, 1861-12-07
MAKING THE REKELSPAY THEIR
DEBTS.


From the New York Tribunc.1 I
As a large number Of your readers ase inter
question now before tic Cabinet, rs to wlictll-
er they will or will not sustain Provost Judge
Freese, Of Alexandria, in his recent decision
touching claims due from disloJal or loyal !
citizens, T have thought it well to inform you
and them as to its exact condition at the pres
| ent time.
The President and every member Of the |
Cabinet, except Attorney General Bates, are in !
favor Of sustaining the action Of the Provost |
/ Court, and but for the unfortunate position Of !
! Judge Bates, would have had an order issued !
| to tits effect long since. Judge Batcs-unfor |
tunate1y for himself as we'll as for the whole |
| counsry-listcned to an er parte statement
t made by the counsel Of one Of the parties
whose goods had been seized, and tilercupon
induced the Assistant secretary Of War to is
sue the order which led to the subsequent Is
sue Of the two other orders, whereby the pro-
cceding OF the court were stayed III civil cases.
| Had Judge Bates waited to haSe heard tho
other side before taking action, the probahn-
ties are that the proceedings Of the court
would not have been stayed. Having p1ace1
himself in this position-unthinkip as
| have the charity to belieEe-he now he5lt1te5
to revise his opinion, or allow others to do SO.
| He makes it, understand, a personal matter,
and insists upon it that the other members Of
| the Cabinet shall not orerrulc linn; but since
| hi first opinion Was founded un doubtful If not
false statements, made bya secession lawyer,
/ and at time when only one side Of the ques-
ton had been submitted, neither nor any
other lawyer Of this city-and have conrerscd
Mia many apoa1 d;a,at ie.s ses Ky nigtopfI,Hay ~,
all the facts are before him
The fact is, the question never was ques~
ton of law, and hence onght never to have
Tt1n ~ niS atlotAes ~ aa!'
r. NJ nat;onaa 1oiae nst;nn W @+,n Il.
, XII a.t ~ +fRo Rols or'; 5.,n 5a+,11
h,ra ar;sen Of III hnt far tia roha1I;nn-o nn,1S.
tion mon 1rh;c1, z.,a1 e;y;.s,a .,rc mon
tItr o,,. si1n and Tsbezs 10 tbc Gn,yrrwcut ,1,na
~ ot1,rnN3' nnestinn wn;e,, - fnrntrcs aifhcr
, tne giving or Withholding Of tsaid and com
fort 10 ihc enemies Of tie COUNTRY and this.
!, too, to the extent Of near 500, 400, Q00-a
+ question, in short, rs to whether the Seques-
tr.ltiuu Act passed by the so-calIed Confviier-
: ate Congress, should be respected, or ctfvctu.
: ally annu]led.
t The court itself, las understand it,) before
| which the question was originally decided, is q
military court, established as military peces-
:: sity because Of the absence Of all other author.
4 ty and oulv assumed civil Jurisdiction bccausc
Of bein. in an enemy's country, where no otl,es
i AUTHORITY could be anpca}ed 10 by loyal eiti.
d zens> J1idre Freese i = military officer, ho15no
the rank. as understand of Assistant Adjutani
l. General in tie army As il originated with
f. the military authorities. it should have beer
+ lcfl lust where it began, and Judge Bate:
r. hare any voice in the matter As i question
e Of po!icy, it might very properly have beer
a hrnnyhf before fIr Cabinet: int rs onrstio1
ID Of rjTht and propriety, it Should have bccu lcf
Of | whn5lywi fbc SECRETARY of War Or tic Com
r mandin~ General 7 trust this view nil sill
70 a., ~ H. Ea,at IN a 90 80.
u t1,,. whole snhiect ia fin Secretary of War +
st 5o rs he maj. think 1,roner II, tIe premises
" Thjs viii relieve Jnfrc Rates fron1 Il dir,r
e Condemnation hv fIe fSah;naf and ansfn M,
4 IN motion n eo1rf from which th, conntr
,,aa1 arnna+ 1re,f oaod - A'-S
=. +, 1I,{s ~, "1,5e 1o,.a1 o;t;,c, cor,n,ona
ct +1.. a-t;on Gf 1ndra Frnoso 49,, ta1i.'
~ ~ s, "Isu " Sun5e o. : nsI ' t,N