Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-02-10

Will gentlemen tell US what they mean by
tho war pOwer2 For take IL, the terms "War
power" and military necessity" are one and
the same. Will they give il metes and bounds7
VIII they tell us where IL begins end where ID
ends2 If, because the President thinks that IL
is a military necessity, he can take your liberty
in defiance of oil lave, and in defiance OF all
constitutional safeguards, can he not on the
same plea take also your life without trial,
Judge, or jury1 If the President thinks It a
military necessity, can he not, on the same plea,
take every dollars worth of property in the
whole country Under this plea he could an
nul your title deeds to your houses and lands
under this plea he can enter all your bank
vaults and take your gold and silver-ln short,
under this plea, he can do just what he pleases,
and no man will have the right to say, "WHY
DO YE s07"
Will gentlemen stop In their mad career and
contemplate the awful despotism that such q
doctrine opens up before us7
Mr.. Speaker, could there be a military necessi-
ty, that at time when no armed foe stood upon
tho soil OF Pennsylvania, the President should
send his minions into that State, and steal Dem
mis- Hickey. poor laboring Iriahmap, ont Of bis
polatoe patch, and carry him in his torn, dirty
clothes, and crowness old straw hat, thai, had
grown black with the sun of many summers, TO
Fort Lafayette, and keep him for weeks and
weeks away from his suffering family
Was II q military necessity because the child
rem of q man in Michigan had raised upon q
pole, rag through which they had been Strain
Ing blRckberries, and because some malicious
neighbor had said that the rag was q geoesh
flag, that the man should be seized by the min
ions Of the President and carried to Fort Lsiay-
ette and kept for ak months prisoner1
VAST military necessity, that Kennedy and
Baker should arrest tho young ard beautiful
and accomplished MS. Binsmade, and keep
her for more than month in solitary confne-
with her friends and relatives; with none to at |
tend to her wants and necessities, except the
male pimps and spies Of her csptors2
Was IL @ military necessity, that when Ba.
ksr, the liberSDe, with all his appliances of /
desp6tsm had failed In her seduction, be and
Kennedy, In order to screen themselves from |
the deep damna,ion their conduct demanded,
should be permitted by inuendOes and iDsinua-
GOns to blscken her character2
Wasit military necessity, that near tho hour
OF midnight my house should be broken iuto by
armed ruflians; and that with levolyers pressed
into my ears, should be dragged from sick
bed, and hurried out of the State and placed in
solitary confinement in damp and loa.hsome
cell in Fort Lafayette7
Was it military necessity that shouId be
taken iRio room, where around me lay in heaps,
handouts, chains and manacles, and there strip.
ped and searched and robbed Of my money, my |
watch, my spectacles, and even the medicine |
which was using2 Wasita military necessity
that should be deprived of such nourishment |
and drink as my sickness required? Was 1t q |
military necessity that sentry should be placed |
at my cell door, and for twenty-five days and
nights, | ahould be annoyed In my weak aud |
nervous condition by his continued tramp tramp,
tramp1 Was II a military necessity that | |
should be denied the use of bible2
Mr.. Speaker, must relate scene that was
once Witnessed in Fort Lafayette, that NAV
inquire OF gentlemen if it could bs paliated np.
on the plea of military necessity. There we're
at one time confined In one of the prison rooms
Of the fort some twenty five or thirty persons;
one of these poor fellows was very sick, and
hardly expected to live to soc another day.
When the guard came rQpnd. 10 lock up the
cells, these prisoners begged that for that one
night ut least they might be permitted to have
a candle In their cell; and as monstrous and in
human as 1t may seem, in this boasted land of
liberty, civilization and christianity, this re.
quest was refused, and these prisoners we're
locked mp in their dark prieon house with the
dying man. All through that long dark night,
they could hear his dying moans; deeper and
still deeper grew the death rattle, until near
morning, when all became hushed and still; and
when at last morning broke in upon that loath.
some dungeon, death had done bis work. This
poor victim OF Lincoln's despotlsm had ceased
to live; HE relsased spirit had gone to that land
"wHERE THE WEARY ARE AT REST, AND THE VICE.
ED CEAsE FROM TROUBLING
Was 1t q military necessity that John W.
KEGS, who had become partially insane by
broodipg over the troubles that had settled
down upon our country, asked, "if there was
no patriot hand In New Orleans to assassnate
General Butler, the acknowledged Haynau of
thia war" should be arrested and carried out
Of tho State and confined in the Military B.s-
tile In Washington City7 Was it military
necessity that his paper should be suppressed
and his Office ordered to be closed2 Alas
Alaa envy not the Governor and President
the satisfaction it will afford them to learn,
that their prosecutions of this man has forever
put out the light of his mind, and made him
The hopeless inmate of Iunatic asylum, leay-
ing his wife IN desdtution and want, dependent
upon the cold charity of the world for the re.
mainder of his earthly existence.
Could there be military necessity for keep.
ing poor, laboring man, Mr.. Barney, from
in Fort Lafayette until be became
hopelessly insane2 And then, With.
out notice to his friends, set him across the
riveF, and turn him loose, without cent Of
money, or mind enough left to make his way
nome?
Sir, when the history of Mr.. Lincoln's Bas-
lies shall be written, as written IL will bel,
when all the secrets of his prison houses shall
20 made known to an nstonished World-gen-
'lemen will hang their heads in very shame,
ha! they were ever the advocates of such des.
'otlsm, and that in this House they attempted
% Justify 1t upon the plea of "military ne
,essty." |
To be continued.l