22               The Maryland Constitution of 1864.            [368

The other two propositions of the order I allow to stand.
General Schenck is fully determined, and has my strict
orders besides, that all loyal men may vote, and vote for
whom they please."

Thus rebuffed, and recognizing the futility of any further
attempt to persuade the national and military authorities
to recede from their position, Governor Bradford imme-
diately issued (November 2) a lengthy proclamation "To the
Citizens of the State, and More Especially the Judges of
Election," a large part of which had been prepared before-
hand. In this document he protested strongly against the
military order and its provisions as most obnoxious and
entirely without justification, "more especially offensive and
dangerous in view of the known fact that two at least of
the five provost-marshals of the state are themselves candi-
dates for important offices, and sundry of their deputies
for others." The attention of the Judges of Election was
called to the fact that "they are on the day of election
clothed with all the authority of conservators of the peace,
and may summon to their aid any of the executive officers
of the county, and the whole power of the county itself, to
preserve order at the polls, and secure the constitutional
rights of voters." They were also reminded of their oath
to observe the laws of the state, that the elections be so
conducted as to permit the qualified voters to fully cast
their ballots, and that there was absolute legal prohibition
of military at or near the polls. The original proclamation
closed with the two following paragraphs:

"Whatsoever power the state possesses, shall be exerted
to protect them²⁵ for anything done in the proper execu-
tion of its laws.

"Since writing the above I have seen a copy of the
President's letter to the chairman of the Union State Cen-
tral Committee, bearing the same date with the order, and
evidently showing that the order was unknown to him,

²⁵ i. e. Judges of election.