The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1862-11-06
From the London Times, Sept. 10th
Arbitrary Arrests in The United
States.

We should have thought that the United
States of America, or the government
which processes to represent them: would
have possessed the greatest confidence III
the truth Of what are called liberal opinions,
aud the expediency a. well as the justice
Of liberal principles The extraordinary
development of the ma;eris.l prosperity of
the United States has often b, en- ascribed
by European travellers and statesmen to
the wonderful combination Of circumstaceS
which have placed at the command OF
single people, land the most fertile of any
on the face of tie earth. labor supplied in
any quantity and gratuitously by the teem-
ing population of overcrowded Europe, and
command over the powers of nature and
an ability to dispense with and supply the
want of human labor such As the advanced
physical science of the nineteenth century
alone could afford. But this has not been
the view of America herself Without un-
der estimate her phy steal advantages, eepc-
tally those derived from her enormous ter
ritorial extent. America has insisted with
no unreasonable pride as the highest of her
attractions, upon the possession of the
mildest. the most liberal and the least ar
btrary and oppressive government on tn
face of the earth. In this happy land We
are told reason and feeling so together.
The Chief Magistrate, who is really the
servant Of the people, is not elected by a
misdirecLed feeling Of loyalty into their
master; tie sovereignty is really y as well
as nominally in the mass of citizens, and
the agents whom they employ render them
a strict account and conform vigorously to
the laws which their sovereign has enacted
for their guidance.
Mr.. IngersolI and Col. Wall are seized
and sent to prison without any legal tor
maIity whatever as guilty Of treason 1t
is treason to argue agains, ;he exercise by
the government of powers which del end
upon particular construction OF written
instrument. 1t is treason to express bad
opinion Of The government. 1t ia treason
10 a poor man who makes bis bread by cas-
ting shell TO express lis opinion, OF the fol
" of men who are prevailed upon 10 eniis'
in order to make themselves the sport oi
these Internal Inventions Ii is tresson 10
saw the Union is not worth preserving al
the p;;,e of the blood and misery thu, is
paid for Il. 1t is treason to say that liberty
i invaded. or to call IN question any pub
lie act of the government. There is not
one tenth part Of The liberty of opinion Or
discussion in republican America that ez
isls in imperial France. But tins law Is
interpreted by the same wanton c@pr'ee
which made it, 1t seems an established
rule that 4 uericar treason is crime
which can only he committed by The panty
that is cu,-by the democrats but that the
same words and actions which constitute
publlcsnS. The merit of having voted for
MIR. Lin, oln has given them by snticips-
ton the right to commit treason with i'm
punity. We cannot tell the amount OF dis
satisfaction which these things produce in
America 1t must be measured by the
degree in which personal liberty is valIed
We must not look for its expression in the
prees, orin the proceedings Of public meet
ings. This establishment Of arbitrary pow
er will not be met by words, which only
point out their speaker as a mark for the
venoence of the Executive We have al
ready specimen of the manner in which
it will be met La the State Of Illinois there
has arisen secret association called the
Golden Circle, which puts one in mind of
the societies which kept alive spirit of
freedom in Germany under The reign of Ma
poleon. The State Of Eew Jersey threat
ems TO call out its militia to resist threat
ened illegal arrest of one of its citizens
The more disastrous the war the more ar
bitrary and tyranical becomes ,he govern
ment. Mr.. Lincoln and his friends seem
really 10 believe tha, apolicy which shocks
the feelings of every liberal man in Eng
land and America, which tends TO make
the government odi, Us at home as well Ne
unsuccessful abroad, and which has the di
rect effect Of rende ring inevitable breach
between the republican and democratic par
ties, for the time being engaged in the
same cause, is the sure means of restoring
credit and bringing success to his admin
istration and victory TO his aims.
While thousands fall by clashng swords,
ten Thousand fall by corset boards; yet gid
dy females tlhoughtless traln.) for sake of