Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-09-07
Extract from the Address of thc Dcm.
ocrafic state central Commit OF


In Pennsylvania, The party on whose acts YOU
will pass at the ballot box. has trampled npon
the crest rights of personal liberty and freedom
of the press, which every man who can read NAV
find asserted in the Constitution Of the State and
the Constitution of the United States The dig
nifty of our Commonwealth has been insul,ed In
the outrage perpetrated upon her citizens. At
Philadelphia AMI at Harrisburg, proprietors of
newspapers. have been seized at midnight and
hurried off TO military prisons beyond the limits
of the State Against acts like these. perpelrated
before the ewes OF The municipal and State au-
thoriiies. there Is neither protection nor redress.
The seizme Of journal At Vest Chester was af
terwards the subject of \ suit for damages in the
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. IL came to
trial before Chief Justice Lowrie. Rehearing the
ancient principles of English and American Jus
tice. he condemned the acts of the Federal off
GERS as violations OF the law that binds alike the
private CITIZEN md the nublic functionary. He
said: 'Ali public iunctioisries in this land
are under the law. and none from the
highest [, the inweSf are above it +" impatient
at any restraint from law, a partisan majority in
Congress h1Stened to pasS an act to take from
the State Courts to the United States Courts all
suits OF prosecutions for trespasses or wrongs
done or com mitted by virtue or under cnlor of
any authority derived from or exercised under
the President of the United States:'' and such
authority was declared To be = iull defense for
the wrong-doer in any action, civil or criminal
The American Executive IL. a. The word imports, .
the executor OF the duly enarte,l laws; vet the
pretension j. made that his will can take the
place of the laws. The liberty. the character of
every ci,izen is put at the mercy of new function
aries called Provost Marshals." A secret accu.
sation before these officials takes the place of
open hearing before a lawful magistrate. and no
writ of habeas corpus may inquire the cause of
the arrest. To illegal arrests are added the
mockery of a trial of a private citizen, for his
political opinions. before a court martial, ending
to the infiction Of a new and outrageous penalty,
invented BY the President of the United
States. We need not comment upon acts like
these. The President of the United States has
no authority. in peace or war, to try even an en-
listed soldier by court martial, save by virtue of,
and in conformity with, the military law laid
down in the act of Congress establishing rules
and articles for the government Of the armies of
the United States" Yet his proela nation will
make all citizens amenable TO military courts.
He has violated the great principle Of free govern
ment, on which Washington conducted the war
of the revolution and Madison the war of 1872
the principle of the subordination of the military
TO the civil power. He has assumed to put mar
tial law, which is the rule of force at a spot
where all laws are silent, in the place Of civil
Justice throughout the Ian aud has thus assailed,
IN some Of the States. even the freedom of the
ballot box. These are not occasional acts, donein
haste. or heat. or ignorauce; but a new system
Of government in the place of that ordained and
established by the people That the Queen could
not do what he could, was Mr.. Stewards boast to
the British Minister. The t" military arrests of
Mr. Stanton received the "heartv commendation"
OF the convention that renominated Gov. Curtin;
and IL pledged him and his party 20 "hearty co
operation ia such acts Of tLe Administration ia
future. Such is the degrading platform upon
which a candidate for Chief Magistrate of Penn
svivania stands before her peonje These nre-