The southern aegis, and Harford County intelligencer., 1863-02-20
BEL AIR. MD. FRIDAY MORNING.

rope. He dif not refer to England, from
whom we receive the fundamental princl
Piles of our common law, for no compariso
can be drawn between that country and the
modern practice Of our own but he could
say with truth that in Governments wher
the liberty and the rights of the pe"pl'
are less sacredly guar ded-in France, in
Russia, and 10 Austria, no acts of oppres'
sion have for years been attempted, so un
warrantable, so wanton, so tyrannicaf as
those which have disgraced this once free
Republican Government since the acces
sion of sectional party to power.
Without desiring at this time to enter
upon discussion of this exhaustless SUBJ
ject, he desired to call attention to some
| few particular cases, which established the
proprety and necessity of the action of the
Legislature proposed in the resolutions
The system of arbitrary arrests was uu-
known in this country until July, 1861.
About that time, citizen of New York
was arrested without process Of law, and
released after long imprisonment, with
out any trial or explanation of the offence
for which he had been deprived of his lib
erty. Since that period, other citizens OF
this State had been seized by persons
claiming authority from the general Gov
erument, aud without knowing their ac-
cusers, without being made acquain ed
with the crimes with which they were
charged, had been confined in Forts, IN
Government prisons, and station houses !;
and when judicial tribunals have issued
wrts of habeas corpus for their protection,
these wri-s have been disregarded, as we
have been told, on the authority of militia
ry law.
There was no occasion to gn outside the
the State Of New York to find cases which
would illustrate the cruelty and injustice
of those arbitrary arrests, although they
had extended with aggravated circun>tan-
ces, into nearly every loyal State in the
Union. He did not forget that he was a
State Legislator, and that any action
proposed there should be based upon the
occurrences that have taken place in our
: own State. He might refer to the case OF
tue Rev. Dr. Benedict, of Erie county,
who was arrested for preaching a sermon
from text iu the Sermon on the Mount
-"Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they
s!all inherit the Kingdom of Heaven
On The s., me, or the very next Sunday, a
distinguished preacher in New York, who
hasa a handsome church on one side of Union
Square, had in his sermon urged upon his
congregation, dIsobedience to the laws,
dl,loyal'y to The Union, and opposition to
the war, unless it should be prosecuted for
the purpose of the abolition of slavery
The city preacher remained in his pulpit un-
molested, and listened to by thousands
while the humble country Minister was
dragged from his home, forbidden commu,
ncation with his family-con6ned in a
conlmon jail-a writ of Habeas Corpus, is,
ssued by JUDI ge Hall was disobeyed, and the
United States Marshal was instructed by
telegraph from Secretary Stanton, to
resist it. He had in his possession the de.
cision of Judge Hall, together with al the
petitions, facts and decisions relating to
the subject. After the issue of the writ
of Habeas Corpus, this Minister was TIA.
ken secretly from the State, without pr".
cess, without examination, and hurried fl
to u loathsome Government prison at the
Federal Capital, and coutined there with
out being allowed to communicate with
his friends. And what then No trial
was had-no charges we're made-no ac
cusers appeared, but he was discharged a,
suddenly as he had been arrested, without
, reparation or explanation
J, This case had occurred, not in the city
!. of New York, but in what has sometimes
: been called ''the infected District )" il
4 Western New York, where the abduction
of Morgan had occasioued political rev
, plution throughout the country, and raised
!, into power the Warwick who, for thirty
three years past, had made and unmad.
!, Governors and Presidents, and who hac
only abdicated this week when he found
i that the devil he had raised could not bt
! put down, by his power, or by that Of the
Secretary of State.
II One portion of the resolution before the
!. House, authorizes an investigation int,
) the action of Judges before whom applica
! tions have been made for writs of habeas
) corpus. In the case of Rev. Mr.. Benedic,
an application has been made to the Su
preme Court Of the Eighth Judicial Dis
trict for writ of habeas corpus.
!, A majority of the Judges Of the Caur,
!, had refused the writ But he Mr. Dean,
! was proud to say that one Of The Judges
/, out Of the three on the bench, had declar