Washington telegraph., 1862-08-13

1 ty of the citizens. In times of turbulence
| AMI anarchy, when enemies lurk in our midst
| and disorganized condition of civil gov m
ment, may have left society unprotected
against tile violence of the strongest, it finds
| Its true application. 1t should always be
borne IN mind, however, that its benefits re-
| quire the temporary sacrifice of civil liberty,
and unless justified by extreme necessity, are
| attended with greater dangers than the evil
| which they seek to correct. Martial Law,
| outside Of the lines Of encampments, has been
rarely pro claimed in the history of wars. The
| authorities which 1t assumes are so cx;raorii-
nary, to be startling 20 people accustomed
| to boast of the sacred ma jesty of their const-
| buttons and laws, ard the inalienabe rights Sc
cured th ereby Life, liberty and property are at
once den uded of their ordinary protection and
pow ers of the most unlimited extent. arpassed
in the hands Ct officers who can neither be re-
sisted nor ga inSaid.
These things. when justified by the imrn;-
nence of public danger, and done under the
direction, and by the sanction of the supreme
law making power should be cheerfully ac-
quiesced in, the price which the citizen
pays for the safety of his country
But we should never forget that this should
| be only temporary. y permanent government
by martial law would lie destructive Of all the
high principles proclaimed sacred birth
rights in all constitutions, and reverntly
cherished rs essential to the protec ton of life,
I'll 1.
piness-
The ''Habcas Corpus" that sacred writ,
which for five hundred years has thrown open
the prison doors to ali unfortunates imprisoned
by arbitrary authority without due process of
law. The trial Ivy jury of ones peers-the
right to the enjoyment of property against any
power but the due process of equal and uni
form laws, enforced by an impartial Judiciary
the right to the protection of name and
character dcafcr than life or property-all
these belong TO free people; and without
them. disguise it they may, any people are the
| subjects of Il despotism wild components
of anarchy, i'll which might is right.
Ii we look further. It'll, will not fail to
observe. moreover. tat without these there
can be no Eqjionaj strength, or permanent ma
tional wealth. Va where he cannot
reap. No man tolls for shat he cannot retain.
No abiies long, where his personal liber
ty may be subject to arbitrary restraint. 1t
is only by the safe ant sure administration OF
Justice at home that even the most desperate
wars can be main,ainei Under the protec-
ton OF the civil law. and stimulated by hope
Of just reward the citiz.a IS encouraged to
labor in the production of substantial means
of afordne subsistence for armies, and
fields ut hom" arc barren. and the work shops
silent, our armies must sink.
Ia view Of these reflections AMI in contem
pa;ion Of protractcd war for national exist
rnce-- which may require continued aud an
nually renewed support Of immense armies
in the feli-a suppor; which can only be rem.
dcrcd from sithin or created but under the
influence Of wis. AMI uniform law, constantly
administered an earnest wish has grown up
il. our community, that the portals OF justice
may be again thrown open. When the storm
Of war first burst upon us, and armies were
and uncertainty All civil business was for
COTTON or neglected. Nothing thought of
but the battle field. and the protection of our
homes Officers of the Courts. and of the
County. Attor1IcS, Suitors. and Witnesses all
mingled in the tide Of war. 1t was well
enough for the time, that the few remaining
selfish souls who might remain for that pur-
pose about the purleus of cur courts of jus
tice, should not be allowed to avail til emselves
of legal advantages to Cypress the absent vol
untcer, tho patriotic citizen, forgctful of his
litigation in the cause of his country. Our
Judges with laudable prudence closed the doors
cf civil litigation, and awaited cnlmer
>on in which to ppisa the scales of justice.
1t was for this rcason alone that the courts
we're suspended. II was MT because the civil
aw was powerless. There has never been
time when tho arm Of the Sheriff raised in the
name of the law, was stronger than now, II
left to its free exercise. No criminal could
resist the posse of staid and sober citizens left
in the care of our homes aud our hresides,
when called to vndic,te the laws which pro-
.ect them and the women and children under
their care As to outrages committed by SOL
lers or officers. the laws Of war and the au-
thority of their sureriorS, are amply sufficient
The even course of Judicial business might be
resumed to 90 hand in hand with systematic
pu suit of the
Money demands only. might be stayed for
such time as the legislature in its wisdom may