Washington telegraph. [volume] (Washington, Ark.) 1839-1871, 1862-09-17

| 'i'"' ioh. nenry Is. Stuart presiding. The
whoie criminal and civil docket was disposed
Oh ana, although many of the cases were con.
uuaee on account of The absence of witnesses,
| sultors, and ttornies, in the service of the
country, much business was finally despatched
TO the great convenience OF the community.
1t was of small Importance in itself, certain
ly; but one accustomed to mark the signs OF
the times, might have observed much in that
diminshe crowd Of citizens there assembled
| to inspire him with higher hopes for the final
triumph-of our cause, and the establishment
of our civil liberty, than in the reports OF bat
tie won by arms. Tie quiet dcmeanor of all.
and the dignifed respect exhibited towards
the court and its officers, gave unmstakable
evidence of growing spirit of subordination
to the laws and civil authorities which twelve
months ago we could scarcely have allowed
ourselves to hope Sewer county may be safe
| ly taken as sample of the State: and. if 50
we may rest assured that the people at home are
deeply impressed with the dangers of anarchy.
and the necessity Of civi order for the nro-
lection of that home Industry which is 50 %
sential, not only to the support of our armies
IN the field, but also to pres erve our country
IN such condition as to be able t. sorine for
ward at once for the recupera ton of its wealth
anu energies at the first dawn Of peace
AT first the excitcmeat of the war led to sem
tlments and feelings very alarming to al calm
and thoughtful men, no reflected how easily
civil liberties were lost in the turbu1once
of even patriotic ebullition, Everytbino WA.
forgotten but the WAY. All private rights
were lost sight of, or disregaried with con
tempt, coming in conflict with each mans
vague and hasty ideas of public good or mill
cary necessity new order of things was
thought to justify new codes Of social rights.
and in the name of zeal for the Southern Com
1ederacy each community hocame for a,bile
superior to the laws uf the land. AMI ASSUME
the power of executing its Lastv INDICTMENTS
by summary process. Each mans patriotic
uu'leS were dictated by his neighbors They
thought 1t patriotic to impress his property
Tor tho good of the cause In many casa.
cpimons OF men were reviewed in Judgment hy
irresponsible tribunals. often untitled Inv tbri,
I'''~ A'i en- 'AiiiiE1 lIhG Chilli uGtlberItl0u-
anu they were banishe the country. and in
some few instances condemned aud executed
it Is happy for us that the innate :, nsc Of iu,
tice and loveof fair play tos,th,r with that
native humanity. which prevent the South
erner from the practice of wauton brutality
operated even then to prevent tho occurrence
OF scenes to which we look back with any ne
cuiiar regret Still il wa- terrible crisis for
our civil organization. With a people less en-
hghtened, and less thoroughly imbued with
the spirit OF liberty. ard the principles Of
christianity, it would have been fatal. As it
was, the civil authority received shock from
which 1t has been paraized ever since
Such excitements are in their nature vol
canic and short lived. We became accu.ton-
ed to the war. and lah u1tel to look upon II
as mighty task, claiming our calm and undi-
vided energies, not only for the moment but
to be sustained perhaps for wears Pcopl. be-
came more earnest and thoughtful. less i'm
pulsivc and e1citcable. A spirit of sclf-sacri
fee. and earnest devotion to the one great end
of military success, succeeded the turbulent
and often aimless excitement If the first period
of the war We began gradually to perceive
that our highest duties lay in as
sisting to raise and maintain our armies liz the
field. That came to absorb all our anxieties
How to encourage volunteers how to eqaip
them p? how to keep up thei~ supplies, and rem
der them capable for the contest? These be-
came the questions which BY their magnitude.
rendered of comparatively small account the
doings of our neighbor. We felt more united.
We became filled with alxietics more IF a ma
tiGnal, than personal character. If our neigh.
Dor was selfish or cowardly. he incurred only
our contempt, and not our vengeance Hav-
ing no fear of his troa5ol, we easel t. criti-
else his lruguagc. We hui grtver duties than
the regulation of his opinions. With the adj
vent Of these feelings. the vigilance commit
tees died out. The danger Of anarchy passed
away, but greater and more subtle danger
supervened. Il was tho danger Of military
despotism.
For looking sololy to the defeat Of the nef;l-
rious schemes of the enemy, e1l-pcrated by
their brutality, and anxious by all means in
our power to achieve military success, we be-
came willing to entrust everything to the con-
troll of our military commanders The ener-
gies of each man heretofore anxious to be en-
ployed in regulating his neighbor, came now
to be'directed to the object of sustaining with
out question the ord ers of our generals
Feeling that the civil law, and the aimiuistra
ton Of criminal justice through courts had
become an imp)ssibility; anxious for the
ercise Of some authority to protect tine COM
munity, and suppress the violent aud capri
clous action of irresponsible bodies, we accept
ed martial law. Most of us willingly. but great
number reluctantly acquiesced in its authority
feeling that to endure it was a lesser evil than
the discord and division in the mi.lst of such
imminent common danger, which any com
biaed opposition would be sure to produce
1t was an eminently patriotic sentiment. and
if the premises upon which it based had
been true, twas unquestionably right. Mar
tial law or any other kind Of law was certainly
better than none-if there indeed were none
which could be enforc ed. But it was for all
that state of public mind very dangerous to
hnr n,Nl T.