Maryland free press., 1862-12-19
From the Albany Argus.
ARRESTS BY THE WAR DEPART.
.a" MENT, 80 -
LETTER OF JUDGE GOULD.

persons in the city Of, New York, accused Of
frauds upon the Quafterinaster's Department
was made for the purpose of concealment, In
order to shield the guilty parties, and to de-
stoy the evidence of a mammoth fraud.
One of the parties arrested, @. Golden Traf
cy, is relative of Judge Gould, of this Dis
trict, who, believing him innocent, appealed
to the President to know the ground of his ar
rest and to demanda trial. ,f -
The President has been deaf tathis appeal and
this has elected the correspondence which we
publish. The language Of the Judge is high
toned and rcsolute:
New YORK, Noy. IA, 1862.
To His E1cel1ency, ABRAHAM LINCOLN,
President oftae United S'ates;-
Sir-On my arrival in this city, from my
residence in Troy, N. Y, find that a cousin
of mine, g. Golden Tracy, a broker of this city,
has been, first, arrested and sent to Fort La
fayette, and secondly, to-day taken as pris-
oner to Washington. The newspapers say
and SO far as can learn by all inquiries of
authorities can hear nothing diferent--that
the cause of the arrest is some dealings he has
had in contractors drafts on government Off
GERS for moneys; and, it is said, some frauds
were con,nifttsdfn or by the drafts, and he is
charged with completely herewith.
If this be so, it is a crime coguizilble by the
courts, and only by the courts. And am
amazed at the fatuity of public officers who
can take nc warning from the distinct uttered
voice of a free people.
am, and always Fave Beer an Il ,uiiniwSaiivering
enemy Of this rebellion (cursed in its origin,
most accurscd its progess)-and supporter
of the administration. I am a judge of the
highest court Of this State. And if no honest
voice has yet reached the ears of our govern
mcnt, wish to say, and to be heard in say
ing, that Star Chamber process and Secreta-
rvs warrants are dangerous instruments to
play with, and that, among us, the true
staunch supporters Of the government, who
would crush treason with the iron heel but
who know the law, are compelled to hang
th'ir hnads in silence at the mention of cases
which have occurred 10 our midst
Spies are hardly cautioned when they arc
where they can do infinite harm; but pow
erful hand and an Oppressive one, is laid on
person here, who is not in position for doing
mischief, if he would, and who is supposed to
have no friends.
In this respect, thank God, there has been
a mistake. 1t is true that he is young man,
Of not much means or influence; itisalso true
that he has young wife married not long
since3 and for no assigned cause, and for no
assignable cause, that those in power dare to
give breath to, he is taken away from home
without giving to his wife an instants inter-
view or chance to see him. Is this country
the France Of century ago?
The young man is the grandson of that Uriah
Tracy, who lived and died Senator of the
U. States from Connecticut who was the first
man buried in the Congressional burying
ground at Washington, and whose ashes are
insulted by this atrocious invasion of the lib
critics of the people in the person of his des-
ccndant. r.... ...
! am not only speaking my own opinion Of
such arrests. know the opinion and the
feelings Of many of my brethren of the bench.
And if the government is really dcsirous of so
proceedings as to make it our duty to make
public our opinions, they will be heard not
merely in the writ of habeas corpus, but in
open declaration to the world
TInI 7 I
of this case, should not have troubled you
with word; but would have seen that the
process of the Supreme Court of the State was
so executed as to protect its citizens accused Of
such offences from any arrest, other than one
under the appropriate process Of courts.
beg again to assure you in all sincerity,
that this kind Of proceeding has gone too far
already, and that, while to the last of our men
and our means we are ready and determined
tosustain the law, and the government in en-
forcing the law over the whole land as one
country, we are also determined to be Judged
by the law, and not by any Secretary or any
one who is not commissioned for that purpose.
We know and acknowledge the rules of war,
where the necessity of the case requires the
existence Of martial law. But we know, also,
the common law of liberty, and the broad,
great charter of the Constitution.
l write warmly, zealousy, because cannot
bear to think of our cherished governments
taking any course to injure itself; at time,
too, when our only hope of escaping the eter-
nal disgrace ard humiliation of letting the
cause of htiInan liberty perish in our hands is
to sustain the government Of this Union, aud
to haveit government worth sustaining.
With great respect, yours, &C.,
GEORGE GOULD.
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A W.xr or p,,xvrrs AssS1t,i,; o.