New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1862-01-10
The Derby Organ = Fort Lafayette and
= Down frofIden Maryland. ~
from the london Morning Hsrald.l

The latest news from America informs us that
MIR. Lincoln has achieved at last one political sue
cess. He has converted Maryland, and that State,
under the protection of some twenty'fiv thousand
bayonets, votes the Union ticket;r that is to
say, gives majority in the various electoral dis
tricts in favor Of Federalist candidates for the
State Legislature and official situations. =
We certainly think that little, weight would be at.
9tached to votes given under, such conditions in
any European country. Maryland is under mar
tal law. Her Legislature has been deposed by
armed violence, the majority of both Houses are
in Federal prisons. under the warrant of the SEQ
rotary of State-in direct defiance of the laws as
laid down by the Supreme Court of the United
States, whose judgment is faaf and irreyersible,
even by act of Congress. Her journals have been
seized, suspended, ruined; the presses broken,
the editors sent to jail. She is held down forciby
by an army of occupation, said to number 25,O0O
men, amid d population of little over 100000, an
army backed by 200 900 troops within a few hours
march of Baltimore. The General commanding
that army has given orders for the arrest of all
voters suspected of sympathy with the Confed-
crate States-that is, of every one likely to vote
against the Union ticket. The elections are to be
made after the arrest of every leading man Of the
opposition or moderate parties, under the bayo.
nets of Federal troops, who have elsewhere shown
that murder in cold blood is at least as much to
their tastes as fighting, willie it is good deal less
dangerous in the present state of discipline, and
in the total absence of oil legal protec ton for life
liberty or property. - $50 ~ " "
There are a certain number of men in Maryland,
as elsewhere, sufficiently degraded or sufficiently
bitter in their partizanship to vote under such cir
cumstapces, and from those only will there come
an approval of Mr.. Lincoln's poiicy-an approval
given not by the responsibility and intelligence of
the State-that is to be sought in Fort McHenry,
or in homes turned into prisons or at best in dis
gusted abstinence from vote which has become
mockery-but by every element that is dan
gerous to society an. hostile to liberty From his
own proclamations and from those of his Generals
from his violation of law, his outrages on the
Judges, his violence to the Legislature his careful
repression of all free opinion--not from votes
loaded rihes-must Mr.. Lincoln's position towards
the citizens of Maryland and their feelings toward
him, be judged Such outrages as were committed
in that State by his authority never yet paral-
leled under the most lawless of British Govern
ments; neither by Cromwell, or William of Orange
in Ireland, nor by Charles II in Scotland; they
have been equaled only in reckless defiance OF
constitutional right and disregard Of solemn oaths
BY one other Republican maglstrate-the man who
imprisoned for a few days more than half the
Legislative Assembly of France. But the imtator
of Louis Napoleon should remember that there is
only one absolution for such rcrimes--suo
Beaten in war Mr.. Lincoln will find as little mercy
he deserves for the tyranny he has exercised at
home. 7E ~ 'Gsi ,F4 's S3' J7Fsy &'E=s'eA s
One thing at least has hitherto been supposed to
distinguish the treatment of political prisoners by
civilized Governments. We may find it necessary
to imprison them to transport them, perhaps tc
hang them but we do not i'll use them. We sub
ject them to no annoyance or degradation, or suf
fering not essential to their position and to the du,
execution of the law. Silvio Pellieo and Fec,
0rsini inform US that even the execrated Austrian
allows to his state prisoners the decencies and com
forts of captive life. Naples and America atforl
the only exceptions. The gentlemen sent to Fort
McHenry and Lafayette were among the best bari
and bred in Maryland politically the equals, soci
ally by tar the superiors of Mr.. Seward and Mr.
Lincola. They have been treated as England doe
not treat her felons. We must apologize for til,
insertion Of the following details, but we desire tt
give the President hisydue. % M
FromsFort Lafayette-the American Bastile-
one gentleman writes to his wife secretly, no
| being permitted to do so by the gaoers: ~,
| ."We are closely coDfiaed in strong prison, de
| MED all intercourse with any human being ont
side; are not permitted to write Or to receive
newspapers, and are under strict prison dicipliue
guarded by night and day by soldiers, and treated
exactly as felons in the penitentiary, except tha
we are not yet required to work. Our prison Isl
| massive, gloomy building. forming hollow square
| and covers the whole island on which it is built
| Seven OF us are confined in one casemate, AM
| sleep upon straw beds, without pillows, and witt
| but one blanket. We drink wretchea Coffee whie
| is composed of parched beans and some other vii
| Ingredient from tin cups. -Four ounces of brea
| at each meal, and the fattest pork, whick we car
not touch, and some putrid beef, are served up
| Our money was all taken from US Immediately o
| our arrival, and We were very eoldly told that W
could only have it as our 70 ,ers chose to allow