Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-10-26

lFations, to n axe q statement which shall neither
exlenuate ili. facts "nOr set down aught in ua-
On the 23d August m- residence st Washing on
was suddenly entered by body Of soldiery under
command Of the Detective Police and my whole
family, serTa ats included, placed under arrest
Every room and every article Of furniture and
clothing cont hined therein was subjected to the
verest scrutity 6nd sesreh. AT of the corrsspOn-
dcnce Of the ladies', and much Of my own (found
in the room d sed as my law ofice) was seized and
carried away. We were thus kept close prisoners
for q week, Turing which time the msolent intru.
sion Of our s. keepers Wss such that we were com
PEELED to aba ndon our parlOFs 70 their exclusive
use, and seek shelter in the upper apartments.
I At the end of this period was released from i'm
! prisonmeHt, sind my wife two young daughters sad
my wife's sis Ter "a visit0r) taken to another
house where they were confined in two small
rooms immediate under the roof. These had been
exclusively ubed BY servants, ard were in lOath-
some csnditcn 0. They were unfurnished, save with
two rude bedb and bedsteads IN this condition the
ladies we're d IL withOut-nOt only the comforts but
the dscsHess civilized life. From time to tune as
their complail ats reached me, supplied them with
sheets. blank ITS and such other requirements as
ware necessity to make their condition supporta5e-
In ad iitOn fo she military force which surrOundsd
and guarded lIe house below, sentinel kept ward
ald watch hight and day at their chamber door.
They were over permitted the least exercise, and
never left the rooms but to take their meals 10 al
adjoining apaF Ftmeut. So rigid was the eXcOmmuui-
cation that eV en- in sickness they were denied the
presence of bur family physician and that Of Rn
army surgeOI substituted.
forbear I'd narrate the history Of the sufTsriags
as they have been detailed to Whether these
were Intentionally inflicted By the brutality Of the
subOrdinates Who had them in charge or of their
superiOrs in eOmmaud. or whether they resulted
from mere ne gleet and ignorance. | have no means
Of now deter mining But whether the one or the
other this tr nslC ton will mark with emphasis the
progress Of dhe extraordinary events OF the must
extraordinary era.
Having beeh thus confined for three weeks they
were finally released and fsg Of truce given for
our return Sbuth via Fortress Monroe. For this
termination Of m;sfo tuoe and happy consummatiOu
of our hopes we sre indebted 60 the persistent ef
forts and gre4t Influence of Judge Wayne, Of the Su
pTeme Court and the Hons Rsverdy Johnson and
Edwin StsntOh. The friendship Of these geuuemen,
VIII ch sustai1ed me thFoughOuJ my trouble, cannot
BE- cOgpensat ia by praise but this public RcknOwl-
edgment Of oIlr obligation 70 pleasant duty.
Nor can l omit t. mention in this connection the
name Of Coiohe ThOmss " Key, the Judge AivO-
cate attached u General McClellan's staff who,
from the mCulent he was inuusted with the csss,
acted with Sll thst promptness and courtesy which
thb upright magistrate and gallant sol
iier.
The sole ofe ense Of nv family consisted in active
but open eOts - relieve the wants of the COnfed-
crate prisoneds confiaed in Washington; in supplying
hose Of them who were sick with proper food. and
III with such blCthing they needed lin which they
we're aided bt the contributions OF many cltZsEs;)
n the unlisgbissd expression both in conversation
md eOrrespC ndence. Of the entire sympathy with
he South and in the declaration Of our purpose to
'eturn to So uthern homes as soon as practicable.
Dur OffendingI hath this eXtsnt-nO more . The
Government has retained such Of our c0FrespOa-
ience as they deem NJ cessary to vindicate their
conduct and with this knowledge defy Its Off
,ials, hight Or low, 10 show that it other or
greater than as / have described t.
Il is needl lsss 10 add that the proceedings OF
arrest was in violation Of all the forms and require
nents Of the law IL were but idle mOckery 70 COM
plain Of this n presence OF the fact openly pro-
claimed thatthe Confederation and the laws are
ent amid the clash of arms. State necessity"
,nee denOUuds led as the tyrsnt's plea, now fills the
hrOne, and NY its despOtic will alone, dominates
he land. In their struggle to preserve the terrific
ial integrity of the Union, the rulers of the North
rample in tie dust the constitutional principles
pom which lis government Is based. To preserve
he public liberty they invade the private right.
nd take FROM the ctZ n the protection secured 10
i'm by their most solem eompscs Thus we learn
lat nations profit nothing by experience, and the
ItuFe historian Will repeat the sarcasm # the Able
ieEes is Us Igs ere E5rsS, si Is SaUsqi pas ere
tstsS. P. PHILLIPS.
Mobile, Oct II, 1851.