

 complete description of the persons reporting, and 

 also their places of residence, which must not be 

 changed without notice at the place of registry. 



By command of Major-General DIX. 

 D. T. TAX BUHEN, Colonel and Ass't Adj. -General. 



Several hundred persons from the Southern 

 States appeared at the rooms designated in this 

 order, and were registered. Each person was 

 examined privately, and a record taken of Ms 

 or her name, a description of his personal ap- 

 pearance, his former and present place of resi- 

 dence, his business or pursuit, and a general 

 examination of his antecedents, intentions for 

 the future, &c., was made. If the person sub- 

 scribed to the oath, and his answers were con- 

 sidered satisfactory, he was allowed to depart ; 

 but if he refused to take the oath of allegiance, 

 or the officer (Major Haines) entertained any 

 suspicions in regard to his character, he was 

 sent to report to Gen. Dix. 



On the next day, October 29th, Brig.-Gen. 

 Green couirnanding the militia forces of the 

 State, issued the following order : 



HEADQCAETZRS FP.OXTTEE DEFENCES. I 

 SYUACTSE, October M. ' ) 

 General Order JV<7. 2. 



Pursuant to an order of his excellency the Gov- 

 ernor and commander-in-chief, issued on the 12th day 

 of August last, the General commanding assumed 

 command of the district lying along the Canadian 

 frontier, extending from the east line of the county 

 of Monroe to the Boundary line of the State of Ver- 

 mont, and embracing the counties of Wayne, Cayuga, 

 Oswego, Onondaga, Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Frank- 

 lin, and Clinton. The General commanding now 

 again enjoins upon all subordinate officers within the 

 said district to exercise a special vigilance in guard- 

 ing against any hostile invasions of this State by per- 

 sons in the Canadian provinces, to the end that the 

 peace of the State may be preserved from violation or 

 disturbance. A State election is to be held on the 

 8th day of November next, and it has been suggested 

 that evil-disposed persons across the border may 

 deem this a favorable occasion to pass the frontier for 

 the purpose of depredation upon the propertv of our 

 citizens. Officers of the National Guard, within the 

 department, are therefore reminded that unusual 

 vigilance to intercept all such attempts will be re- 

 quired. But persons peacefully coming to or attend- 

 ing the polls at the election are not to be interfered 

 with under any pretext whatever. The election is to 

 be held solely under the authority of the State, and 

 is regulated by State laws, carefully framed and emi- 

 nently adapted to prevent as well as punish all im- 

 proper and fraudulent voting. The people in their 

 sovereignty and by their Constitution have regulated 

 their right of suffrage, and this right can only be 

 challenged and tried before fhe inspectors and judges 

 of election. No military interference can be permit- 

 ted. The General commanding recognizes danger to 

 tne public peace in the proposed attempt of a major- 

 general, holding his commission under the Federal 

 Government, to take under his care and supervision 

 within the said district the election to be held as 

 aforesaid. For this contemplated interference there 



is no necessity, authority, or excuse. The Federal 

 Government is charged with no duty or responsibility 

 whatever relating to an election to be held in the 

 State of New York. Officers in the National Guard 

 in this department, will therefore vigilantly repress 

 all attempts to disturb the peace, will do their utmost 

 to preserve order and quiet on the day of the elec- 

 tion, and, if necessary, will prevent all interference 

 with the right of any person or persons peacefully to 

 attend at the places" where the polls shall be held. 



By order of 



JOHN A. GREEN. Brig.-Gen. Commanding. 



MILTON H. NOHTHROP, Captain and A. A. G. 



On Xov. 2d Maj.-Gen. Dix issued the follow- 

 ing instructions to the provost marshals and 

 their deputies in his department : 



HEADQUAETERS DEPARTMENT OF THE 1 



>~EW YOEK CITY, Is'ov. 2. ) 

 General Orders JV0. 85. 



To Pro-cost Marshal* and their Deputies in the Several 

 States in thi-s Department. 



In pursuance of the intimation contained in De- 

 partment General Orders No. 80, you are hereby in- 

 structed to make such arrangements within "your 

 respective districts as may be practicable, for the 

 detection of persons coming into the department for 

 the purpose of voting, who have been in the service 

 of the authorities in the insurgent States, who have 

 deserted from the service of the United States, or 

 who have fled to evade the draft. All such persons 

 will be promptly arrested and sent to these head- 

 quarters. For this purpose detectives should be em- 

 ployed for two or three days before the election, and 

 the aid of the inspectors is solicited in furnishing any 

 information which may be obtained at the polls, and 

 which may lead to the detection of the guilty parties. 

 Through this information, and that obtained by de- 

 tectives and challengers, it is believed that those who 

 have the hardihood to attempt to add to their other 

 crimes that of fraudulent voting, may be brought to 

 punishment. 



No military force will be embodied at or in the 

 vicinity of any of the polls, and there must be no in- 

 terference in any manner with the exercise of the 

 right of suffrage, or with those who are charged with 

 the performance of any duty connected with the elec- 

 tion in any of the States in this department under their 

 constitutions and laws. But if the civil authorities 

 shall call on you to aid them in keeping the peace, 

 you are authorized and required to do so, acting in 

 strict subordination to them. 



After the election the greatest vigilance will be ex- 

 ercised in regard to persons crossing the frontier into 

 Canada ; and if, in any case, there is good reason to 

 believe that they belong to any of the classes above 

 enumerated, they will be detained and promptly re- 

 ported to these headquarters for instructions. 



By command of Major-General DIX. 



D. T. VAN BUREX, Col. and Ass't Adj't-Gen. 



On the same day Governor Seymour issued 

 the following proclamation to the people of the 

 State : 



EXECUTIVE CHAMBER, ALBANY. Xovemlicr 2. HC4. 



In a few days the citizens of this country are to 

 exercise their constitutional duty of electing a Pres- 

 ident and Vice-President of the United States, at a 

 time when the condition of our country excites the 

 deepest interest. 



The questions of the day not only affect the per- 

 sonal welfare of all, and the happiness of their homes, 

 but also are of a character to arouse the passions and 

 lead to angry controversies between parties. 



The existence of a terrible civil war and the asser- 

 tion of the right of military commanders in some sec- 

 tions of our country to interfere with elections, have 

 caused painful and exciting doubts in the minds of 

 many with regard to the free and untrammelled exer- 

 cise of the elective *ranchise. I therefore appeal tc 



