Maryland free press., 1862-12-12
[From the Freemcn's Jurnal
THE MARYLAND POLITICAL PRIS-
ONERS.

One day last week-it was on the 26th ult:--
good old Colonel Dimmick in charge of Fort
Warren, had the sincere pleasure of summon
ing all the gentlemen there confined on the
pretended authority of Mr.. SECRETARY Seward,
and of telling them they were .treemen-that
is, free in body, as their indomitable manhood
had already proved they were already, and al
ways, free in spirit, and in all that constitutes
the true freeman. They replied--the venera-
Bile DR.. Macgill speaking for all--that, if the
doors were open, they would at once seek the
homes from which they were so long absent
but that, if it were required Of them 80 much
as to touch their hats by way Of thanks, or In
any manner to acknowledge that there had
been cause for their incarceration, or that they
had violated any law of their country, they
would stay in prison till they died.
Most of these gentleman passed through
New York without stopping. Col. Kane and
DR.. Macgill found it necessary to stay over, on
Friday night, where large number of our
citizens hastened to call on them, and pay
their respects. One Of the daily papers re-
ported that they declined making any commu-
nications, and preserved studied silence re-
garding their release. This is not exact. They
declined making or receiving any demonstra-
tions, till they had reached their own proper
home, on the soil of Maryland. Otherwise,
they had no concealments. On the contrary,
Col. Kane authorized us to declare, in the
most pnblic manner, that he held William H.
Seward guilty of felony, according to the laws
of Maryland, in having conspircd to kidnap
him from his home, and that he would prose-
cute him therefore, in the most summary man.
ner, if there were any courts left free in Mary
land
And, now that the Bastiles are empty, what
has this most imbecile as well as unprincipled
Administration made by it2 What has it ac-
complished, except the placing on American
institutions foul blot that not the blood, moi
the lifelong punishment, of the guilty perpe-
traitors can ever remove? AS time goes on
- .'-------i- -1--~~Al- - a. -i'--~a- -
liberties they did not understand, simply be.
cause they enjoyed them freely as air-the
brand of infamy will be burned deeper and
deeper into tina pct,Aant violators ofa happy
peoples rights.
The victims of these most unlawful and vi.
olent arrests are to be counted by thousands
Of them all, not one has been convicted, not
one has been tried, not one has been i'm
prisoned on the basis of an indictment. They
are all now at liberty. That they have been,
generally, of the class of high-toned and law
abiding men, we consider proved by one fact
We know many Of them to bc.men of the most
unfaitering physical courage-and yet not one
of those by whose fault and crime they have
been grievously maltreated, has met death al
the hands of any Of tie victims of his coward.
ly unauthorized power.
1t is, under existing circumstances, an ANA
Ging fact, We can cite it hereafter as an evil
denco Of the high civilization of the people
and, at the same time, it will prove that these
victims Of fanatical imbecility in power, have
been among the most law-abiding men in all
the land.
A future of honor and of respect is the due
Of these men, who have cruelty suffered, SIM
ply because they reverenced law more than
men, and justice more than brute power.