The dollar weekly bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1862-1864, 1863-01-01

from many Of these 81 persons is not
simply an oath of allegiance. but is far wider
than that Irepeat again, if were arrested
for an ofsusc ] would not purge .mysel by
any oath. l would meet my accusers and
be acquitted upon the merits of the case, but
l would do nothing which could by the
slightest iunuendo or Inference be construed
into an admission that l was guilty. rwould
be willing TO take ali the oaths prescribed
by the Constitution and laws of my country;
but if any official had set himself up as
little despot outside of the Constitution and
laws and had arrested me Illegally and un-
lawfully and then required, as a condition OF
my freedom, that I should take an oath
prescribed BY him, would never agree to It.
But the Senator says the law by winch
this is done is the law of wal. j, thought
understood what the laws OF war were. All
the laws of war we have in this country are
the Articles of War. which-are statutes pass
ed by the Congress of the United States for
the government of the Army, and those who
are not in the land or naval service are not
subject to those laws and Articles OF war:
That is the Constitution of his country ana
my country. i will read it.
Mr.. McDoUGALL. If the Senator Will
allow me 10 interrupt him ..-.
Mr.. POWELL. shall be through In mo-
ment. -.. ..5-g
Mr. MCDoUaALL. wish TO ask ques-
ton of the Senator from Wisconsin in con-
neciion with the Senator's observation, II he
will allow me.
Mr.. POWELL. Certainly; yield.
Mr.. McDoUGALL. As the Senator from
Wisconsin has stated that all that was re-
ouired as persons who were arrested on sus-
picion of being adverse to the Government
was an oath of fealty to the Government, l
wish to ask him whether he is not advised
that the military power of The Government
has required not only the oath of fealty but
also special oath something in this nature:
the party. solemnly swears that he will not
hold the persons arresting him responsible
in civil damages at any future time.
Mr.. DooLITTLE. have never heard OF
such thing.
Mr.. Me DoUGALLI a will say then to tn
Senator, am, 1 think, we'll advised that by
direction of the War Department such an
oath was administered to a gentleman who
was a candidate for Representative from
Iowa, who was discharged. His name, i
think, is Mahoney They required that
oath of him, and am advis d they required
the same oath of others. l am well advised
that thesevideuc of it isin the War De-
partmept. / call the attention of, the Sen
ator from Wisconsin to it now, because this
question has become somewhat important in
its dimensions at least. He may inquire in
to it for HIMSELF RI, ....-.-
Mr.. SALISBURY. IF the Senator from
Kentucky will pardon me, I will state to
the Senator from Wisconsin that a gentle
man residing in the town in which 1 live
was arrested by military authority and car
ried to Cam brid ge, Maryland, there the aft
davits were examined and he was released;
and he Informed me that he was required
to take an oath that he would not prosecute
| the persons who arrested him. -.
Mr. POWELL. had but one further re-
mark to make, and that was that do moi
| think the laws of war, to which the Senator
from Wisconsin alluded, reach this case.-
Those laws of war, the Articles of War, ap-
ply to those engaged in the land or naval
service. You cannot try them by summary
military courts. Under the laws of war you
can try and punish by courts martial those
who are in the land or naval service, but you
cannot try those outside of the service.
say, therefore, that the laws of war do not
reach these cases. ---.
AS to these oaths, / have seen many oil
them, and they are about as various as the
commanders of the different posts, and they
require many things outside of the oath oil
allegiance.