Marcellus Mundy to Thomas E. Bramlette

KYR-0001-009-0035.xml

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Accession Number

KYR-0001-009-0035

Document Genre

Correspondence

Repository

Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

Collection

Office of the Governor, Thomas E. Bramlette: Governor's Official Correspondence File, 1863-1867

Item Location

BR1-76 to BR1-77

Place of Creation

Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky

Date of Creation

17 August 1865

Dates Mentioned

1865-08-17

Marcellus Mundy to Thomas E. Bramlette, 17 August 1865, Office of the Governor, Thomas E. Bramlette: Governor's Official Correspondence File, 1863-1867, BR1-76 to BR1-77, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort, KY. Accessed via the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition, discovery.civilwargovernors.org/document/KYR-0001-009-0035, (accessed April 25, 2024).

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Louisville Aug. 17. 1865
His Excellency, Tho^s E. Bramlette
Governor of Kentucky
D^r Sir

As you have in your keeping the honor and dignity of our state, Section 14^th of Aricle 3^rd of the Constitution devolving upon you the duty of having our laws faithfully executed, and we, the people feeling great anxiety for the preservation of our rights, You will excuse a respectful suggestion from me looking to that end.

At the late farcical election, the success of a party measure, the adoption of the Constitutional Ammendment proposed by Congress, seems to have overshadowed every other consideration with those who favoured it, and to force it upon the people, the 8^th and 9^th Sections of article 2^nd of the Constitution of our state which prescribes the qualification of voters and privileges them from arrest while going to, attending upon and returning from elections, as well as the act of Congress which forbids
military interferance with elections have been grossly violated. While it may not be known to you officially, the fact is known to every intelligent citizen of the state that the Federal forces and united states military detectives, who are even more terrible in their office than Federal soldiers to the Citizens, possessd themselves of and occupied many voting precincts, and controlled the polls by threats, force and fraud. I am credibly informed that the military commander of the Post of Louisville appointed one hundred extra United states detectives for the occasion, who were distributed in the several precints of the City and County supported by strong military guards paraded and stationed near at hand; that the said detectives occupied the several voting rooms with the officers of election to the exclusion of all persons save voters and military officers, and in many instances the tickets of the voters were taken from them by the detectives and examined before they were allowed to approach the polls and in some instances the voters were induced to change their vote by reason to threats of military
punishment. These facts can and are now being established by affidavits and will be duly presented to you. In some portions of the state the vigilance Committees of the amendment party supported by Federal soldiers, in violation of law and in utter disregard of the rights of the Citizen presided at the polls with lists of proscribed Citizens who were forbiden to offer to exercise their constitutional privileges, and many lawful voters were actually arrested for voting or offering to vote against the amendment. It can be fully proved that at one or more precincts in Scott County the Federal soldiers displaced the officers of election and recorded votes for the amendment themselves, which will appear upon the poll books and will be testified to by said officers of election. I could enumerate many other outrages to the Citizens and indignities to our state performed by Federal Force at the election, but I have no doubt complaints are coming to you from every quarter of the state. And I manly proposed to state enough facts to justify my protest against the outrage
I am one of the defeated Candidates; but not more anxious for the preservation of the dignity of our state and the rights of our people on that account, and I deem it my duty to make known to you, the wrongs and frauds of which I am Cognizan. I respectfully suggest that the election farce should be ignored as the only means of preserving our honor and dignity. Better have an interregnum than sanction such gross fraud and much better disfranchise ofour state than be so disgraced. The election returns are to be made to your secretary of state and you are to furnish certificates of election, based as a matter of course upon the assumption that a fair expression of the voice of our people has been had through the lawful mode of election. Can you furnish such certificates under your constitutional obligation? I would respectfully suggest that the certificates be withheld, and the president of the United states by be officially notified of the wrong and indignity to Kentucky, and that he be requested to withdraw his forces to the end that a fair election may be had

I am Respectfully
M Mundy

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