Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-01-17

,o aet as 'Oles and infofmers, but also, Withou
sns n,ocer. If law, to seize and imprison ou
citizens and 1, 'srry them beyond the limits O.
tha State. to ho. u them in prisons without
hes,inv or a know ledge of the offenses with
which thew are obarg, I'd. Not only the passions
and preiudicee of these ,ferior agents lead them
10 acts Of tyranny, but thtdr interests are ad-
vanced, promoting discuntens and discoTd. Even
to ask the aid of counsel has been held to be an
offense. Il has been we'll said that "to be ar.
rested for one knows not what to be confined
no one entitled to ask where; to be tried, no
one can say when, by lew never known or es-
tgblished, or finger out life In cell, presents
body tyranny which cannot be enlarged"
The suppression Of journals and The impris-
onment of persons have been glaringly partl-
san, allowing to some the utmost licentousness
Of criticism, and punishing others for the fair
exercise of the right Of discussion. Concious
Of these gross abuses, an attempt has been
made to shield the violators Of law and suppress
irquiry into their motives and conduct This
attempt will fail. Unconstitutional acts cannot
be shielded by unconstitutional laws. Such
attempts will not cave the guilty, while they
will bring Just condemnation upon those who
try to pervert the powers of legislation to the
purposes of oppression. To justify such action
by precedents drawn from tho practice Of gov
ernments where there is no restraint upon
legislative power will be Of no avail under our
system, which restraints the government and
protects the citizen by written constitutions.
snail not inquire what rights States in re
bellion have forfeited, but leny that this re-
bellon can suspend single right of the citi
zens of the loyal States. denounce the doc
trine that civil war 10 the South takes away from
the loyal North the benefits OF one principle of
civil liberty,
IL 10 a high crime to abduct citizen of this
State II is made my duty by the Constitution
TO see that the laws are enforced shall in
vestigate every alleged violation OF our statutes,
and see that offenders are brought to Justice
Sheriffs and district attorneys are admonished
that is is their duty to take care that no person
within their respective counties are imprisoned,
nor carried by force beyond their limits, With
out due process or legal authority. The re-
moval to England of persons charged with Of |
tense, away from their friends, their witnesses
and means of defense, was one of the acts of
tyranny on which We asserted our independence.
The abduction of citizens from this State for
effenses charged TO have been done here, and
carrying them many hundred miles to distant
prisons In other States or territoties is an out.
rage Of the same character, upon every princi- |
Pile of right and justice.
to establish courts, to appoint oficera to arrest,
and commissioners to hear complaints, and TO |
imprtaon upon reasonable grounds of suspicioa. |
Il has judicial system, In full and undisturbed |
operation, Its own courts, held at convenient |
points in thia and other loyal States, are open
for the hearing of all complaints If It's laws
are not ample for the punishment of offenses, |
it is due to the neglect Of those in power.
Government is not streng thened by the exer. !
cise of doubtful powers, but by wise aud en-. |
ergstic exertion of those which are iucontesti. |
BILE. The former course never fails to produce |
dscord, suspicion, and distrust, while the latter
inspires respsct and confidence.
This loyal State, whose laws, whose courts |
aud whose officers have thus been treated With |
marked and public contempt, and whose eocial |
order and sacred rights have hesn violated, was
at that very time sending forth great armies |
to protect tue national capital and TO save the |
national officers from fight or capture Il was
while the arms of New York thus sheltered !
them against rebellion, that, without consulta. |
tion with its Chief Magistrate, q subordinate |
department at Washington insulted our people |
and invaded our rights. Against these wrongs |
and outrages the people of the State of New |
York solemnly protested. ..-. . |
The submission o our people 70 these abusee, |
for u time only, was mistaken at home and
abroad for an indifference to their liberties. -
Baa it was only in a spirit Of respect for our
institutions that they waited till they could ex
press their will in manner pointed out by our
laws. At the late election they yindcated at
once their regard for Law and their love of lib.
erty. Amid all the confusion of civil war, they
calmly sat in judgment upon the Admnistra-
tion, voting against it's candidates. Nor was
this the oply striking proof of respect for the
Constitution. The minority of nearly equal
numbers, yielded to this decision without re-
sistance; although the cas-sss was animated
BY strong partisan excitements. '5-'- p
looncluslon tomorrow .1..l,