Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-03-27
From the Springfield (Ill.) Register, March %.
Military Despoti>m iu sItinOts-Civil
Law Superseded-rhe Case of Lieu.
tenant Dustin.

On Saturday evening. Colonel Lynch, com
mandant ri Camp Bntler, came into town on =
special train. with three companies of soldiers
proceeded 10 the county Jail, and demanded of The
.Tailer the person of Lieutenant Dustin there con
fnet charge of murder. The Sheriff Of
Singamon county. being present. demanded his
authority tor taking the prisoner. Lynch said he
hid teleeraphic dispatch from Genera Wright.
commando OF this military department or,leriH
the release of the prisoner. The Sheriff asked
Tor a copy OF the dispatch. and was told he could
not have il. Colonel Lvnchs orders being mill
tary The Sheriff replied that If the prisoner
taken from his custody. it must be by force
and against his protest
Colonel Lynch said he had come 10 take him,
and would do 80. having the necessary military
force at hand The Jail was then in possession of
the soldiery. The prisoner taken. without
resistance other than We have stated. Colonel
Lynch on demand of the Sheriff, leaving with
the latter the following paper:
"SPRINGrlELD, March u 1863
I'm accordance with Instructions. have This
dav taken from the custody Of Sheriff Hicks the
person Of Lieut.. Emery p Dustin OF 5sh Hi
nois infantry W LYNCH
Col 5sth Illinois infantry com'd'g post at Camp
Butler. H.
During the dav. rs had been previously init
mated by the Illinois Journal a writ of habeas
corpus uai been server on the county ldiler Tor
the person of Lent Dustin by a military officer
from Camp Butler. and Witnesses had been sub
pgraed to appear ut Bloomington. where the
Gaze 10 have been taken. before Judge Davis
or Judge Scott; il having been arranged that the
prisoner and the witnesses subp1naed should be
taken W. 70 Bloomington that evening
So il will he seen bv the proceedings of Satur-
day evening that the Illinois Journals statement
that the military force was here. on Wednesday
night and Thursday. To preserve the peace Oi the
town. and not take the prisoner, 10y military
force. from the civil authorities, j. 10 proven 20
be false Col Lynch obtained higher authority
for hs then proposed action. and the seizure has
been m de
We led to hope that the circumstances of
the case and the position OF the prisoner. held
he was were misrepresenled To General Wright.
and hence his order If he has directed the action
OF Colonel Lynch. under tall understanding Of the
faces then are TO understand that the civil law
OF the Strte. % far otfenses committed by sol
derS are concerned. Is suspended and that men
in tire military service can shoot cut. slav. ana
Kill II pleasure. beng amenabe only to court
composed Of those who are now claimed 20 be
invested with this ''ineStimtble privilege" Ii
will be question. too. whether other than a mil
itiry posse has right even 10 arrest culrrits.
that they may De brought before military tri-
bunal
The spirit which actuatei those who had charge
of the force which took the prisoner back to the
camp. and the probability thar Justice may he
rendered AZ their hands may be inferred from the
fact that the prisoner charged with murder Ras
crowned with garland OF flowers. aud salute
triumph was frei AT the depot - testify their
exultation over the fact that the civil authorities.
At the point OF the bayonet. were forced 10 sue
cumb TO the military
Gov Yates knew whereof he wrote, year
ago. when he declared /, sas the intention of the
rulers at Washington 10 set up military deSpot
ism. IL j upon u Constitution. law, and pub
lac and private rights. trampled under foot
AMI the law OF military force = the lsw of the