Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-08-26

iolo uur Onminal Court, upon conviction, thl
guilty parties would 80 suffer. But Il seeml
that go inflated have the military commander
become With power that they regard the rersoI
VI every man OF their command as even more
sacred than the British subjects do the crowned
head Of England. An assault and battery nm.
on one Of their body constitutes go great an Of.
Tense aa TO render the whole community in which
the outrage was committed not only Southern
sympathizeru, but as In an actual state of re-.
bellion. We. mean what we say; the manner
OF lthe arrest and the subsequent treatment Of
the men spoken of by the Journal as arrested,
mas been such as to render tho acts of the per-
petrators OF the outrage susceptible Of no other
Interpretation. .n. 10
These are the facts; Seven workingmen of
Schuylkill county, civilians, In no way con-
nected with the military, viz: James Walsh,
Arthur O'Nell, Matthew Mealy, John M. Bren-
nan, Arthur Hunt, John Bell and John Brennan.
were laet week, by military crder, arrested
sent cut of the county and State, and are now
imprisoned In Fort Mif1in or Delaware. Il.
does not appear that they had any knowledge of
any outrage such as we have mentioned ever
having boon perpotsAied (whethes Ihere has
been, is, as we have said, doubtfuD, yet with
out warrant regularly issued "upOn probable
cauae supported by oath OF affirmation, )" have
these mon been torn from their homes aud car
ried ous Of tho State. They have not "been
informed OF tho nature aud cause of the eueu-
satiOD," or reason of their arrest and imptison-
ment, have been deuied the right to be con-
frUuted by the witresaee against them, "or 20
have compulsory pr )cess for obtaining WItness-
es In their favor""oF TO have the aseistance OF
counsel for Defense" .....-
But what difference does Il make 10 our mil.
itary rulers79 These are only constitutional
privileges, aud what Constitution and Law to
them7 It Ia q mark Of disloyalty to refer to,
much more 10 revere them. IL is true, the mil
ltary came here Rvowedly to enforce law
which was not resisted, aud it may be said, like
the Provost Marshal, they determined thst in
Scbuylkill county outrsges must be COMMITTED,
even II done by tho consesvetors Of the Law
and the public peace.
BesideP, these men were poor men, working
men, "Wi,bOut rights to be respected" with no
powerful frieDds-no, fully understanding their
own rights. Good Heavens! il is enough to
make all thinking men despair for the future Of
the country when we can zee such acts done,
and yet, men sit calmly by aud not raise their
voices In loud and indignant protest-so make
the patriot weep, that In this country any well
meaning man should be 60 blinded by party zeal
as 10 justify despotlsm. When an sasault and
battery bad been committed upon the person of
the QuarteFmsster Sergeant, If such an ofiense
has been committed, the lave of the country
were violated; but what proportion of msgni-
tude does that offense bear 20 the tearing from
their homes aud families seven innocent men
(for until crime is proven We arc bound TO con-
slider them inn0cent), without process, aud In
defiance of the constitutional rights of the CIT
izeD, and euojecting them 10 an Illegal and false
| ,aata Aar khA
lsmeDtable, In this case most of these men were
married, with families dependent on them for
support-Walsh and Bell b,:h being old men,
and each having family Of twelve children.
Five Of those arrested have children.
To render the difference In the enormlty of
the offense committed still greater, 1t should oe
recollected that these poor men are only sus-
Pected OF baviog violated q law of the land
whilst the perpetrators of the outrage against
Ian have station aud iLhuence, and who, COM
ing smoDget US to enforce Law, bound by the
sanctity Of an oath have yet, through the arrest
of these men, trsmpled the dearest and most
cherished right Of every man under foot. ..'
We know not how far General Whipple NAV
be implicated in this matter; he has the chief
command, and as the record stands must be re-
spOnsble for the act. We felt pleased when
We heard that he was golng 10 assume com.
mald here, not that We knew or cared anything
about him, but Re had heard that he had been
educated at Fest Point, and assumed that even
If he ehould not be all that could be wished, he
had at least some decency and some Of the COM
mon feeliugs Of humanity. II is not pleasant
10 be governed by United States military officials,
bus anything was better than our Provost Mar.
shall Up to this outrage, we know Of no sub
ject Of complaint against him. The soldiers of
his command have up to this time, and do now
conduct themselves With propriety. d .i
The record, however, is against General
Whipple. He and not the men whom he COM
mands must bear the responsibility Of this act.
And let US assure him 1t Is no light responsible
ity, The act Of arbitrary power Is unpardon.
able; he cannot be reached during this Admin.
issration, but be II understood that sooner or
later the powers that be will be the powers that
were. II by the use of the bsyonet the free
use Of the ballotbox is restricted, IL should be
remembered that the people will not submit,
but will answer force by force. When the party
that at present disgraces our Government 10
among the things that were, and Law and order
again in the ascendant, men must answer for
their miedeed5.
These men 60 sent to the bastile may be poor,
uneducated, and without influential friends, but
the blow against their liberties was against the
libefties OF us all; and If Il should 90 happen
that upon General Whipple should rest the re-
sponsiblllty Of this cot, he may fed, to his cost,
that men will arise, influential enough, able and
willing enough, to make him bear the conse-
quence Of his acts. He may then fnd that II
under the Government star was placed on his
shoulder il can be removed. The power that
pus him In the army can turn him out Of the
army. ini tff Wo8k .heoH5 ,inE 'G-