M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1861-09-12
Startling Proclamation from Gen. Fre-
mOnt-Martial Law in Missouri.

startling Proclamation from Gen. Fre-
mOnt-Martial Law in Missouri.
ST.. LOUIS, Ang. 81.
The following proclamation was is.
sued this morning:
HEAD0uARTERs, WTsTRRN DEPARrMENTl
sr. LOUIS, Friday Aug. so.
Circumstances, IN my Judgment,
render it necessary that the Comman.
ding General Of this Department
should assume She administrative
power Of the State.
Its disorganized condition, the to.
tai insecurity of life, and the devas.
tation Of property by bands ofmur-
derers and manraders who iniest near.
ly every county in the State, and avail
themselves Of the pu lie misfortune
and the vicinity OF hostile force, to
crafty private and naigh 5crhood ven.
geance, and who find an enemy where
ever they find plumber, finally demand
the soYerest measures to repress tne
daily increasing crimes and outrages
which are driving off the inhabitants
and running the State.
In this condition the public safety
and the success Of our arms require
unity of purpose, without let or hind.
rance to the prompt administration of
affairs.
in order, therefore, to suppress
disorder, to maintain, as far as is now
practicable, the public psace, and to
give security and protection to the
persons and property Of loyal citizens,
do he eby extend and declare estab.,
lished martial law throughout the
State of Missouri.
The lines of the army of occuua.
tion in this State are for the present
declared to extend from Leavenworth.
by way OF the posts of jefferson City,
10 la and lronton, to Cape Girardeau'
on the Mississippi river.
All persons who shall be taken with
arms in their hands within these
lines shall oe tried by court martial,
and, iEfound guilty, will be shot.
The property, real and personal, 6T
all persons in the State Of Missouri
who shall take up arms against the
United States, or who shall be direct.
| ly proven to have taken an active part
with their enemies in the field, is de-
clarcd to be confscatcd to tho public
use, and their slaves, if any they have,
are hereb, declared free men.
All persons who shall be proven to
have destroyed (atter publication of
this order.) railroad tracks, bridges or
teIegraphs, shall suffer the extreme
penalty oi this law.
All persons engaged in reasonable
correspondence, in giving or procur.
ing aid to the enemies Of the United
States, in fomenting tumults, in dis.
turbing the public tranquility by Gre
ating and circulating false reports or
incendiary documents, are, for their
own interest, warned that they are
exposing themselves to severe and sud
den punishment.
All persons who have been ded
away from their allegiance are re.
Iquired to retIrn forthwith to their
homes, and any such absence, with
ont sufficient cause, will be held to
be presumptive evidence asainstthem.
The object Of this declaration is to
place i'll the hands Of the military an.
thoritieS the power to give instanta.
neous effect to existing laws and to
supply such deficiencies as the condi-
tions of war demand but it is not in
tended to suspend the ordinary tribn
nails Q! The country, where the law will
be administered by the civil officers in
The usual manner and with their Gus
tomary authority while the same can
be peaceably exercised.
The Commanding. General will Ia.
Dor vigllantIy for the public welfare
and in his efforts for their safety, hopes
to obtain not only the acquiescence,
but the active support of the people OF
the country. j. q. FREMONT.
Major,General Commanding.