Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1863-03-04

eral Government-had he been permitted,
as provided by our Constitution, TO meet
his accusers face to face, with the oppor-
tunity of repelling their charges-had he
been allowed TO summon witnesses in his
favor-if those constitutional safeguards
which we all regard as sacred, had been
respected-we would have had no right
to complain. If Mr. BoiIeau be guilty of
treason, or any other offence under the
laws, try him as traitor, and execute
him as "A traitor.
But, sir, how are these matters TO get
before the courts! Why was not the
matter taken before the judicial tribunals
that have cognizance of it! Why, sir,
we all know that in cases of these arbilra-
ry arrests heretofore, every effort on the
part of the courts TO obtain cognizance
ard control of the case has failed Docs
not the gentleman know that in the case
ofOne person imprisoned in Fort Warren,
! and OF another confined in Fort Lalay-
| cite. the writ of ha5caS corpus was disTe-
garied by the military authority, and the
Judiciary, being tie feeblest department
of the government, and having no power
to enforce It's authority, was compelled to
yield TO the superior strength ofthe militia
ry power.
Sir, Iwould ask what is government
tina; tOlerates these things worth To me
what is the government worth to me, If l
can be accused by somebody in secret
some malicious fellow, who from some
motive OF personal animosity or revenge,
may make accusations against me-accu-
sations which NAV be true or false, posi-
bly, falsc-if / can thus be accused In Sc
crct, and be arrested in the night, and
imprisoned in n fortress somewhere, with
out being allowed Il hearing, civil or mill
tary, or an opportunity TO produce those
witnesses by whom l might be able TO
establish my innocence. For, sir, IT Is a
fact that not one man of all those who
have been imprisoned under this system
of arbitrary arrests, has ever yet had a
trial Of any kind-not one Ii ever a
| military trial were allowed. there would
be some alievia;ion OF the outrage Not
one of these men has had even 4 military
trial They are confined without a hear
ing, and they ask IN vain what they have
done.
Gentlemen here saw, 90 we DC not know
what this man has done: we are ignorant
of thc whole matter" Strange as il may
seem, citizen is dragged from the State,
taken We know not where, and not a man
ON tins floor can tel wha. offence i al
legged against him. Every man asks,
Z. what has he dcne OF what crime las
he been gsiiity! Nobody Is able 10
answer. And this ignorance Of the ma
ture of the offence or supposed offence, Is
urged upon this floor as a reason why
these resolutions ought not TO pass Gen
tlemen say that they cannot support the
resolutions, because they do not know
anything about. the matter. Why that
is the strongest reason why the resolutions
ought to pass-iust because we do no:
know of what this man has been guilty,
or with what hc is ciargcd-just because
the vital question rs TO the liberty of the
citizen rises far above the Individual i'm
portance of Mr. Boi!eau-iust because {
citizen of the State has VIGOROUSLY been
dragged from his home and his business
and carried outside OF the confines of IN;
State, and nobody knows for what. Thai
is tho very reason why we should tak'
: action on this matter.
The gentleman from Lancaster has saiC
y very appropriately, that the different de
: apartments of this government ought TO b
I kept separate and distinct. L say SO too
+ but does the President keep them separat
and distinct Docs the President, IN tn
: exercise of his power, pay any respect Il
the judicial authority? Does he not ar
rogate to himself both executive and judi
E cial functions? What is the need of
y judicial department, if any executive ca
: thus encroach upon II at his mere plea
sure ! Why, SIR, it is empcaching the in
4 tegrity of the Judiciary of Pennsylvania
: and charging the people of our State vii
= disloyaltv, when we are not permitted t
h try within our own borders our own cit
: zens against whom any crime may hay
to been alleged Has our Judiciary don
4 ANYTHING to warrant this imputaiion upo
y them! VIII anybody undertake To "a
+ that the people of Pennsylvania are di
: loyale VIII that charge be made by an
:, representative on this floore-1et Is 1t m
70 virtually made by the course of the a'
a. ministr9,tion! Is not disloyaity charge
upon the whole State, and are not the j.
n dicial tribunals impeached rs derelict
10 their duty, when our citizens are drasg'
r.. away AMI not permitted TO have pub
on trial, rs provided by law2
nd Ii appears to me that our rulers,
en- reference TO this matter, are struck Wi
ed judicial Blindness They arc doing th
n which is calculated to make The north