The southern aegis. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1857-1862, 1862-01-04

expected to have with the female prison
ers and that rude violence was used to
wards colored servant girl during that
evening, the extent of which | have not
been able to learn. For any show of de-
corum afterwards practised towards me,
was indebted to the detective called Cap
tain Dennis
In the careful analysis of my papers l
deny the existence of line | had not a
perfect right to have written, or to have
received. Freedom of speech and of opin,
ion is the birthright of Americans, guaran-
teed to us by our charter of liberty
Constitution of the United States. have
exercised my prerogative, and have openly
avowed my sentiments. Daring the poll
teal struggle opposed your Republican
party with every instinct of self-preserva-
ton. believe your success virtual multi
ficaton Of the Constitution, and that it
would entail upon us all the direful con-
sequences which have ensued. These
sentiments have doubtless been found re-
corded among my papers, and hold them
as rather proud record of sagacity.
must be permitted to quote from a
letter of yours, in regard to Russell, of
the London Times, which yon conclude
with these admirable words: '1ndividual
errors of opinion may be tolerated, 50 long
as good sense is left to combat them" >
BY way of illustrating theory and practice
here am |, prisoner in sight of the Ex-
ecutive mansion, in sight of the Capitol,
where the proud statesmen of our land
have sung their peans to the blessings of
our free institutions. Comment is idle
Freedom of speech, freedom of thought,
every right pertaining to the citizen has
been suspended by what, I suppose, the
President calls military necessity" A
blow has been struck, by this total disre-
gard of all civil rights, against the present
system of government, far greater in its eff
fects than the severance of the Southern
States. Our people have been taught to
contemn the supremacy of the law, to
which all have hitherto bowed, aud to
look to the military power for protection
against its DEGREES. A military spirit has
been developed, will only be subordinate
to military dictatorship. Read history,
and you will find that the causes which
bring about revolution rarely predomi-
nate at its close, and no people have ever
returned to the" point from which they
started. Even should the Southern
States be subdued and forced back into the
Union (Which | regard as impossible, with
a full knowledge Of their resources, diff
ferent form of government will be found
needful to meet the new developments Of
natural character. There is no class of
society, no branch of industry, which this
change has not reached, and the dull, plod-
ding, methodical habits of the poor can
never be resumed.
You have held me, sir, to mans &C.
countability, and I therefore claim the
right to speak on subjects usually consid-
cred beyond a woman's ken, and which
you may class as "errors of opinion" l
offer no excuse for this long depression, as
a three months imprisonment without
formula of law, gives me authority for oc-
copying even the precious moments of a
Secretary of State.
My object is to call your attention to the
fact that, during this long Imprisonment,
l am yet ignorant of the causes of my ar
rest, that my house has been siezed and
converted into prison by the Government;
that the valuable furniture it contained
has been abused and destroyed; that during
some period of my imprisonment l have
suffered greatly for want of proper and suf-
fcient food. Also, 1 have to complain
that, more recently, woman Of bad char
acter, recognized as having been seen on
the streets of Chicago as such by several