Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-09-17
THE ARBlTRaRY ARRESTS.
One Case of a. Thousand.


Imprisoned without guilt, held with
out trial, liberated without leparation-
that is the damning record which Lewis
Ballard must write; An honest aud loya.
mao, imprisoned in Fort Lafayette b,
Provost Marshal Kennedy, under orders
from Secretary Stanton, for having been
engaged in the substitute agency busl-
uess-only that, and nothing more. A
policeman, whose badge was concealed,
stepped int, Mr.. Ballard's Office, where
he as trausacling q business not yet
prohibited nor proclaimed crime; his
honesty guaranteed by such men as
Belmont q Co., Hoyt, Sprague d Co.,
and Daniel Drew; his loyalty proven
by the whole co rse OF his life. The
policeman purchases an obligation to
provide him with substitute if drafted
ouch are the arts by which justice must
reach its ends), then shows his shield,
aad takes MIR. Ballard prisoner to the
headquarters Of Mr.. Kennedy. The
Provost Marshal refuses to receive bail,
sends his prisoner to the Fifteenth
Ward station house-even denies him
permission to visit first his own resi-
fence. Not ly was no trial grant
ee-no warrant was shown by the Pro
vost Marshal. To citizen Of New Y ork
one of the States Of constitutions
Union, the oral staten. cnt of an inso;en
md arbitrary officer was deemed quite
.nough ground for conslgning HIM t
the walls of Bastile and the compani
,nship Of traitors. He lies there fol
days, and at last is released uncondit
,onally, without information as to thu
estimate of his guilt, without bonds
without oath given CT requlred-in
deh,ed, perhaps, to the Intervention o
powerful friends with a member OF tn
cabinet for the liberation which, if b.
was guilty, was not his due, and, if b.
was gu.ltless, was, in Its manner, insul
ddcd to outrage. THIS befcll in New
York-the chief city of the nation-th'
very re of t. loyal b. art.
| The stones Of the stree of a city Q
cravens should cry out at such scorn o
her honor, her loyalty, anu her citizen
rights. imprisoned without guilt, 70
An act yet to be pronounced CRIME
arrested without warrant, incarceratet
without trial, liberated without repara
ton. 10 what other terms than thes'
10 we phrase the high, handed ordain
'ngs Of despo.ism? Is there any othe
language for the deeds Of tyrants Ye
this is republic, and these are the me-
OF nations choice.
There are none to plead the cause Q
the oppressed. The bar Of New Yorl
is silent. A phantom Provost Marsha
opens and shuts the doors of the harbo
ort, and they are dumb. The fort j
named for HIM who gave the Father o
his Country the key Of Bastile which
has persisted, but the omen is naught
The blood in their veins 10 milk.
| The days 60 on. The administratio,
permits this monument OF its shame t,
be heaped higher-of dead civil
lights and throttled liberties. Ever,
hour offers It the chance OF atoning 10
he past and OF establishing imp,egna
by what only in an hour of nationa
peril It could have undermined. Blu
. cry hour the shaft is driven DEEPER
The crime is even clinched. For n
"ho is liberated goes free neither he
cause he is confessed guil,ess nor lie
cause he has been proved not guilty :
and the prisoners who remain, guilty o
yu'ltless as he-not more, not less re
main, it would seem, that the spotles
majesty Of law may be suilied by ever,
fence.