Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-11-29
Political Prisoncrs.

The following comments upon the arrest OF
prisoners for political otfenses aud their release
by honorable discharge" without trial. appears
in the indianapolis Journal. OF Thursday The
same print. a few days previous. stated that il
evidence OF ,iisoyalty to the Government
TO differ with those who for the time bene
administered IL. for il could not indorse o,
approve all the acts of those IN power We
reproduce the article OF the Journal to show its
Inconsistency in condemning heretofore the
Democratic press and Democratic speakers Ton
their disapproval OF the acts OF the Administra
ton ia the arrest and treatment OF political
prisoners. which it now condemns in the severcst
ceusure The Republican central organ says:
The telegraph says that Congress will begin in
the etrlv plrt OF the session. an inv e.tigation o
the causes aud modes Of the political arrests that
have been 81 often made and reiraclel during
the past year. IL - high tire something was done
To enligh,en somebody n to the importance OF
making arrests ons iof olenses that deserve pun.
ishnent. aud then pnoishing. instead OF releasing
without trial IL = man sins against his country
80 grlevousy that il il necessary To arrest him. IL
would Toe SINFUL ienency ~ s'n not to follow the
arrest with punishment. Personal libert, i TOO
ami, q taken away for wcighty ones, there is
something necessary more than deprivation OF
liberty Whca political prisoners are released. as
Mthoney. OF Dgbuqne, and me dozen Or 30
of the Font MrHenry prisoners were released.
hoserabty.' after arrest that not ohiv i'm
piled but iu'lictei degradation. the Government
announces that IL either committed n great
wrong "a arresting them. cor i willing ~ commit
one still greater ia withholding the penalty of
their crime. Either Mahnacy. and Horton. of
our own State. we're arrested without cause. or
released Without excuse And the Government
gets D"thlng 10y IFS III timel clemcncy but con.
tempt for its vascillaton added To hatred for its
ill-tmei severity
Matoney j. welcomed with shouts and process.
sions. and tumultuous demonstrations OF JOY in
which the Government IL remembered. not for the
release. but the arrest The crowd sees in the
release only confession that the arrest was m
outrage. and sets it down no. 20 the clemency but
the fears OF the Government He il hailed NJ
once a. martyr and victor So too with Hor.
ton. Those who whispered encouragement 10
him in denouncing the draft and dissuadins men
from enisting. receive him nome with an ovation
rs though his own proves had secured his re-
lease. and given u 10 them ~ a warrant To do all
that he ind. and more. with safety. The Govern.
ment attacked him without provocation and got
decentiy whipped. This i the way the neopie
will read the case Aud who can sty they reld
u wrongr Does not the Government confess
that IL i either too feeble TO 10 what il deems
Just, or attempted 10 do what il knew to be nm
just. by such relclseg Horton and Mihoney
should never have been arrested or they should
have been tried and punished We can't see how
an ofiense can be bad enough t. deserve arrest.
and not bad enough to deserve a trial 10 deter
mine whether any offense at all has been com
nlitted.
We do not doubt that the motive of the Coy
eminent in releasing these prisoners vas "a re-
store them To their families. aud relieve them
from the suffering OF confinement, 10 do = simple
act OF kindness. and nothing else Bat ii thew
we're Justly arrested. IL they were guilty of the
crime charged urcn them, the Kindness that re
lsssed them was cruelt, ~ the country Whesher
shcv rere guilty Just the question that the
arrest enablei the Courts ~ decide and shich
the Government prevented from being decided by
the release. BY the arrest il impute~ crime. and
bv the release dcpFves Itself OF the power t learn
whether crime had really been committed or not
IL stands. in any view Of the matter IN the arti
t1ce % a wrong deer. wrOus ia arresting the
prisoners without cause. or in releasing xhen
there vas sufficient cause - retain them Con
gress will hardly say wori ami.s that censure,
this Penelopean policy OF undong AZ the end of
month what was done al the beginning
Low indeed must the Administration have sunk
IN the estimation OF it, friends. when they feel
chilled upon thus Ia cens9re is imbecty. It's in
stability aud Us exercise Of despotic power