The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1863-06-03


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a Judicial View.
Judge Byron Psine of the Supreme Bench
Of Wisconsin, Republican Of undoubted
standing, while addressing a Union meeting
in the city of Madison, just succeeding the
arrest of Vallandigham, uttered the follow
ing significant language:
ut is my opinion, also, that there is no
Poscer to try and sentence By court martial
persons not In the military or napaI sercice.
Ii the Administration claims this power,
differ with it. But have no fears whatever
that the President designed to usurp i'm.
proper authority"
We notice that there is a reaction already
among many Of the prominent Republican
journals of the country upon this same
question. Even the Chicago Tribune is
forced to state that the arrest and trial of
Vallandigham establishes a precedent Of
doubtful propriety." The innovations of
the military upon the civil power, and the
suspension Of the constitution and laws of
the land, at the b. OK of shoulderstraps,
cannot long be practiced without alarming
she second sober thought Of the people, and
producing a powerful reaction. For the
above extract Judge Paine may be called
'copperhead;" for our remarks heretofore
in the same vein, We may be called cop
pcshead; for any criticism Of any military
act by any person, that person may be
dubbed with the same odious appcllation
these epithets for while may frightcn the
timid into silence; but sooner or later the
reaction will come
1t is hardly possible that before the expi.
ration Of Mr.. Lincoln's term-one year
from the 4th Of March next-peace or such
condition Of peace to the country as will
permit the entire disbanding of our vast
army, will occur. The executive chair of
the nation may be filled by Democrat
who will undoubtedly hold political views
materially different from those entertained
by Mr.. Lincoln and the Republican party.
How will the Republicans then like the
strong military arm Of the executive which
lsay be raised against them every time they
dare to question his political acts, or crit.
else his style of conducting the war. We
fear this view Of the subject has been en-
tirely overlooked.
Let those who like the arbitramcnt OF
the sword, instead of The law, talk with the
inhabitants Of poor Poland who are strug-
Cling to free themselves from the military
rule Of Austria that they may enjoy sea
son of respite under the egis of law let
them talk with the dispri.cl Ma;yars, or
with any people that are tried by court
martials for every political offense, instead
of courts of justice, and see if they can
And any confost 10 the future under thai
order Of things. ..
1t is unnecessary for us to say that w
sentiments; these columns bear US witness
of that; but We contend that as civilian
not enrolled in the army of the United
States, and resident of an undoubted
aoyal state, he can be tried for treason only
by the civil process prescribed by our laws
entitled to acqu.ttal, if innocent-deserv
ing Of death, if guilty. AS citizen and
wcll-wishcr to the United States Of Ameri.a
deeply solicitous that the effort to divide
this Union may not succeed, and that the
sentiment Of the loyal states should not be
weakened in its unity by distracting ques
tons unnecessarily thrust in, We earnestly
hope President Lincoln will not attemp
another arrest and trial in the mode which
Judge Paine felt called to style usurpa
ton. ...