Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1863-11-04
=" Arbitrary Arrests. y

ExtracI from a speech by Henry J..
Raymond, at the New York Union meet
ing, October 26, 1868:
The enemies Of the Government speak
of this matter Of arbitrary arrests as a
noreity in our history-in our history, as
well as in English history-and Gov.
Seymour quoted the language of cele-
brated English orator, that every mans
house is his castle
Now | suppose most of you have heard
of that Democrat Of the olden time whose
name was jackson, who once held an ap-
pointmeht in the army, who was sometimes
called { Od Hickory" and you have all
heard Of New Orleans. While he was
holding that city, after peace had been
concluded, he still maintained martial law,
because he had received no official inform
alton that the war was over That was
dchounced as an act of despotism and
har'ehip. An editor Of a newspaper,
whose name was Louallier-G am sorry
to say there were some editors in those
days who were not as loyal as all editors
are now supposed to be)-this editer at
tackled General jackson for maints ming
martial law under those circumstano es.-
Geae~al Jackson did not argue the ques-
ton with him, but simply arrested him
and put hun in prison. Louallier applied
to lawyer named Morrell to sue cut a
writ Of ha5cas corpus. There were law
yerS in those days who would do those
things, though tdere are not now. Nor
.gs &, I ~ W. st adlsss / KY E. / le i-.s.cl
the writ. Gen. Jackson arrested both
the lawyer and the judge, and put them
both in prison. Another editor, a Mr.
Hollander, soon after spoke of the matter
incidentally as a dirty trick" Gen.
jackson arrested him and put him in pris-
on also! There they were-a qua rtette,
all in prison for 10 definite crime known
to the law. The arrests were stric tly ar
bltrary, and their necessity would proba-
bly, not be very apparent to Democrats of
the present day But Gen. Jackson, who
was q Denocrat of the old school, til ought
that nfsease of emergency the shortest
way Of providing against danger Of: this
kind was the best. Three days after that
came official news that peace had been
concluded. The General discharged the
prisoners, whereupon Judge Hall sum-
moned Gen. jackson into court, and fin
ed him thousand dollars for having ar
rested him and his compeers The Gen
eral paid the fine. The matter rested
about thirty years, when the Democrats in
Congress. led by Stephen A Douglas, the
"noblest Roman of them ALL" passed a
bill refunding to Gen. Jackson the thou
sand dollars, which his fidelity to duty and
his country had cost him. The bill re-
ceiyql the vote of every Democrat in both
Houses Of Congress. Yet Democrats now
a-days are shocked at the bare thought of
sucharrests as those made by Gen. Jack
son, even when they are necessary to save
the life Of the nation
Now there is one instance [ can quote
another which, perhaps in the eyes of
Democrats, will not appear so strong, but
the authority is certainly respectable, and
perhaps, as authority, is quite as good
Juse before our Declaration of Independ-
ence, in January, l776, while General
Washington was in command of the army,
it was believed that an attempt would be
made to capture the city of New York by
the British, with the aid of their allies
among us. In Queens county, l.. l., there
were great many Tories in that day, and
| believe there are some Of their political
descendants there at the present time
They met in county convention to decide
as to whether they would obey the recon-
mendation to elect delegates to the Pro
vinclal Congress or not The Provincial
Congress was to act on behalf of all the
colonies and decide whether we should de-
clare independence of Great Britain, OF
in what way we would resist her injustice
in this county convention majority vot-
ed that they would not elect delegates tc
that Congress. That would seem to be
rather simple act-it does not seem to
be a high crime Or misdemeanor against
the State. And yet, Gen. Washington
and the Provincial Congress together; both
acting upon their own responsibility, seasl
forces into Queens county and arrested
every man who voted agaiast the election
i q delegates, and took thom toN = hiladel-
PAisAnd put them in prison. And the
sSt tpgress Immediately passess
men who refused, Il
de fi} country should be excluded