Letter Signed

Right to Vote in the Ensuing Election

Stephen Merrill states that he was born in the United States of federal parents who were, from his infancy, for independence. He has never been out of the U.S. or away from the east coast and he fought in the Revolutionary War and was wounded before he was fifteen years old. For thirteen years he has never been denied the right to vote at an election but has discovered that he cannot vote in Pennsylvania because he has not been a resident for two years and has paid no taxes in that state. He asks Hodgdon to help him to be allowed to vote in the coming election for Governor.

1799

10

01

Trenton

Philadelphia

Partially illegible.

Samuel Hodgdon

Stephen Merrill

governor

Philadelphia

Trenton

Pennsylvania

election

voting

democracy

veteran

taxes

1799100180001

1

Stephen Merrill
1st Octo 1799
Recd. Wants [undecipherable]-rately
to vote for Ross


[circular stamp:] TREN - N-J OST 1


Paid 8
Samuel Hodgdon Esqr.
Philadelphia
Trenton 1.st Oct.r 1799
Sir,
The American wish will own on this day
wich generally induces to if it does not merrit
a greater latitude of freedom with superiors
than normal. This, & this only must be my
Apology for troubling you at this times,
for certainly I have not a wish to hinder for
[undecipherable - paper missing] not the inportant beeings which
I know presses daily on you.
I was born in the United States,
of Federal parents, (I am sure for they were
from my influences for Independences I have
never been not of the U. S., otherwise that off
the cost, coastwise, I early embarked in the revo
lutionary War, fought & was wounded before
I was 15 years of age, I have constantly been
a supporter of the rights of my Country
by
always supporting the Gov.t which my
Country, mysels included, had thought fit to
establish. I have exercised the right of a freemen
for 13 years by allways officing, & Never hav
ing been denied a vote at an election.
I find by an Abstract of the
laws of Pennsylvania that I am not
entitled to a vote at the comming [undecipherable]
because, first, I hae not been a resident of
the Stat 2 years.
second, I have paid no[undecipherable - paper missing]
I have been in it were there a year & a half
which is sufficient to deprieve me of a vote
in all other places.
I never have been asked to pay taxes in
Pennsylvania, of any questions whate
wer intimating that a Tax was or ought to
be due from me to the state.
All this considered, I feel myself
rather crippled in my Rights as an
American Citizen, in this being denied a vote at a
Crisis which interests my feelings more than any that
ever I have passed. I call
it a Crisis be aware it is to determine whether
the Vital, the Hearts blood of one of the first
states in the Union is corrupted to
death or not.
Will you be pleased sir, to ascertain
whether under all these circumstances it would
be possible for me to be admitted to vote
at the ensuing election for Governor. If opportunities
should offer that you can, with
out any inconvenience, make the requie
ry, & give me the infromations, if it
should be in the affirmative, you would
amuch oblidge me. were I there I am
concinced I could have some influence on
2 or three that would not otherwise, as I should
vote for M.r Ross.
I am Sir your Obedient Serv.t
Stephen Merrill
Col: Hodgdon