Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-10-28
PoII,icnI Prisanars.


| In the government postofice building in this
city seventeen persons are confined for alleged
political offenses. They were arrested upon af-
tidavits made in some, il not all the cases, by
partisan and personal enemies, upon which they
are deprived OF their liberty without any means
Of redress; without the opportunity Of disprov-
ing the charges made against them through the
judicial tribunals Of the country, right guar
anteed by the Constitution and which should be
held sacred If guilty Of any crime against
the Government these persons should be pun.
ished. If they have violated law they should
suffer the penalty therefor. But tits palpably
unjust that cltizsDs should be taken from their
homes and business and incarcerated In q prison
for weeks and mouths for alleged political Of
fenses, and denied the privileges granted the
meanest criminals in the land. Three of the
prisoners have very comfortable quarters, but
fourteen are confined In cells built for Grim.
inals. In one cell, o small room, nine are con.
fined, and in o still smaller one are five.
Neither Of them have side windows, but light
and air comes through d skylight 10 the roof.
Here they eat, sleep and live. shut out from the
world, and only permitted to see the light Of
heaven through tue email opening in the roof.
Under no circumstances are they permitted to
leave their eeHe, and before the irOn-grated
door OF their prison house, securely fastened,
armed sentries, day ard night, watch them.
One prisoner, who came here souud in body
and mind, for some days was insane through
the effects Of his confinement Who two yeaI
ago would have anticipated that such arrests
would have been made2 Who would have
thought one year ago that the President would
have brought all the people OF the United States
under martial law, to be administered at his
own discretion, and that in our magnificent
POstotfice building, in State loyal to the Gov
ernment aud in which the administration Of the
civil law has never been obstructed, teventeen
OF it's citizens would be confined, deprived of
all their civil rights? And what is their Of
fensef
One of the prisoners is DR.. Theodore Horton,
Of Wells county. lie was arrested and brought
here upon the charge Of discouraging enlist
m6Dts. DR.. II, Is good citizen. He has rep
resented his county in the Legislature. His
most Intimate friends upon oath say that they
have never heard him express sentiment dis
loyal to the Government, but on the other hand
has often saio tbet he would freely give all he
was worth, even his life, if those eacriices
would put down the rebellion. Aud the direct
charge made against him 10 disprOved by some
OF the most Trustworthy citizens Of HE county.
Y ct these evidences of his innocence do not
release him. He canno. get bis liberty upon
bail. Ia confinement he must remain with bis
fellow prisoners until the authorities at Wash
ington dispose Of them. The President may |
think that the public safety requires these ex-
treme measures, but IL gives power to bad
men which may be exercised, and which has |
been exercised, to inure the best citizens -
Wherever civil law can not be administered, |
martial law may be necessary, but 10 Indiana
no one can doubt that oil offenses known TO |
the lave can be punished through Judicial tri
bunals, Indianapolis Sentinel. --.