, 1862-02-21
Important Order of Secretary tantonss
for 1Ae Release Of State Prisoners

Important order OF secretary SbaHboA'S
for the Release Of State Prisoners
Cu Parole. -.
[E:-ECr17yE- ORDERS N RELATION 70 STATE
PE1soSERs--=No. l.
Wax DEP4RrHENT,.
WAsH1SGT0E, February II.
The breaking out Of 4 formidable insurfee-
ton, based On conflict Of political ideas,
being IN event without precedent In tue
United States, was necessarily attended with
great confusion and peFp1exity Of the public
mind.
Dislo5alty. before unsupported, suddenly
became bold, and treason astonished the whole
world by bringing At once into The field mill
tary forces superior in numbers to the stand
Ing army Of the United States. 49,;
| Every department Of tue Government was
paralyzed By treason Detection appeared in
| the Senate, in the Honse Of Representatives,
| in the Cabinet, and in the Federal Courts.
Ministers and consuls returned from foreign
countries to enter the i1surTcctionary coun-
| clls, or land or naval force. Commanding and
other officers in the army and in the naTf be-.
tfayed the councils or deserted their posts for
| commands in the iasurgent forces. Treason
was aagrant in the revenue and postoftice ser
vices, as well as in the the territorial govern
! nlcnts and Indian reserves.
| =. Not only Governors, Judges, Legislators
| and ministerial officers in the States, but even
| whole States rushed one after another, with
apparent unanimity, into rebellion.
TIE capital Was 6eleaguered, and its con 2
|
the portions Of tic country which we're most
| loyal, political combinations and societies
| were found furtherins the work Of disnnion,
while, from motives Of dlsloyalty Or cupidity,
T. OF from excited passions OF perverted sympa-'
thies, individuals were found furnishing men,
money, materials Of war and supplies to the
insurgents military and naval forces. Armies
ships, Notifications, navy yards, arsenals,
military posts and garrisons, ono after an
other, were betrayed OF abandoned to the in-
surgents.
Congress had not anticipated and so had not
provided for the emergency. The municipal
authorities were powerlcss and Inactive. The
judicial machinery seemed as if it had been
designed not to sustain the Government, but
! to eInbaTrsss and betr1y 1t.
| Foreign Intervention was openly invited and
industriously inst;gated by the abettors ofthc
insurrection, and it became imminent, and
has only been prevented by the practice Of
strict and impartial justice. with the most
other nntions. The public mind WIS alarmed
and apprehensiye, though fortunately not
distneted ofdfshcartcned., It seemed to be
doubtful whether the Federal Govcrnu1 ent,
which one year ago had been thought 4
| model worthy Of univess sal acceptance, had
indeed. The ability to defend aud main
tain ITSELF Some TcTerses, which per.
haps were unavoidable, suffered By newly lev
led and insufficient forces, discouraged the 10y.
III and gave new hopes to the Insurgents.
OAAAL[Iy EniakA1Cul EtEAlSu tt GLASC9 AAu
desertions commenced Parties spcculated
! upon the question whether conscription haa
; not become necessary to fill up the armies o1
. ! the United States.
In this emergency the President felt it lii
: duty to employ with energy the extraordinary,
! power which the Constitution confides to hin
: in cases of iusurrectlol. Hc called into th(
field such military and naval forces author
lied by existing Laws seemed necessary
BE directed measures to prevent the use Of tht
: | postoffice for REASONABLE correspondence
> He subjected those going to and from foreign
: countries to new passport regulation: an.
: lie instituted 4 blockade, suspended tn
= hab6dS corpus in various places, aud causet
L persons who were represented to him as bein:
engaged or about to engage i'll disloya1 AMI
l. reasonable practices 10 bc arrested b.
l. special civil, as well is military agencies
i | and detained in military custody Whel
: | necessary, to prevent them and dcte
n others from such practices. Examinations Q
J. such cases were Instituted, and some OF til
It persons SO arrested have been discharge
d from time, un1er circumstances or upon con
d ditions compatible, as was thought, with th
l. public safety Meantime Il favorable Chang
il Of public opinion has occurred The line be
II tween loyalty and disoyaltx is plainly defined
is The whole structure Of the government
st firm and stable. Apprehcnsions Of publ
danger and facilities for reasonable practice
have diminished with the passions whic
49, prompted the needless person to adopt then
- lHe e3tsN17eTtt03R IS Uet1e2Cu 70 H1le cHhat&Att
~ ~ and to be declining.
[n The President, in view Of these facts, au
u anxious to favor return to the normal conr;
L. L. Of the Administration, as far as regards 1ait
- and the public welfare Will allow, directs tn
r. all political prisoners *tate prisoners, no
H. L. held IN military CUSTODY DC released OF tie
~ ~ subscribing parole e'g4gtng them to render
&c aid or comfort to enemies IL hostility
9, tie United States. The Secretary
4 War will, however, in his discretion, exec
u u from the effect Of this order any persons d
~ tained as sisx IL the scrriee Of the insurgents
~ others acaose release at tie present non'e7tna
~ tttmtd incompatible tefh the public s!jey.
Is all persons vino shall be so released and sh,
keep their parole, the President grants
N amnesty for any past ofenses Of treason
tis1oyalty which they may have co1nnlitte
4. Extraordinary arrests will thereafter BIZ ina
At under tic direction Of The military aatA3r5t
.ss | aIonc.
sly By order Of the President
ta- EDWIN H. STANTON,
,at Secretary Of War.