The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1863-01-16
TIE PRESIDENTIAL INDEMNITY
BILL.
Protest Of Thirty-six Representatives
Against its Passage.


1862, aud during the present session O
Congress, MF. Stevens of Pennsylvania
introduced the bill No. 59I, entitled "Ar
act to Indemnity the President, an 9th,
er persons, for suspendlpg the privilege
of the writ aabsaS corpus, aud acts doue
in pursuance thereof" and, after its sec
ond reading, moved that its consideration
be made the specia! order for the Thurs
day then next ensuing, which motion be
ing objected to, he moved the previous
question, and this being sustained, under
the operation thereof, the bill was read d
third time, and passed.
The bill involves questions of the ora,
vest importance. 1t provides tha; all
suspensions Of the privilege of the wri, OF
haJeds corpus, all arrests and imprison-
menls upon whatever pretexts or by
whomsoever made, under the authority
Of the President, however arbitrary, OF
tyraunical, or ur just, are confirmed and
made valid aud that all persons who
advised, or executed, Or assisted in exc
cution of any such acts, are discharged
from all liability, whether to the state, OF
to individuals - in respect thereof" and
that the proceedings against them of eve
ry nature, whether for the recovery OF
damages or for the infliction Of punish
ment commenced or to be commenced,
are discharged and made void 1t also
provides that the President NAV, during
the existence Of this rebellion, a. any time
and anywhere throughout any Of the
United States, and as to any person,
suspend lie privilege of the writ OF
hateas corpus.
Tie bill is framed upon The idea that
the acts recited were Illegal, and without
Just cause or excuse; and they were yio>
lations Of the rights of the persons arrest
ed and imprisoned; and that for them
redress might be had in the courts Of the
United States, by resort to tie peaceful,
regular, aud ordinary administration oi
law. 1t was framed upon the idea that
the citizen was arrested without the eX-
istence of crime on his part, or even prob
able cause to suspect It, and that in max
ing such arrests, the Substance as well as
the form. Of those provisions Of law in
tended 10 secure personal liberty were en-
urely disregarded. 1t makes no exception
Of those cases in which arrests have been
made with malice, aud the imprisonmen:s
have been inflicted With circumstances OF
brutality and cruelty-in which the
"pubIic good has been made the cloak
whe-ewith to cover the qualification OF
poiltic"' "h1'iIosIty OF p'Na,e ha'red. II
''Sih9 U'SNe' !" ho,a'"s Oe."oeh ,he
I''Sss ~ ", VIII" q" ho"eS' Il n'is'"A7 mas
,; ~" 'o'i'"eu ~ = - , .'n''teuia'e co'Iec
'0 .'s lI11 o''I0' - " '''~'' ''''''7'i'' H''
oeV" G""o'e"' y 't'Se PteteNce", 10 p'o
o'.o .''7 q. .'e9' anu ~ iio'oH5 'l0 1Ia
= 'iso'-' '''e"'' ~ '"o '0'S % property tn'
>'eo'' ''1't,-' ~, =. '.u' III some III
~ ''','"''-' su''ioe of ,'"geIi!'
-" u :.'' 'ntI'::fl! ',c'l'H'' II o'S''i
1>I.Sii79 ~ i'o."lnS ne'"eeh 'Lo ac'lre
"iL5et; "e"'0U' !" tA1 u'Schaf9e OF ms ON
c'1t duNes, ah0 Inc base miscreant who
Eo.""'ee'S 70 assume lie oe9FaoihS char
'C'G' u 'Is az" ''i''i .ieI' 'oa' ne may
",'h uIo'e enecI, ana secrecy, use lHe
iaise"ood "hich INC venom OF his heart
'fohP'e0 Inn I" invent 1t proposes to
eo'i"o'e '''i ',-e'''eS' u protect al oHeno
etS, ana 70 I'A0 away "ii redress toE III
J0''e' "9'eF great Or win Whatever
Ci'v"ins '"Gee' u. y "as'"'"'i'h OF Dad
'Uo'I'e iDH'o'e"'
Ifthese acts had been done in all cases
from the purest motives, with an eye sin
Gle to the pubic good, with as Iitt}e az
gression ss possible on private rights,
with all circumspection and care tha; on,
those who were really guilty should Suffer
such confinement as would prevent the
commission Of an unlawfu act-:ft tie pub
lie good were in fact sutserved by then
ii might be proper to protect the
President, and those acting under his au'
thonty, from criminal prosecution ant
PENAL sentence; it might he proper tc
protect them from pecuniary loss, by tht
payment, from the public treasury, OF th'
damages assessed against them. Ever
then, while admitting that circumstance
like these would IN seasons Of great pub
lie dangers negative all wrongful in.en
in the commission Of these illegal acts. j
would be the du'y o. the representa.ive Q
the people to affirm that at all times til,
Presiden: Of the United States, before al