Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-02-19
An Important Document--staes Prisoners
20 be Released.
Wan DEPARTxENT

- WAa DEPARTNENT,
WAsHtnaToH, Feb. IA, 1867.
The breaking out Of a formidable inSur.
rection, based % a conflict Of political ideas,
being an event without q precedent In the
United States, was necessarily attended with
great confusion and psrplsxity Of the public
mind. ....-......
Disloyslty, before unsupported, suddenly
became bold, and treason astonished the
whole world by bringing at once into the held
military forces superior in numbers to the
standing army of TIE United States.
Every department Of the government was
paralyEed by treason. Detection appeared
in the Senate, in the House Of Representa-
tives, in the Cabinet, and in the Federal |
| Courts. Ministers and consuls returned from |
foreign countries 70 enter the insurrectionary |
councils, or land and naval force. Com |
mRnding and other officers in the army and |
in the navy betrayed the councils or deserted
| their posts fOr commands In the insurRent
forces. Treason was Aagrant in the revenue
and the postofice services, rs well as in the
territorial governments and In the Indian re-
serves.
Not only governors, judges, Legislators,
and ministerial officers in the States, but even
whole States rushed one after another, with
apparent unanimity, into rebellion.
The capital was belesguered, and its con-
nections with all the States cut of. Even in
the portions Of the country which were most
loyal, political combinations and societies
were found turthering the work of disunion;
while, from motives of disloyalty OF cupidity,
or from excited passions OF perverted sympa-
thies, individuals were found furnishing men,
/ Il - 4 n fho
J insurgents military and naval forces. Ships,
armies, Notifications, navy yards, srsenals,
military posts and garrisous, one after an
other were betrayed or abandoned to the in
surgsnts.
! Congress had not anticipated, and so had
, not provided for the emergency. The mu-
nicipal authorities were pOwerless and inact-
i've. The Judicial machinery seemed as if It
had been designed not to sustain the govern
E ment, but to embsrrsss and betray it.
e Foreign Intervention was openly invited
o and industriously instigsted by the abettors
OF the insurrection, and it became imminent
/. and has only been prevented by the practice
n of strict and impartial justice, with the most
perfect moderation, in our intercourse with
other nations. The public mind was alarmed
and apprehensive, though fortunately moi
distracted or disheartened. Il seemed TO be
doubtful whether the federal government
which one year ago had been thought 6
- model worthy of universal acceptance, had
3 indeed the ability to defend and maintain
- ITSELF Some reverses, which perhaps were
unavoidable, suffered by newly levied ant
insufficient forces, discouraged the loyal anC
ar gave new hopes to the insurgents. Volun
tary enlistment seemed to cease, and deser
tons commenced. Parties speculated upOI
the question whether the conscriptlon haC
not become necessary to 6ll up the armies o
the United States.
he In this emergency the President felt /
60 his duty to employ with energy the extraor
dinRry power which the Constitution con
II 6des TO him in case of insurrectiOn. He call
Je ed into the field such military and nava
forces authorized by existis - as SCENE,
o. necessary. He directed measures to proven
the use of the postof6ce for reasonable cor
e respondence. he subjected those going +
q and from foreign countries to a new pass
port regulation; and he instituted block
ade, suspending the habeas corpus in vari
Gus places, and caused persons who wer
represented to him as being engaged o
j. about to engage in disloyal and tressonabl
q practices TO be arrested by special civil g
90 well as military agencies, and detained il
10 military custody, when necessary, TO pre-
Is, vent them aad de,er others from such prae
he tees. Examinations of suoh cases were in
re stItuted, and some Of the persons SO arreste
D. have been discharged from time to time
ss under circumstances or upon conditions com
d patiole, as was thought with public safety
sn Meantime q favorable change of public opin
u ion has occurred. The line between loyalt
% and disloyalty is plainly defined Th
ne whole structure of the Government Is fri
OF and stable. Approximations of public DANCE
ne and facilities for reasonable practices hav
Is diminished with the passions which prompt
oe ed the needless person to adopt them. tn
rl- insurrection is believed to have culminate
IN and to be declining.
se The President, in view Of these facts, an
IN anxious to favor q return 70 the normal cours
ne OF the administration, as far as regards goo
ss fsith and the public welfare will allow, d
10 reefs that all political prisoners or State pri
is- oners, now held in military custody, BE- II
leased on their subscribing parole engagin
them to render no aid or comfort to enemiG
A in hostility 70 the United States The Ser
re.ary of War viii, however, in his discrC
zion, except from the effect Of this order an
persons detained as spies in the service of Ii
insurgents, or others whose release at th
present moment may be deemed incompst
bic with the public safety. To all person
who shall be 30 released and shall keep thei
parole, the President grants an amnesty fc
any past offences of treason or disloyalt
which they may have committed. Extraol
dinary arrests will hereafter be made und,
the direction Of the military RuthoridC
alone.
By order of the President.
A -A EDWIN NJ. STANTON,
Secretary of War.