The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1863-06-25


poets, it began on very unequal terms
between the parties, The insurgents
had been preparing for it more than
thirty years, while The government had
taken no steps 10 resist them, The for
mer had carefully considered all the
meons which could be turned to their
account. 1t undop pbtediy was a we'll
! pondered reliance with them that in
their own unrestricted efforts to destroy
Union, Constitution, and law, all to.
gelher, the Government would in a great
degree, be restrained hy the same Com
slitution and law from arrosliug their
progress, Their sympothizors pervsded
all departments Of the Government, ard
nearly all communities OF the people. -
From this material, under cover Of
"libehy ofspeech, "liberty of the press"
and "kabeas corpus" they hoped to keep
on loot amongst us most efficient corps
Of spies, informers, suppliers, and aiders
and Ohettors of their cause in a thou.
sand ways. They knew that ia Zines
such as they we've inaugurating, by the
Constitution itself, the "habens corpus"
might be suspended; but they also knew
they had friends who would mske q
question as to acko was TO suspend IL
meanwhile their spies and Others might
remain at large to help ontheir cause.
0rif as has happened, the Executive
should suspend the writ, wilhou, ruinous
waste Of timo, instances of arresting in-
nocent persons might oceur as arc al
ways likely to occur in such cases; and
then clamor could be raised in regard
to this, which might be at least, of some
service 10 the insurgent cause. ltneed-
ed no very keen perception 70 -iscover
this part Of the enemys programe, SO
soon as by open hOstilities their machin.
cry was fairly put in motion. Yet,
thoroughly imbued with a reverence
for the guaranteed rights Of individuals,
| waS slow to adapt the strong meba-
ures which by degrees have been.
forced to regard as being within the OK.
Ceptions Of the Constitution, and as in-
dispensablc to the public safaly. Moth.
ing is better known to history than that
courts ofiusiice are utterly incompetent
to such cases.
Civil courts are orpaniacd chiefly for
trials of individuals al most = few indi.
yiduals acting ia concert; and this in
quiet times, and ON charges of crimes
well defined in ,belaw. Even in times
of peace bands Of rse.thieyes and rob.
bcrs frequently grow too numerous and
powerful for tie ordinary courts Of Jus.
lice. But what com parison, in numbers
have such bands ever borne to the in,,
surgent sympatbizers even in MANY ~
| the loyal States? Again a iarp too; e..
oueniy has at least one member more
ready 10 hang the penel than to hang the
traitor. And vet. again, he who dis.
suades one man from volunteering, or
induces one soldier 10 desert, weakens
the Union cause as much as he who kills
Union soldier in battle. Yet this dis.
cussion NAV be 80 conducted as to bo no
defined crime Of which any civil court
would take cognizance.
Ours is case Of rebellion-so coIIad
bv lbo resolutions before me-in fnct
n clcar aagraot csss of rebeIl;on. and
thu nroyision Of the Cohslilu,ion that
"tba nriyilsoe oftho wr;, Of So5s,, ~ ror
ms sbnll not he susnended rnless wbcn
;n oosas oC rohoII;op ~ ;nros;nn IL.
nnbl:c s.rs,v NAV r"cniIe it"is n5c rro, m
pis;,N i whio5 Snccially ann,;a, 10 w o,,,n,o
sont u' coso TbIs NOV; ;s;pp rF ,,l,inIv % a,,osI.
,Io vnJcrs,onJibr of ,boao wbo .'o aaoIo
mo cons,itn,;nn n ot orJin,rv no,,,s ~
;mo,ico oro ;nndsnnoto 70 ro.o0 Of ~
bslIion-a,,e.,s tboir nurrose ,ho, N
such cases. men NAV be held in cpsiodv
whom tho conrts acting nm ord;nory
rules would discIorrc
Uobsas cornus doe, M, 1iscboroe man