Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-08-11
Treasonabic Organizations In indi-
fea An. nv !. rm A n ~.

Ctiurt Tor the state OF indlahh, giving the
grounds for ndIcting certain parties for treason
against the Government From the Journal we
learn the following facts;
ear two hundred witnesses were sworn and
examined. Sixty indictments were written by
the attorney for the Government and returned by
the jury. sixteen OF which were for treason, and
against the following persons;
Jesse Fuller, Solomon Cocker, Nathaniel Hicks,
Theodore Applegate. Noah McCalster. Thomas
CDle Andrew Melf0rd, William Brownlee, John
Huest Adam r. johnson, Richard Lambert,
Williams Lukens, Andrew Huston, Taylor Met
ford. Robert Slaughter. James Thompson alias
Jlmes Mcdonnell.
There were also eighteen indictments returned
against persons for conspiracy TO take and pos
sess the property OF the United States. and thir
teen for conspiracy 20 defeat the operation Of this
law. The character aud objects OF a secret
gl.nizaton were inquired into and fully exposed
ard found TO be hot bed Of treason.
We agree with the Journal most fully In the
sentiment that "seeret political societies cannot
lie in this country in time Of peace, much less
In time Of war, when secrecy becomes treason"
This Is illustrated In the death of the Know
Nothing order, secret political society, to which
tie editor Of that print belonged.
Ii there are $4,000 traitors in Indiana who
hive bound themselves by oaths. as the Grand
Jury charge, Ito resist the payment of the Fed
eal taxes aud prevent enlistmonts In the armies
OF the United States" and II enlisted to treacher-
ously betray loyal soldiers in the army, il is time
the people should know Il by indubitabe evil
denee. The good name Of Indiana il involved
II such an astounding development, and IL Is due
70 her people, IL is due to the country. that such
an alleged conspiracy should not rest upon the
er Parrs statements OF partisan Grand Jury.
il Is due 10 the men who are indicted that they
should have prompt and fair trial. and IL guilty
they should receive traitors punishment. Judge
SiwAYNE should promptly convene a special term
Ct the court, aud try the accused parties, as the
very best way Of crushing out reasonable secret
associations. Unless this presentment be intended
for partisan purposes, there can be no excuse for
delay.
The Democracy. as party, put their seal Of
condemnation upon all secret or open political
organizations having either unpatrotic objects in
view. in the following resolution which was unan-
inousiy adopted by the Convention Of the 30th
If July
8. That the Convention denounces, rs unwise
aud unpatrotc, all organizations, secret or open,
having for their object the notification Of or re-
sistance to- the laws of the State of the United
States-that oppressive laws and unwise lcgisa-
ton find their proper correction only at the bal
'ot box. where change of legislators will pro-
Cuce the wished for reform of bad and odious
laws, and to that tribunal only will the patri-
Ct resort in this nour of his country's trial.
We hold sacred aud binding every enactment
Gill repealed or declared nugatory by competent
legal authority.
We protest against the use Of the presentment
of the Grand Jury for political partisan purposes,
rs the Journal has already done. 1t can not be
denied truthfully but there are secret political Or
CARNATIONS all over the State, composed entirely
of unconditional Union men," and they are
equally guilty with the associations presented by
he Grand jury for the editor Of that print avows
that "secret political societies not live in this
country in time Of peace much less in time Of toGr
rhen seeTesy becomes treason" If this be the
correct position, the people will inquire, "why did
not the Geand Jury extend their inquiries to the
latter associations?"
But this is no time for parleyinS We desire to
address ourselves to the sober sense of all good
citizens. Marshal ROBINSON, although Demo-
crat, placed men of opposite politics upon the
Grand Jury during his term of Office. So did
Marshal ENGLISH. 1t remains for mo party
Marshal to constitute a Grand Jury without
single Democrat upon it. We regard this as an
insult, a gross insult. an impeachment of the
loyalty Of at least one half of the citizens Of In
diana. 1t gives the lie, beyond contradiction, to
oil the miserable humbug declarations of no.
partyism from Republicans.
Now for the facts. A secret inqusition, as
mean the Spanish nquistion, with the power
of the Government to sustain il, without no
tce 70 the accused and giving them no
opportunity to be heard in defense in person or
by counsel, upon ex parfe evidence, seeks to stab
the integrity and the loyalty Of citizen for par
tisan purposes. Unheard this secret. partisan
body arraigns him a criminal. In addition to
this. this irresponsible body, protected by law and
under the veil of secresy. comes into Court with
labored argument, upon one-sided testimony,
and publish it to prejudice the public mind and
attempt in advance to convict the accused. We
know not, and have no personal sympathy with
any Of the men indicted, but we say in all hon
esty that Luciier himself could not evince
greater malignancy than has this Republican
Grand Jury. In looking over the list of that
body we find the name Of one Judge We ask
him. because he Processes some intelligence, il
such is the way he discharges bis trustl Isl his
province to become accuser, prosecutor Judge
and juryr If so. in comparison, the memory oil
the infamous JEFFRiEs should be enshrined in
virtue.
More than this. The Journal processes to
give report of the testimony before the Grand
Jury which we believe its members in honor, il
not by oath, are bound not TO dvulge Is this
justice, OF partisanship, mean and devshi
That print states, in confederation Of the evi
dence it reports Of the guilt of the accused that
fUe hundred TeUOl1ers we're sold on the
day the Democratic Mass. Meeting was held
in this city. The editor knows that is a
wicked, wholesale lie. There we're not hun.
sred reyolvers sold on that day-there we're no,
fifty sold to persons attending the Convention
There were not FIVE hundred revolvers in the city
on that day for sale, and we think we can include
in that number those in the arsenal. man who
will wilfaly lie in one thing, viii deceive in ev
erything. And what are his statements worth in
regard to anythingi
We speak not in this matter with any partisan
bias. We speak as a citizen. We appeal to the