The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-12-25
Senator fessenaen om Arbitrary Ar.
4ss@s YNSle.

In the course of the debate in the Sem
ate last Thursday, on the question of ar
hilrary arrests, MIR. Fcsscnden, of Maine,
said:
Mr.. PRESIDENT ! nm one of those
who had hoped that nothing would be
said, in the present condition ofthe eoun-
try, about the differences Of political par
ties. think that the President Las civ
en- the best possible proof by bis acts, es-
pecially by his appointments, that he was
disposed In this great crisis Of rnr coua-
try to forget that there wns su,-l, y thing
as political parties. but yet il il dragged
into this dAhate, and We find ourselves en-
gagged in = political discussion. shall
not follow in that line, but alludc to it
simply Tor the purpose Of saying that
when the ScLatcr from Kentucky talks
about the triumph OF tie Democratic par
~ as great moral triumph, /, sir, for
one nm aisa loss to understand what he
means. 7, would seem to be a misnomer,
contradiction of terms, thing shas MI
OF us who have known anything about the
Democratic party IN lis recent exhibitions
OF patriotism would scarcely imagine it
to lay claim to- A moral triumph. was
it, My friend from New Hampshire had
just illustrated what kind of moral tri-
umph the Democratic party hae gained
But with reference 10 these arrests,
ain wiling to admit that some of the ar
rcts which lave been made BY the Presi-
dcul lshse b~~ratparenrlyw without law ,and
1t has been coatended hy many persons
claiming 10 represent the democratic par
ty, Or the Democratic element, a. il is
called, though for the credit Of many men
who claim to be Democrats, ! am willing
to admit that they were not united in this
lit has l'een said that ,Lcec acts are en-
iirely unjust ifabic. .and maTe without
warrant Of Law and in violation of the
Constitution. We have heard this cry
Of danger to the country and TO the Con-
stitulion continually and coniinuonsly y
] am frse to say that am influenced snne
in my opinion in the results ] come 10
with regard 10 the danger by looking at
and seeing where this cry of danger comes
from. / hear long. low growl, as il
may be called, and look to see where II
comes r. m. and the kind OF pack That
males IL, sGd apprehend, just as mucl
as should il ! heard it in the wood:
from a pack of wolves.
What arc the nfwsr~Tcrs from which
you have heard thls cry ,aal the Repub
lie was in danger Newspapers who hav,
taken occasion to denounce this war, ant
to express their sympathy with the re
bclliou from the beginning, in every wa,
they dared to do it, and 10 throw all th'
obstacles they could in the way Of lis sue
cessful Issue. 1t comes from men VIII
are as we'll understood bv their neighbor
and those who know them 10 be at hear
in sympathy with the rebellion as an
other fact that cannot be proved by legs
evidence in a court of justice. Is it nc
SO, sir? Every Senator knows FROM OF
servatien and experience that IL is so.-
What ! should blame the President fo
if should undertake to find any fault ;
all, is that he has not been strong enoug
in his hands.
have always hell 10 the doctrine tn
if you strike AT all, strike tho strong al
not the weak. If there has been faiIu'
anywhere, il has been in not attackin
the great heads Of the disaffoction instea
of the smaller parties. If it bad been n
fortune or misfortune t. lave been at ii
head OF the Government, | should n
have gone to the bottom or the cent?
but should have struck at the top. Al
If l found newspaper, in whatever pa
of the country, which was boldly advi
ing the military commander to seize .
,hn Gararnmont I would etrika Mt tbs
But that is not the question, whcth
anyvarnt wrong has been done. rel
In the newspapers that it has been dor
and come into this Chamber and t
the Senator from Kentucky, and me
to say it in parliamentary language, tt
there are geDtIemen here who manifest
more soliettAde abont the rights Of m
yiduals than about the great interests
the question at issue
Far bo II from me 10 intimate that Il
do not feel all that feel, but | rep
that am afraid that their solicitude
the individuatis is greater than that for
vast masses Of humanity who are cngaf
in this struggle. Well, Sir, what is
question: The question a. amended
the Senator from Indiana Mr.. Wrisl
would be Of no great moment. Itsim
informs the President if he thinks it
yisabls and consistent with the public
tereat, that we would like to- know
reasons for this arrest. That is not
respectful. On tho contrary. it is an
plicatiop that We trust entirely to
Judgment. The Senator must aokn'
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