Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-04-03
Martial Law.

4 Jul tAD AsANHAISL4 wing J
lathe House of Representatives arcsoluii0n has
been D. frgrld to the ~iJ1Ciry C5mmi tee IN Inquire II tn
oLJes.s desired oy marital law cagGOt be gtr-iiea witlo1i
re suspension o. the wit ofhajrzs oorgus. sad the to-al
I~rostraion Of the rights Of the citizen. II il to be regret
I'd that t.IS inquiry was rot Instituted previous % the
sGt authorizing the paralysis NJ Inc great palladium Of
freedom. But il j. never too lave 70 do good. In author
lZins me suspension, Il was not ID the con emp atiop Of
Congress, for "a moment, that The rights Of good citizens
should be Invaded, or they themselves subjected to IN
uoYaUca aud Laf ssslnent by our own sutho tiles. The
/ object sought was the arrest of slies and traitors, if such
there wcce 0no.g as, aud 10 ccn>Gre The good order nd
safety Of the cry The vast authority granted, it was
Kindness Nobody dreamed that Richmond was TO be
regarded es q hostile city, taken by storm, and TO be
treated with an the Iigors Of military license.
We presume, from toe resolution referred TO, that Con
Eress. a. well as the pU0lic generally, has been disap-
pointed ia lhH manner IA which martial law has been
executed. The arrest of citizens and their continued in
careers'inn, without specific charges and without evil
deuce Of guilE and without an opportunity to show their
iunocence coGI not fat % CRATE on the sen,ibilfi4S Of a
utoPe, who have never, for g moment, known what IL
was 10 be unprotected by the great writ of hc5cs cor
VEs-the badge end boast Of frcemen. Il looked too
much like the detestsbie tyranny established beyond the
Potomac by Lincoln, and which ali Of Us bad enncurred
IN regrUb sting, not TO excite disgppr0bati0u. The feel
ing Of dissatisfaction thus excited, was further increased
BY the dtsgracgfI' proceedings Of persons claiming TO act
10y authority, aad who, by uirk and forgery, e~ntrapp-d
respectable people iatO O violation Of Tie law. No re
parat6a has been muie for the outrsges perpetrated by
these det-ctives-a gang Of YANKEES, Of course; for no
other portion Of the continent could sngeuder = race
Dase g. ouEh 70 pursue their infamous trade.
This struggle on our plrt is one for freedom, and it is
deeply 10 be deplorod that any circumstance should *
ST To- stain its excited character. If the u .thority which
has been granted Is abused. OF IS more than is needed
tcr the public safety, it $ the province Of tie peoples
representatives. 10 apply the corrective.
As the law noT stands, the President is invested with
authority TO suspend the writ OF haboaS corpus in any
city or dttrict threatened with invasion. lie is the
judge Of the immineDee of the invasion and it might
occur TO him that every town IN the district Of the Con
tederary IS threaened withinrHsiOn, and he might place
tie whole under the ALSO u;e de potism Of a general
from beyond the Potomac, with a gang Of detectives
from still further north. Isf would not be tae sort Of
liberty Tor which we Of Virginia, or the peOrls of ary
OF the S IUtheru State are cOniendiug. i would con
stitute q tyranny that won d palsy every hand and every
he-rt. 1t must BE- possible for Congress 50 70 mOdfy the
grant f power ~ 10 strengthen the arm Of authority
for the public safety without endangsrIng the public
freedom.