M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1862-01-09


IMPRISONMENT.
The Richmond Wing publishes a
letter from Mrs. Greenhow, who was
recently arrested for completely with
tFe traitors. The letter is dated at
Washington, November 18th and is
addressed:
To Secretary Se'card:
SIR: For near
ly three months have been confined
a close prisoner, shut out from air and
exercise, and denied all communica
ton with family and friends.
Patience is said to be agreat virtue
and have practised it to my utmost
capacity of endurance.
am told, sir, that upon your ipSe
dinit the tate OF citizens depends aud
that the sign manuel Of the ministers
of Louis XIV and XIV was not more
potential in their day than that of the
Secretary of State in 1861.
therefore most respectfully sub.
NIT that on Friday, August 70, with
ont warrant or other show OF authori,
ty, | was arrested by the detective
police, and my house taken in charge
by them; that all my private letters
and papers OF lifetime were read by
them; that every law of decency was
violated in the search of my house
and person, and by their surveillance
over me.
She then narrates her grievances:
We read in history that the poor
Maria Antoipette had a paper torn
from her bosom by lawless hands and
that even a change of linen had to be
affected in eight Of her brutal captorS
1t is my sad experience to record cv-
en- mure revolving outrages than thst
for during the first days OF my I'm,
prisonment, whenever necessity fore.
ed me to seek my chamber, a detect
i've stood sentinel at the open door,
And thus, for period Of seven days,
!, with my little child, was placed ab.
souteIy at the mercy Of men without
character or responsibility; that dur
ing the first evening, portion oI
these men became brutally drunk and
boasted in my hearing Of the mice
times" they expected to have with the
female prisoners; and that rude VIC.
lence was used toward q colored ser.
want girl during tIVt evening, the ex.
tent OF which have not been able to
earn. For any show Of decorum af
terward practiced toward me, | WAS
iadebted to the detective called Capt
Dennis.
In the careful analysis ofmy papers
deny tho existance OF a line had
not perfect right to haye written, OF
to have received. Freedom of speech
and of opinion is the birthright of A
mericans, guaranteed to us by our
charter Of lIberty--the Constitution oI
the United States. | have exercised
no prerogative, and have openly
avowed my sentiments. During the
political struggle | opposed your Re
publican party with every instinct Of
seltpreservation. | believed your
success a virtual notification of the
Constitution, and that it would entail
upon us ali the direiul consequences
which have ensued. These senti
ments HAYS doubtless been found re
corded amon, my papers, and | ho]t
them as rather a proud record Of my
sagacity.
Inasmuch as she is SHIELD to man.
accountability" Mrs. Greenlow de
mauds mans privilege:
Imust be permitted to quote from a
letter of yours in regard to Russell, ot
the London Times, which you con.
clude with these admirable words
"Individual errors Of opinion may be
tolerated, so lcng as good sense is left
to combat them" By way Of illus
trating theory and practice-heie am
/, aprisoner in sight OF the EAecntiv,
mansion, in sight of the Capitol where
ihc proud statesmen of our land have
sung thcirpeans to the blessings O
our free Institutions; Comment i:
idle. Freedom Of speech, freedom o
thought, every right pertaining to the
citizen, has been suspended by what
suppose the President calls "milita
ry necessity" A blow has beer
; struck, by this total disregard Of sl
civil rights, against the present sys
tenn of Government, far greater in it'
effects then severance of the Southern
States. Our people have been taught
to contemn the supremacy of the law
to which ali have hitherto bowed ,anC
to look to the military power for pro
lection against its decreas. A militia
ry spirit has been developed which
will only be subordinate to a militar,
dictatorship. Read history, and yor
T will find that the causes which bring
!, abOut q revolution rarely predomin