The Ohio Democrat. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1840-1900, 1863-01-09

MVuthS hlAe III ~ DASSutes
Upon the return of Doctor Olds to
Lancaster, Ohio, his fellow citizens gave
him reception .and he in return gave
the following account of his imprison-
ment:
Mr.. Martin; I thank you and through
you all this vast multitude of my friends
and fellow citizens, for this most cordial
reception upon my return from impris.
onment.
do not misunderstood the joy that
now warns your hearts and beams upon
your contenances. 1t is not merely that
fellow citizen is returning to the socie>
ty of his friends and the bosom of his
family. 1t is something deeper and
broader than this. 1t is because, in my
restorationAte liberty, you have q quasi
guarantee that the reign of terror in
this country is comming to an end, and
the keys of the American Bastiles are
being, by the omnipotent voice of the
people, wrested. from the hands Of the
Jacobins now in power, and held up to
the gaze of the Dantorns, Murats and
Robespierres of this, Administration as
q warning to them Of their approaching
doom.
You rejoice, because in my restora,
tion you have made an advance toward
the establishment of constitutional
liberty. You rejoice, because in my re-
lease you feel renewed confidence in
your own freedom; you rejoice because
you feel once more secure in your per-
son, your houses and your property; you
rejoice, because in my release you have
a guarantee that you, yourselves, will
no longer be subjected 10 the worse than
Star chamber deSpotism Of Charles l OF
England. You rejoice, my friends, be.
cause you expect on this occasion to
hear from one in whom you have conf
dence, one who knows by personal ex.
perience some of the horrors seen and
felt in the secret chambers of the Amer
lean Inquisition.
That may not be misrepresentea by
such Republicans as have heretofore
shown such willingness to falsify any
remarks Of mine, contrary to my usual
practice, I have reduced to writing all
l intend to say on this occasion. Lend
me, therefore, your patient attention.
On the 10Th of August last, after
ten o'clock at night, my house was for.
chilly entered by three Government ruff
ans, who with violence seized my person
and holding revolver at my head, de-
manded my surrender.
During the time they were making
such repeated and violent efforts to
burst upen my door, they gave me no
intimation that they were Government
officers, or that they 'hnd any Govern.
ment authority for my arrest They
came like assassins and robbers-they
behaved like assdssinS and robbers; and
had 1 not been informed by the boast
ingS of certain Republicans that affda-
Wits designed to cause my arrest had
been forwarded to the War Department,
should most undoubtedly have taken
these Government ruffians for midnight
robbers
When, after my capture, demanded
to know by what authority they had
thus rudely broken into my room, and
by what authority they had thus seized
my person, they very grumbliDgly in
formed me that they we're acting under
authority of the War Department. l
then demanded to be shown their war;
rant. They informed me that | had no
right to make any snch demand-that
the order which they held was for their
protection, and not for my qualification.
They however permitted me to see it,
The document was signed by the. As
sistant Secretary of War-was dated at
Washington City, August 2, 1852 1t
was directed to W. H. Scott and com
missioned him so take with him one as
sistant, and proceed to Lancaster, Ohio,
and arrest Edison B. Olds and 70 con
vey him to New York aud deliver him
to the commanding officer of Fort La
fayette: and that fhe was resisted in
the execution Of the order, he was di-
rected to call upon Governor Tod, of
Ohio, for such assistance as might be
necessary. ..-. .t.a.sy,
The order contained no intimation of
the mature aud cause" of the accusa-
ton against me; indeed, it charged me
with the commission Of no offense what
ever; and when demanded Of my cap
tors to know what were the chalges
against me, they replied that they "did
not know"
/ have no doubt but what the ruffians
had called on Governor Tod for assis-
tance before proceeding to Lancaster
to execute their order, as they had with
them big double fsted bully from Col
umbus, who informed me that his name
was Bliss, and that he had once belong
ed to the Democratic party, and that be
had met me in Democratic Conventions
in Columbus.
These Government rufians were di-
rected to "peaceably" arrest me. Yet
with violence they burst open the door
of my room, and, with revolver at my
head, they arrested me. They came at
the hour usually selected BY robbers and
assassins to break into mems houses and
commit deeds Of violence; and had |
been armed / should have shot them
down as robbers and asssssius l have
REFLECTED much on the manner OF my ar
rest, and / have come calmnly aud de-
| liberately to the conclusion that Ishould
have been justified, both BY the laws Of
I.God and man, had 1 Killed these fnfians
whila hfeakiny init NV room as / mOst