Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-03-27
JUDGE rycss' op1a1oN on 1meBE. snENrs

Ina nucE sS!Iatec q ucsSiuu u ithp eeo-'o'SS
BY crder of the Secretary o. War, is settled
| by Judge LJors, against the right and p:o-
p-iety Of imp-essn,nss without previous law
authorizing the s.ne- AS loEs as-the question
| was en- and undecided, and in the sbsenos
Of q law regulating ippressment, The @Enqui-
rer" has sustained the action Of the Govern
| ment in making impressments. This. we ba7e
| done solely b,c,uss Of the object for which i'm
presnen:s we'e aade-ths support and main
taiDance of he army. But the Judgment of the
Courts upon tho law Of the land demand obe-
dieucs and compliance from every good
citizen, and while neither tho right nor pro-
perty Of Individuals should be permitted
to stand IN the way of maintaining and sup
porting the army. ye! the edju2icsted laws
| mus, b, rsapcrte1, ard henca we presume
that inressm:p,s will use unless Congress
los.l:ze s"ch acts. Fortunately The Congress
has before i: j law which will meet all the
points r,2 in tho very abe opinion Of Judge
Irons
Luz CsaSo Va .aaCS u ". " % wv p'SSsi-see
to the court 81 the general question Of i'm
presamebt has been put before the public
the gist Of the prnrrie.y OF itnpressment has
been the great emergency required for the
| support Of tho army. The government h.s al
ways declared that the emergency YVES 90 great
that iupressment only could prevent The ar
my frcw starving.
Upon the quest'ca OF iup1essmcnt as thus
presented, and IN the absence Of shy law to re-
gulate tho same The Eoqnirer" has fels it 70 be
duty to sustsin The government. Eat our cur
prise is very great when we And the govern
msut going into the courts upon Q case which
not only presents no plen Of emergency, ,but
which actually, BY its plesainss, precludes
the idea of any such imminent necessity. The
case, as presented by the government, places it
in the attitude of . wilIful wrong dosr,Wi.hout
law or necessity TO sustain i,a action. Il no
emergency hiss existed, there never has bean
any justification fos imp<essmen.. the me-
csssity CT placing himsslf right before The
country msy compel tho Secretary Of War to
make pubic facts thst otherwise be would
prefer to keep from the enemy. If the emer-
| genoy does exist, it must now, by amended
piead;ngs, DO shown; and if the enemy be-.
COMO possessed of Gcts which it WAC deaira-
BILE they should not know, an evil may yet
result fren this case lar gres.er than the
value Of the -four Of Isaacs & CO.
We have. defended and sustained impress
| raent because we believed TIA. IN urgent ensr-
eeney demanded resort to l.. Tho bill now
before Congress is based upon the idea Of IN
sxistirg emergency. II such an emergency
does exist, this case, Oh the part Of the 60
re'nmsns. hiss been badly managed.
This decision is legal adjudication and
condemnation efimpressmeat, as locg as the
question wss open and undecided, and based
upon an alleged euerssn ey for the support Of
tho army, We have sustained the action of Tho
Government But the question now. Glands
in different light The action Of the Ssese.
ts.y Of War has beaa judiaially condemned.
ard Nc hope viii not 30 persisted 10. We
hops tho qusstion win DO allowed to rsnasn