Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-02-20
Impoltaat Order Of Secretary Stantonss
for the Release Of State PSisOners on
Parole.
EXECUTIVE ORDERS IN RELATION TO
STATE PR1soNERs.-go. l.

WAR DgpARrAANr, /
WAsHrSCToE, February IA
The breaking out Of formidable insurrection,
based on Z conflict of political ideas, being An
necessarily attended with grest confusion and per-
plexty Of ths public mind
Disloyaity before unsusp1 eted, su idenl became
bold, aud treason astonishA tho whole world by
bringing At once into the fsld military forces 81
perior in nambtrs TO ths standing army Of the
Every % dep.r,mlp of TO Government. "a. para.
lyzed by treason. Detection appeared in tho Sen
ate, in the House Representatives, in tho Cabi-
net, and in tho Fets(nl Courts. Ministers and
Gonsuls returned from foreign countries t. enter
Commanding and G1toficsrs in the army and in
the navy betrayed the councils or deserted their
posts for commands in th9 insurgent forces. Trea-
son was tagrant in the revenue and postofice ser
vices. as we'll - in the territorial governments and
Not oply Goysrnors, Judpes, Legislators and
ministerial officers in the States, but even whole
States rushed enc after another, with apparent
unanimity, into rebellion.
Tho capital was beleagured, and its connection
with all thA States cut of. Even in the portion.
Of the coantry which were most loyal, Political
combinations and societies were found furtheriny
the work Of disunion, while, from motives OF dis.
cupifi'y, or from excited or per-
vsrted sympathles, were fortud furnish
ing nen. money, materials of war and supplies 10
thelusurgents military and naval forces. 4 rmies,
shps, iortihcatons, navy yards, arsenals, military
pYsts and garisons, after another wete be-
tfayea or abandoned to the Insurgents.
I Congress had not antSstaNed and 90 had rot
provided for the eneygency. vhe M unicipal an
thor't ties were pow1dess and ihactivs The judi
cial machinery se(ned as if it b ad been designed
not no. to sustain tn Government but to embars.s
Foreign interventhn>was of4nly invited ard in
dustrleusly insilgated by tho abettors of the in
surreetion, AMI it became imdiaent, and has only
Oeen prevento3by the practise o. strict and inn
paSsial iustics, With the mo4 perfect moderation,
inpur intercon nr3e with otheS nations. The pub
~ mind was, alnrmed and tCprehensive. though
f@tunately bog distractedEor disheartened. It
seemed to y doubtful wha)her the Federal Gov
etnnent, wlicA one year ako had been thought .
nodei worthy q universal acceptance, had Indeed
tie sbility toA Asieni snd m .intain ITSELF. Some
rgerses, yhll perhaps Zero unav voidabls, suffer
e@ by neway bvied and Sufficient forces, dscour-
aged the loyal and gavenew hopes to the nsur-
geAts. VOLUNTARY enlistment seemed to cease aud
dssertiots Sbmnenced. Parties speculatea upon
the deefi9h whether conscripton had not become
nsee.sa' 10 fill up the armies OF tho Uaited
In thu emergency the President. felt it his duty
to employ with energy the extraordinary power
which the Constitatioa conf les to Vim in ca ses Of
insurrection. He called into the fiSld such militia
~ and val forces authorized by existing IL .
seemed necessary. He directed uieasures to pre-
won't the use Of tho post Office cor
respordence. He subjected those going to and
from foreign countries to a new pas port reaula
tion and he instituted blocktde, suspended the
habcds corpus in various places, cpd caused perS on.
who were Represented to him atbeipg engaged OF
about TO engage in disloyal and 4.treasonabls prac
tices to be arrested by specs c1i as well Is mil
itary agencies and detained inlnilitary-tusod, ,
n tk
others froa such prnotieess
Examinations of such Cd Is were Instituted, ard
some of the persons so 1sted have been dis.
charged from time to timXu der circumstances o,
on ,nditions comoatiabl IS (as thought with the
public safety. Meanti, 81 Rv0rabls change Of
public opinion has occ red. The line between
loyalty and disloyalty Is pl nly defined. The
whole structure OF gOv6 hment is firm and
stable. Apprehe1si9 OF pu JIG danger and ia
oiiitie- for treasonab pract,c have diminished
with the passions ich prof pied the needles.
person to adopt th The surrecton is be
lieved to have q minated ID to be declin
The President, view Of thl facts, and anx
tOuS to favor n I'm to the nd hal Course of tine
Adm nistratiop Is far as regd1 1s faith and the
public welfare !ll allow, direc that all political
prisoners or 70 prisoners, nOi held in military
| cest0dy, be ased on their sl ecrbing Iaroll
engaging tf B TO render go aid comfort to ere
mics in tility to the Tn ID Statee. The
Secretary War will, however his discretion
except fro( the effect Of this der any persons
detained as q ~ \ aofxlao NM insurgents
or others whose release at the Fesenf momen
may be deemed inc Dmpatible vi the public safe
ty. To all persons who shall b 30 released and
| shall keep their parole, the Pr dent grants u
amnesty for any past od,nsss Of ason or disloy
atty which they may have comd ted, Extraor
dinary arrests will thereafter bd Gade under the
direction Of the military auth orr es alone.
by order Of the Presid It.
EDWIN STANTON,
Secd| |ery of War.