The dollar weekly bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1862-1864, 1863-01-01


arrest. They were consequently, 1 suppose,
arrested on suspicion. for the larger portion
of them have been released without trial.
But can say to the Senator from Wisconsin
that during the last session of Congress there
were men confined in Fort Lafayette who
were ready and willing to take the oath and
give the bond required, and yet Mr. Seward
kept them there for months after they were
willing to do so. will instance one case,
that of Hon. Richard H Stanton, of the city
of Maysville, in the State of Kentucky
His brother, who is now in this city, told
m that he was willing to take the oath and
give the bond. and yet it was months before
the prison doors were opened to that citizen.
have been informed, since the Senator
made that statement, by a highly respecta-
Bile gentleman, that Mr.. Benjamin Thomas,
Mr.. Tolle, and Mr.. Hunt, of that city,
were in the same category. The fact may
now as he states; it was not so little while
ago. But ask the Senator in all candor, if
he were arrested in that way upon vague
charges of disloyalty, would he so lower the
standard of his manhood as to be willing to
take an oath unknown to the Constitution
and laws to procure his release? | should
dislike confinement in prison. have no
doubt, as much as any man; but say now
that if should be arrested, before l would
L
languish for life in tn g prison. 1 would look
upon it as an implied aud tacit admission of
the charge. l would stand forth boldly auS &
demand a trial under the laws of my couu-
try. Yes, sir, would want my children
and those who are to come after me to see
that l stood vindicated before the proper
tribunals, the courts of my country. would
do no act that by implication, direct or in
direct, would intimate that l acknowledged
the offense of which I was charged. 1 ad-
mire tho lofty spirit of those gentlemen VINO
refused to take the oaths l do not censure
those who took them. 1t is a matter of
personal consideration entirely, about which
each man must judge for himself.
1 sincerely desire the supremacy OF the
laws Of my country to be maintained. aud L
hope, for the sake of the public liberties, that
the Senators on this hoor who are in amity
vice of the Senator from Ohio. can tell
you, Senators, that the people of this coun-
try are determined that these illegal arrests
shall stop. They have decresd it at the
ballot-box; the voice of an outraged and in
iured people has gone up from Ohio, from
! Pennsylvania, from Indiana. from Illinois,
! from New Jersey, from the Empire State ol
! New York, like leaping thunder, demand
! ing that the Constitution must be maintain
ed and respected, that the prison doors mus
be opened, and the innocent go free; mol
tn at the gallant, lion hearted Democracy o
those States detire the guilty to escape pun
ishment-no sir, no; but they demand thai
the innocent go free, and that the guilty be
punished according to law. L, sir, desire
! the guilty every whore Co be Punlsheu. Ii I
man is guilty of any offense against the laws
! of the country, arrest him and bring him be
fore the proper tribunals, the tribunals or
ganized under the Constitution says he shall
be tried; if guilty, punish him; and in thu
name of the public liberties, if Innocent, lie
him 60 free, That is all ask, and that,
tell you, is the verdict of the people recent
ly rendered at the polls, and such verdict
will continue to be recorded as long as thes
! expressions on the rights of citizens shal
exist. You may get together here, and yo
, may talk until you convince yourselves tha
the people will sustain you in the exercls
of this usurped power; let me tell you tn
voice of the people is against it, they ar
everywhere rising in their majesty to put
, down, and it was one of the chief point
, made against the Administration ia the lat
canvass in the States to which have re
, ferred. ..... ...:....- .s....E.t -..3t IA.
I Mr.. FEssENDEN. Before the honorabl
, Senator sits down win he allow me to as
him question?
Mr.. POWELL. With great deal of plea
sure. g. g.. -.......- ..s
: Mr. FEssENDEN. 1t is rathe to enlighte
3 my own mind, because, perhaps, think
little differently from the Senator upon th
+ subject. My question is this: IT he were
, the head of the Government, and ne wef
9 satisfied in his own mind that an indivldua
; in a time like this, was about to commit
crime the consequence of which would
E exceedingly injurious to the Government
self. and would strengthen the arm OF tb
. rebellion, and there were no other way
= which he could prevent it, would he not al
- rest the individual without law, and ho
4 him by the strong hand for the safety of Il
o people? 1890 :.
). MIR. POWELL. If the individual in IL
case supposed were acting in the charact
J. 0ff GsI spEw Eg,srsDur. Tia. is not the que
j. ton.
Mr.. POWELL. I will answer it all if t
in Senator will allow me. 1t the lndlvldu
- were connected with the armies of the o.
80 position, and infracted the laws of war,
10 would have him arrested and punished ii
~ der those laws; but if he were private CT
70 zen wholly uuconnected with the army, al
n bv this act had not connected himself WI
q it. if thought he had infracted the laws,
to I had him arrested / would hand him oV
ve i,sstanter to civil authorities, to be tried al
mr. punished for the olfense; but if there was
~ law for the offense, would, as an hone
man. have to let him go free, because IT
,1 were President should have sworn that
IN would see the laws faithfully executed, a
hs before God 1 would not pe1ure myself.
That is my answer.
est MI ESsENDEN' WI. ieSlue.U, sne 80 oe
At did not put, but has not answered the gus
m. ton that did put. My question was
nt whether be would without law arrest n
nd that had committed a crime; butt if, in tt
IA ! of public DANGER in a time of rebellion, T