The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1863-03-26
IndignatiOn At the MOnslrOus DO.
inse Of Congress.
(From the New York World)
The Complete Overthrow of Public
liberties.

|
break of the rebellion. Congress, by the
act passed yesterday authorizing the Pres
ident to suspend the writ of habeas corpus
throughout the whole extent of the coun-
try, has consummated its series of measures
for laying the country PROSTATE and help
| less at the feet of one man. 1t was not
enough that Mr.. Lincoln has been invested
with the purse and the sword: with I'M
mense power to raise or manufacture mon
ey, he has unrestricted command Of the
services of every able-bodied man in the
country. Congress has thought it necessary
to give the finishing stroke to its establish
ment of military despotism; by remov
ing all checks on the abuse of the enor
NOUS monetary and military power with
which they have clothed the President.
What assurance has the country that we
shall ever have another Presidential cleo
tion! None whatever, except what may be
found in the confidence, reasonable or un-
reasonable. reposed in the recitude and
patriotism of Mr.. Lincoln. If any person.
in any part of the country, shall think it
his duty to resist unconstitutional en-
croachments on the rights of citizens. Mr..
Lincoln is authorized. by what purports to
be law, to snatch up that individual and
immure him in one of the government bas-
tiles as long as he shall see fit, and there is
no power any where in the natiou 10 call
him 10 account. He can send one of his
countless provost-marshals into the house
of a Governor of State, or any other citi
zen. in the dead of night, drag him from
his BID, hustle him away under the cover
unknown dungeon, and allow his friends
to know no more of the Whereabouts Of
his body than they would Of the habita,
tion of his soul, if, instead of imprisoning,
the provost-rarshal had murdered him.
With this Tremendous power over the lib.
orty of every citizen whom he may suspect,
or whom he may choose to imprison with
out suspecting, the President is asabsolu.e
a despot as the Sutton of Turkey All the
6 laranees of liberty are broken down; we
al lie at the feet of one man, dependent
on hi capric, for every hours exemption
ON bastie. If he wills it the State
Governments may continue in the dis
charge of their functions. but if he wills it,
every one of them that does not become
lis submissive and snbservient tool can be
At once suspended by the Imprisonment of
Is officers. Considering the enormous
p wer confsrrcd on the President by the
Financ and Conscription Bills, reason
sble a'cusly would have created addi-
tional safeguards against it's abuse. In
8 end IF that, Congress has thrown down
all the old barriers and left us absolutely
without shelter in the greatest violence of
he tempest.
So far as the detestable act passed yes.
terday is an act of indemnity to shield the
President from the legal consequences of
past exertions of arbitrary power.it is con-
fession that he, his secretaries. provost
marshals and other minions have been ac-
ting in violation of law. 1t annuls all laws
passed by the State Legislatures for the
protection of their citizens against kidnap.
ping, it provides for taking all suits for
damages out Of the State courts and trans.
ferriug them to the Federal tribunals, and
before those tribunals the tact that the in
jury complained of was done under color
Of executive authority is declared to be
full and complete defense. 1t even inflicts
penalties on persons coming before the
courts for redress of injuries BY declaring
that if they are not successful the defend.
ant shall recover double costs. So that
the aggri,ved party must take tho risk of
this penalty for venturing to ascertain, in
court Of justice, whether his oppressor
was or was not acting under the authority
OF the President. To this alarming pass
have matters come, that not only does eve
ry citizen hold his liberty at the mercy of
one man, but he is liable to be punished
for inquiriog whether the person arres.
ting him really possessed, or only falsly
pretended to possess, that mans authori
y!
The attempt to disguise the odious char
acter of this detestable act by a sham pro-
vision in its second section is su insult to
the intelligence Of the people. 1.-The Sec
retary of State and the Secretary Of War;"
80 it reads. "are directed as soon as may
be practicable" to furnish to the judges of
the courts lists of the names Of the per-
sons arrested that they may bs rsresented
to grand jury for indictment. And who
is to judge of this practicaIIlityl Why,
the Secretaries themselves, or the Presi-
dent for them. They will furnish such