Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-11-23

mauausya OF soIne of the prominent Abolstior
n,aaaes vho claim to be the peculiar friond'
and auuportsrs Of ibe Administrator. The
New York 2ines, for instance, in its issue Of
the 90 n inst, under the head Of "Fhe Abate.
fmsns OF Arbitrary Arrests," says that "the
prompt disAyoual by tbs Federal Goyarnmen'
of any agency in the BRIEaMApE arrest. ana iii
avoidance of lste. of all similar procedures 10
the loysl States, give general satisfaction" II
Il we're true, thas "aR similar procedures' had
bcen of late avoided in the loyal States, the
ss,iafa csion would have been far more general
and complete But the fact that few arrests
have been made during the last five Or sis
weeks for alleged political offenses, aad thai
many confined on such charges for long and
" cary mouths in loathsome Government Bassiiesi
have been .ihonorAbly discharged" has been
source of uDbounded qualification TO every true
patriot and genuine loyal man.
The Times proceeds to say that "ali candid
friends of the Administration will admit that,
owing 60 the superaervlceable zeal OF certain
oficisls, there was at one time serious abuse
of this power OF summary imprisonmeDt.'-
They cannot fail in candor 70 admit all this
and much more. Not only was this assumed
power seriously abused by certain officials; but
II vas used by uDscrupulous partlsans of the
Abolition school for gratifying feelings OF per
sonal .ili-will. or taking rcvange upon those who
had the audacity to differ from them IN their
political opinioDs. \ Nor is the danger Of snch
abuses by any means past TIE rod Of arbi
ttsry power still hangs ,bresteningly over the
heads Of the people In the loyal States, and
malicious individuals and unacrupulous poliIi-
clans, both in and ont Of Office, stand Fesdy to
use it, at tho least sign from Washington that
such proceedings will be winked at by the au'
thotisies there. -...t ,.. .taH.f 4
The truth is. that whenever government,
IN communities, where the Courts Of Justice
are in full operation, and the "due process Of
Law" 10 unobsiTuc.ed, attempts to punish sus-
peeted perscns by arbitrary arrests and impria-
oumept, denying the privilege Of the hGbsa'
eorpts and the right TO a speedy trial BY jury,
It sets such an example of dagrant Injustice
end disregard Of personal rights, that many of
Its officials, az we'll ss Of thoae who claim to
be lis special iiiends, will not fall to improve
tho opportunity to chow their zeal and devotion
to the power above them, aud their hatred of
all Ehom they class as its opponents, BY insti>
tuiing "Reign of Terror" little, if any,
short OF absolute despotism. Everybody con-
demns Provost. Marshal KENNEDY for his unau.
thosized assumption Of power In the arrest and
imprisonment Of Mrs. BMNsMADEi bat he was
only following out the example set him by bis
superiors from whom he had received bic COM
mission. II they could. without authority Of
Law or Consti!ution, arbitrarily order an arrest
and imprisonment upon mere suspicion, why
not bei q
The Times endeavofs to make some apology
for these "arbitrsry arrests" as 1t styles them;
bus It comes to "lane and impotens conclu'
slons." 10 fact. It does not atsen5t TO defend
one such arrest in any Northern Stale. 0n the
contrary, it says that Ia States Like New York,
"almust universally loyal" IL trustsahat I'VE
shall hear no more Of arbitrary confnements
except in expeme and peculiar cases." What
theee "extreme and peculiar cases" may be,
witch cannot be reached in q sufficiently ample
and summary manner BY the ordinary process Of
law and judicial proceedings, National and State,
the Times does not state and probably would be
at loss to define. But Il sage that "there
ere many mAlcontents and factionists through.
out the Norib-men who talk violently, and
who. If they cOuld, would gladly embsrass the
movements of the Government agsinat the
rebels" ~
This is a true portrait drawn to the life of
the Abolition malcontents aud factionists, who
talk violently, and who have embarrassed the
movements Of the Government at every step
sgalnat the rebels. Sometimes It has moved
TOO sloalys anon It has moved In the wrong
direction, or With the wrong policy, or with no
policy at all, OF With. an imbecility end vacil-
lation truly lsmentable, The Times Itself has
been one of the most jealous and loudest of the
and factionisss IN making these
bitter complaints against the Administration.
The Times. however, has now come to the
wise conclusion that go long as mslcontents and
factionists "commit no overt act of treason,
they had better be left to the righteous care Of
The people around thsm.r for It justly adds, "the
pilosy of public scof1 is better suited to such
,ases than the casemates Of Fort Lafayette. p
This issersible talk, and it Is to be hoped, that
such sentiments will not be without influence
upon those in superior and subordinate ststions,
who are for the time being sol for "the main,
.enancs of the Constitution and the enforce
ment of the lsws," and not for the exercise of