Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1863-06-06

his best excuse for not doing his duty
under them.
And when judge of the United States
is ignorant of the legislation of Congress
on this head, surely Gen. Burnsides may
be excused for not knowing that Congress,
by the act of July II, 1862, had expressly
provided for the trial by the courts of the
offence he alleges against Mr.. ValanGig-
ham. Nor is it any answer TO say, as Gen.
Burnside urges in his statement made to
the Judge, that eve arc in state of civil
war, and an emergency is upon us which
requires the operations of some power that
moves more quickly than the civi! )" for
it was precisely in view Of such an "cmcr-
gcncy' that Congress passed the act last
July 18th already cited, and il was to eX-
clude the possibility of the arbitrary
detention Of persons held 'as prisoners of
the United States, as state or political
prisoners, or otherwise than as prisoners
of war;" that Congress passed the act
approved on the Sd of March last, and the
sections of which, so far as they relate 10
this case, we have recited above, The in
tervenlion OF a court martial, illegally
charged with the trial of citizen, does
not alter the nature of the imprison ment
of Mr.. Val andigham, who, while deprived
of his liberty, must be regarded in law as
one "imprisoncd by the order or authority
of the President, acting through the De-
partment of War;
If it be ue, as is said, that Mr.. Val
landigham has been imprisoned in Fort
Warren by order Of General Burnside,
confirming the sentence of the court mar
tal illegally charged with the trial of .
citizen for an offence made cognizable by
the courts, it follows that Mr.. Vallandig.
ham is now held as estate or political
prisoner - within the terms Of the act of
Malch Sd, 1868, snd it will therefore be
the du'y. as we doubt not it will be the
pleasure, of Mr.. Secretary Stanton to
report the name Of Mr.. Vallandigham to
the Judge Of the United States Circuit or
District Court which has lccal and legal
jurisdiction of the offence for which Mr..
Vallandigham is now irregularly detained,
that he may he put on trial according 10
the statute made and provided for precisely
such offences as he is alleged to have
committed. His conviction under such
circumstances. would carry with it the
sanction Of Ia'r, and as such would re-
ccive the assent of law abiding citizens and
be a terror to evil doors.
The sentence, as our readers will per.
ceivc, has been commucd by President
Lincoln. The un!awfully convicted "po-
litical prisoner has only been exiled
from hi. family aud home. -AGE.]
I The MtnHecacc' continues:
We have said that we believe it will give
/ Mr.. Stanton pleasure 10 pursue legal
course in procuring regular trial for Mr.
Nallandigham, u der the Constitution and
laws of the laLd, that he may receive JUS
tice or suffer punishment according to his
deserts; for Mr.. Stanton signaiized his
accession 10 office by an 'order,'' in which
lie designated the circumstances that seem
ed to justify, only for a time, departure
/ from ''thc normal course of administra-
/ ton,' at the outbreak Of the rebellion
when the Governmcn' was called suddenly
to meet an "cmcrgency which Congress
had not anticipated and for which it had
not provided" TO this effect he declared
as follows, under his order Of February
ii, 1862
The breaking out of forminable in
surrccion, based on a coufict OF political
ideas, being an event without precedent IL
the United States, was necessarily attend
ed by great confusion and perpexity o.
the public mind. Disloyalty, before un'
suspected, suddenly became bold, and
treason astonshcd the world by bringing
al once into the field military forces supe
rior in numbers to the standing army o
the United States.
Even in the portions of the countr!
which were most loyal political combina
tions and secret societies were formed
furthcring the work Of disunion, while
from motives of disloyalty or cupidty, o,
from excited passions or perverted sympa
thies, individuals were found furnishing
men, money, and materials of wa
and supplies to the insurgents military
and naval forces. Armies, ships, fortiti
cations, navy yards, arsenals, militar.
posts and garrisons, one after another
were betrayed or abandoned to the insur
gents.
rongrcss had not anticipated and S
had not provided for the emergency, TIL
municipal authorities were powerless an