The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-01-25

through the formula of either supplicat-
ing him or going TO the presiding officer
and getting permit from him:
Until some time during the last Ad-
ministration, Christian men and women
in the city were in the habit OF visiting
the Jail, and ministering to the wants Of
the inmates Among others, am told
that good Samaritan of the city-Mr.
George Wood-was in the habit of visit
ing the Jail at least once week, when he
distributed tracts, papers, and books,
among those who could read, and to whom
it was supposed that they might be useful.
Suddenly, an order came forbidding the
admission Of Mr. " to tie jail, and that
order stands nnreyoked to this day.
Shortly after reached this city on the
1st Of November last. surprising that |
might possibly be continued as a member
of the Committee ON the District of CO.
lumbia, / felt it to be my duty to inform
myself, among other things, of the true
condition and management of the jail
Accordingly, have visited it often. !
have -ceHveFsea with its inmates, and I
may safely cay tina. / have been instru-
mentalin securing the discharge of sever.
al innocent persons. When this bill was
under consideration last Friday, / took
occasion to state to the Senate some of my
observations in that Jail. On the day fol
lowing. this foreign satrap. Mr.. Lamon,
made percmptory order that no person
mot even members of Congress, or
members of the Committee on the Dis.
trict of Columbia, who have the general
charge Of all matters relating to the Dis
trict--shonld be admitted to the jail as
visitor without first sapplicating and Sc
curing written permission to do so from
him, or unless he should be personally
present. When intelligence Of this order
was brought to me yesterday morning by
member Of the House Of Representatives
q large number Of Senators around me prof
fered to 20 with me to the President and
demand the instant dismissal of the Marshal
not because Of his conduct as detailed by
the committee of the House Of Repre-
sentatives-notb because he had been. srut-
ting through the States. Of Illinois and
Missouri with stars on his shoulders, rep
resenling himself as Brigadier Gener-
al--not because ho had purloined regi-
ment Of troops and brought it at great
expense from st. Louis to the Potomac
after it had been transported from Chica-
90 to St. Louis-not because he had been
travelling in special railway trains at the
public expense although for these reasons
he ought to have been instantly dismiss
ed, but because of his manifest and nc
knowledged dereiiction of duty us Mar.
shall of Il District, and because Of the
insulting charater of tie order he had
made in regard to our admission to the
Jail.
Upon reflection, | concluded to deter.
mine with positlyeness for myself wheth-
er such an order had been made Ac-
cordingly, yesterday | went to the jail
and sought admission. Entering its por.
tai, l told the jailor that wished to ex
anime it. He told me that | could moi
be permitted to do SO. / demanded tt
know the reason why | was excluded. HI
answered that he had peremptory ordsl
from his superior, Marshal Lamon. for
bidding the admission Of any one without
a written permission from him, or with
out he was personally present | asked
him if this rule applied to members o
the Senate and House Of Representatives
He teplied that it did / then asked hin
if he knew me, and that was chairman
of the District Committee of this body
He said that he did, but that that fac
made no difference the rule was peremp
tory, and must be enforced against al
alike.
Upon this repulse at the Jail, / conclu
ded to go at once to the President of tn
United States, to state to him the facts
have detailed, and to give him some ide
of the expression of opinion Of thos
around me. When, for the first time i
six months, / attempted to approach tn
footstool Of the power enthroned at tn
other end Of the avenue, l was told tina
the President was engaged, and his ser,
Z ants declined to convey my name to hin
allude to this subject, Mr.. Presiden
not because ! suppose that the infuene
of this marshal extends SO far as to 9,
clude me from the Executive mansion
as well as from the Jail, but as the reaso
why ! state publicly here what intende
to state privately there.
II we are to have such officers as thi
it is evident that they ought to be stric
y regulated by law. So far as the con
munication which has been sent here t,
day is concerned, it is an after-though'
it has been got up since visited the in
yesterday. The order was thea pereml
|. tory, that no man, not even the Pres
dent Of the United States, should be pc
, mit:ed to enter the Jail. No permissit
from the Presiding Officer would ha'
j availed me yesterday. Now, when it
, known that the matter was to be broug
,, to the attention OF the Senate, and it "
:, | snnnnsad the Senate would yindicate