Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-04-22


the INST of whom, at the date of your report, had
been sonfned upwards of fifteen months; the Sec
dnd feurteen months and the third more than Ave
months Against these :here is, of curse, no "tes'
timeny." preferring charge; but there they are,
sad usonuments of the deaf ear and pitless eye Of
military power. ,s .-. -.
Yon inform the President that the ccmmissi onef /
had directions in these words, "to discharge those
aganae whom no wellgrounded cause of suspicion
exists OF having violated q law, or donb an act hos.
tile Of Injurious to the Confederate Ststes." We
desbt not We should do you Injustice to hold you
faspenlable for the palpable tyranny which these
instructsoas allow and justify. If the purpose had
been 4ltssned- Of which We wholly .cquit yos-to
proeng fhe imprisonment of innocent men, language
could scarcely have been selected better fitted for the
er&- Fs "wep grounded cause of suspicion exists
Of prisoner having violated = law,"-yes any
"law Of the Confederate States, the commissioner
would have exceeded his authority to have released
him. No difference. is made wheeler the vIolatof
would on conviction, suffer death, imprisonment,
fine, or merely pay penalty to common inlOrmer.
ln every ease release, absolutely upon ball. is re-
fused. Such is the extent and no more Of the be-
nevolent mission which you have instituted, and re-
commended to be continued towards prisoners sus-
pected of having violated any law of the Confede
rate States" The other class excluded from its
mercy, are all such as are suspected o having :done
an act hostile or injurious to the Confederate States"
Although every wilful violation of "a law is an act
both hostile and injurious to the State yet it is ev
IDENTIFY :he purpose of the instructions to reach at
least all acts concerning which the Law, statute
common, might be silent 1t is left to the commits
soner with the broadest discretion, to judge of the
character of such acts; and if they be- in his
opinion, either "hostile or injurious to the Con-
federate States" his mission Of mercy is closed
Now, If the opinions of patriotic press be any
index to the probable opinions Of the commissioner
the door of relief is shut against every person sus
pected Of having speculated on food or raiment-
svesy producer who may be deemed to have asked
an exorbitant price for his productions man
who may have published an article that questioned
the ability or patriotism Of the President or the
capacity or integrity of his high oficers,-or even
the sobriety and honesty of the keeper of military
prison. He too would be deemed dangerous
man." If this most vague of all charges that were
ever seriously entertained judicially in a lapd of
freedom, he sufficient to detain freemen in prison.
as those thus designated have been for many, many
months it is quite sufficient to cause new arrests
Of dangerous men" all over the land and as the
to your report left 70 the "ofcers Of the asss-
commanding in the field and the provost marshalls,"
ys.a. s>.etiona tho arrest of AL saeh they
may deem dangerous" from whatever cause or
in whatever respect strue, you instructed your
commissioner Ito discharge those against whom
there was no ell-grounded cause of suspicion Of
having violated law, or done an act" &c,-yet in
the face Of these instructions, you sanction the con-
tinued Imprisonment of men who not accused
of either violating law or doing an act. The
probe has been introduced into their hearts, and
they are discovered TO be "dangsrous!"
Among the cases OF specific "charges preferred"
there is one against citizen of Richmond, (No.
65) of multiplied guilt, which defes all analysis
for prosecution upon any legal principles. Iii
drunkenness, continually in Jail, dangerous" We
are not aware, Sir, that the drunkenness of civil
Ian is crime against the Confederate States, or
can be made such or that repeated Imprisonment
for past offences is new and distinct offence against
State or Confederate law. On the contrary We had
These charges, however true, were evidently mar
shalled into the report, to impart dignity and con-
sequence to tho case and TO furnish proof that he
| was "dangerous."
An history, Sir, is full Of warning against the
croachments of military power. The facility with
| which the plowshare is turned into the bayonet
was never so illustrated on earth, as within the
last three hundred days. The fierce spirit of war
is shaking the foundations Of free government
Constitutions and laws totterng under the fury
ofexcitement and desperation. There have been few,
besides the father Of his country who have kept in
place, Is they trembled amid the shocks and storms
of civil strife, the fundamental pillars Of freedom,
and STAYED the awless strides Of military usurpa.
! ton In the confusion of these times the voice of
all mast ages assures you that however urgent may
be the vigilance Of the armed sentinel in the strug.
gle for independence that of the unarmed sentinel
on the watch tower of civil liberty, is more urgent
still. Anu uuless there be q fatality which dooms
men once put in possession Of the sword to deride
and forget all past reverence for the most sacred
principles Of human freedom, you may yet see the
day when, in your ambition Of a vrtuous fame, you
would rejoice to separate your name forever from
the history of woes unusty suffered in the military
prisons Of the South. ="
The Register does injustice to government officers
in charging that government cotton has been ex-
posedandinjured. Wehavemade inquiry and learn
that all the cotton has been sheltered rapidly as
possible, and that Capt W. H Oliver, who has this
business Specially in CHARGE has omitted no labor
pains to see that the State cotton is we'll protect
ed. The Registsr is SO blinded by malice that it
cannot justice on sny subject to political oppo
nent. We notice its misstatements, not because we
expect it will correct them, but to put the public
on their guard against them.
% PKoMorIoxs-Msior Christnnher C. Cole of tha