Arkansas true Democrat., 1862-01-23
.,own- -trodden Maryland"-The Derby Organ on "E ort Lafayette" etc.

land; and that State, under the protection of twenty-five thousand bayonets, "votes the union ticket;;'' that is to say, gives majority in the various electoral districts in favor of the fe.leralist candidates TOT the State legislature and official situations
 a + ;.
 We certainly think that little weight would be attached to votes given under such conditions in any European country. Maryland is under martial law. Her legls- latuie has been dispersed by armed violence, the majority of both houses are in federal prisons, under the warrant of the Secretary of State-in direct defiance of the laws, as laid down by the supreme court of the United States, whose judgement IS hnai and irreversable, even by act of Congress. Her journals have been seized, suspended ruined; the presses broken, the editors sent to iail. She is held down forcibly by an army of occupation, said to number Zo, ,Voo men, amid population of little over 7Oo,- GOO. an army backed by 2O0,OOO troops within few hours march of Baltimore.- The general commanding that army has piven orders for the arrest of all voters sus- pected of sympathy with the Confederate States-thst is, of every one likely to vote aosust the Union ticket" The elections are to be made after the arrest of every lead ing man or the opposition or moderate par ties, under the bayonets of federal troops, wno have eIsew here shown that murder Ill cold blood is at least as much to thler taste , as lighting, while it is a good deal less dan gerous in the present state of dlsclpiihe' ana in the total absence of all legal protection for lie, liberty or property. There IS certain number of men in Maryland, as else where, sufficiently degraded or sufficiently bitter in their partzanship tb vote under such circumstances, and from these only will there come an appfovaf o1 NIT. Llh7 coln's policy-an approval gwen not by the responsibility and intelligence of the State-that is to be sought in Ft. McHenry, or in homes turned into prisons, or at best in disgusted abstinance from vote which has become mockery-but by every ele- ment that is dangerous to society and hos tile to liberty. From his own proclama- tions and those of his generals-from his violations ot law, his outrages on the judges, his violence to the legislature, his careful repression of all free opinion-not from votes given in the presence of illdisciplnied militia with loaded riies-must Mr. Lin coln's position towards the citizens of Maryland, and their feelings toward him, be uged. Such outrages as have been com mitted in that State by his authority were never yet paralleled under the most lawless oi British governments; neither by Crom- well, CT William of Orange in Ireland; nor by Charles II in Scotland; they have been eq ualed only in reckless defiance of consti- tutional right and disregard of solemn oaths by one other Republican Magistrate-the man who imprisoned for few days more thate half the legislative assembly of France. But the imitator of Louis Napoleon should remember that there is onl ly one absolution for such crime-success. Beaten in war, Mir. Lincoln will find as little mercy as he deserves for the tyranny he has exercised at home.
 One thing at least has hitherto been sup posed to distinguish the treatment of po- ltical prisoners by civilized governments. We may find 1t necessary to imprison them. to transport them, perhaps to hang them; but We do not i'll use them. We subject them to no annoyance, degredation or >uffe ing not et sential to their position and the due execution of the law. Silivo Pel lico anG Felice Orsini inform us that even the execrated Austrian allows to his state prisoners the decencies and comforts of captive life Naples and America afford the only exceptions. The gentlemen sent to Fort McHenry and Lafayette were among the best born and bred in ryland-polit- ically the equals, socially by far the superi- ors of Mr. Seward and Mir. Lincoln. They have been treated as England does not treat her felons We must apologize for the in sertion of the following details. but we de sire to give the President his due:
 From Fort LaFayette-the American bastie-one gentleman writes to his wife secretly, not being permitted to do so by the iailers: We are closely confined in a strong prison, denied all intercourse with any human being outside; are not permit ted to write or to receive newspapers, and are under strict prison discipline, guarded by night and day by soldiers, and treated exactly as felons in the penitentiary, ex cept that we are not vet required to work Our prison is 8 massive. gloomy: building. fo,m ming hollow square, and covers the whole island on which it is built. Seven of us are confined i'll one casemate, and sleep upon strawbeds, without pillows and with but one blanket. We drink wretehed cof- fee, which is composed of parched beans and some other vile ingredient, from tin cups. Four ounces of bread at each meal, and the fattest pork, which we cannot touch and some putrid beef, are served up. Our money was all taken from us immediately on our arrival, and we were very coldly told that we could only have it as our jail CTS chose to allow 1t to us. We are not to keep pen, ink or paper, for fear our wretch ed situation should be made known to our friends"
 In Fort McHenry the diet of the priso- soners is |" Breakfast-fat pork, no lean; four ounces of bread, and teacup of dark i.uor called coffee. Dinner--four ounces of bread, one cup of pork soup, three ounces over boiled lean, indigestible beef, and as much tepid water as we choose" It must be remembered that these gentlemen have committed no crime, are accused of none, have had no trial, and heard no charge against them. They are suspected of "se- cessionist sympathies;" in the nbrase of