The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1861-08-24
Habcas Corpus in Olden Times.


Life of General jackson, relating to the Pro.
cIanation by the Old Hero of Martial Law in
New ORLEANS, will be interesting to our
readers:
MARTIAL law was proclaimed on the six
trcnth of December. converting the city Of
New Orleans into camp, and all its citizens
into soldiers.
The proclamation was in the words follow
ing:
Major. General Andrew jackson, com.
mantling the seventh United States military
district, declares the city and cnvIons under
strict martial law, and orders that in future
the following rules be rigidly enforced, viz:
| Every individual entering the city will re-
port to the adiutant-ec generals office, and, on
failure, to be arrested and held for examina-
ton.
No person shall be permitted to leave the
city without permission in writing, signed
by the General OF one Of his staff.
No vessels, boats. or other craft will be
permitted to leave New Orleans or Bayou St.
John without passport III writing from the
Genera. or one of his staff or the commander
of the naval forces of the United States on this
station.
The street lamps shall be extinsushcd at
the hou, of nine at night, after which time
per sons of every description found in the
streets, or not at their respective homes, with.
ont permission i'll writing, as aforesaid, and
not having the countersign, shall be appre-
hended as spies and held for examination
In word. all the inhabitants of New
Orleans were subjected to the rules and res.
trlc;ions which govern soldiers in presence Of
the enemy. All able.boded men of what
ever race. color. rank or condition. were also
compelled to serve either as soldiers or sailors
The old men and the intirm were formed into
u veteran guard for the police of the town and
the occupation Of its forts, a venerable body,
including in its rolls many men of the highest
social and political distinction Men of
English birth were alone exempt from service.
The proclamation of martial law was
wholly. greatly, and Immediately beneficial.
The panic subsidized. Confidence returned. -
Checrfunes> was restored. Faction was rem.
| dcred towerless; treason, On any considerable
scale, impossible. While the danger lasted,
not voice was raised against measure
which united the people as one man against
the invaders of their soil. 1t was felt to be
a measure that grew Inevitably out of the
necessities Of the crisis, and one which alone
was adequate to it,"
On the eight of January the battle of New
Orleans was fought. The treaty of peace
which had been concluded on the 24th of
reached this country:
Edward Livingston returned to New
Orleans with the news OF peace on the nine.
tenth Of February. The city was thrown
into joyful excitement, and the troops cx-
pccted an immediate release from their
ardGous tolls. But they were doomed
TO disappointment The package which
Admiral Malcolm had received contained
only newspaper announcement of peace
There was little doubt of its truth, but the
statements Of newspaper are as nothing
to commanders Of fleets and armies To
check the rising tide of feeling. Jackson
on the very day Of Livingston return. issued
n proclamation, stating the exact nature of
the intelligence, and cxl,priing the troops to
bear with patience the tolls of the campaign a
little longer
| In this posture of affairs, some of the
French troops hit upon an cxpedient to escape
the domination ofihe General. They claimed
the protection of the French consul, Nj. Tous
sard: the consul nothing loath. hoisted the
French flag over the consulate, and dispensed
certificates of French citizenship to all appli.
cants NafuraliZcd Frenchmer1 avaicd Them
selves of the same arliice, and. for few
days. TousSard had his hands full of pleasant
and profitable occupation. jackson met this
new difficulty Try ordering the consul and all
| Frcnchman, who were not citizens Of the
| UNIFIED States to leave New Orleans within
three days, and not to return to within one
hundred and twenty miles of the city, until
the news of the ratification of the treaty of
peace was officially Published =! The register
of votes Ct the last election was rcsorted to
for the purpose of aSccrtaining who were citi-
zcns, and who were not. Every man who
| had voted was claimed by the General as his
lellow-citizen and soldier" and compelled
to do duty as such.
This bold stroke of authority aroused much
Indignation among the ant-mar:ial law par
ty. which, or the 81 of March, found voice
in the public press. The article referred to
was the direct GAUGE Of the celebrated arrests.
The letter was an argument going to show
that the proclamation of General jackson in
reference to Frcnchnen was stretch of
authority. 1t was couchcd in the most res
pcctful language and concludes as follows;
"Let us conclude by saying that ii is high
time the laws should resume :heir empire F.:
that the citizens of this State should return to
the full enjoyment of their rights that, in
acknowledging that we are indcbtc to Gen.
Jackson for the preservation of our city and
the defeat Of the British, we do not feel much
inclined, through gratitude to sacrifice any o:
our privileges. and less than any other, that
of expressing our opinion of the acts Of his
administration that it is time the citizens
accused of any crime should be rendered to
their natural judges, and ceas. to he brought
before special or military tribunals. a kind of
institution held in adherence, even in abso-
lutte governments thai, after, having done
enough for glory, the moment of moderation
has arrived: and, finally, that the acts of
authority which the invasion of our country
and our safety may have rendered necessary
are, since the evacuation of it by the enemy,
no longer compatible with our dignity and
our oath ofmaking the Constitution respected
Here was open defiance. Jackso accepted
the issue with promptness all his own.-
lie sent an order to the editor of the Louisiana
Courier, in which the article appeared, COM
handing his immediate presence at headquar-
ters. The name of the author of the commu-
nication was demanded and given. 1t was
Mr.. Louailer. member of the Legislature, a
gentleman who had distinguished himself by
bis zeal in the public cause, and who had
been particularly prominent in promoting
subscriptions for the relief of the ill-clad SOL
dieTs. Upon his surrendering the name the