, 1863-06-07
ARBITRARY ARRESTS,
The Opinion OF Stephen a. Douglas
Something for CoppcrheAdH and Con-
NcrVRx1Ye6 to Rea0.

Every disloya1 sheet and every cowari1y
one, erery treason shrieker, and every. stick
lcr for legal technicalities and cobwcbs are
Just now brawling themselves hoarse about
"arbit1ary arrests" Of dangerous and sedi-
tious characters. They are infinitely more
solfcitous about the forms Of Law than for the
preservation Of the Government. And now,
when the Union reels and singers in the tre-
mendous struggle with the shareholders re.
be1lion, the Copperheads and leatherheads
are splitting their th1oats In denunciation Of
"military despotism," arbitrary arrests"
and "brutl soldiers" And Jet many Of
these persons have the supreme effontery to
call themselves I" jackson and Douglas Demo-
ctats.''
In I late number We gave narration Of
what Jackson did, in the tanous New Orleans
case, md recounted the circumstance of the
s'mtlitary arrest" Of Loual1ler aud Judge
Hall. We now publish what Judge Douglas
kaid Oh the floor Of Congress on the subject
Of military arrests in time Of war, and COM
mcnded it to the especial attention Of " Doug
las Democrats" The speech was delivered
on the 9Th day Of January, 1876. Read:
eeasity n pad The Glorious effects resntins as hs;
from the course which that necessity prompt.
ed, wGfe acknowledged By the whole country,
and Ae would even say By the whole civilized
world. Then, Us far as this bill was con
cerDed, he {Mr. D. cared not whether their
aels we're legal Or illegal. He cared not
thority OF not. If his acts were Necessary to
the defence Of the country, that aece*sity .oas
abote al lam. Gen. jackson hazarded every
thing; he hazarded life and reputation On
s1hnt step, which might render him immortal
If 1t saved the country, or, On the contrary,
made him ignomiuious, and q by-word md q
zrproach; and the man TINT dared to do that,
deserved the protection and the p1audits OF
his country. &c did not envy the feelings of
that man that would get up aud talk calmly
and cooily, under euch circumstances; about
4zls Of court, and tec1,aiea1isies Of proeeeding,
and TIE danger ef ezdn.p@t, when the city might
be committed. What we're rules Of court but
mere cobwebs when they found IN enemy
with his cannon at the doors of their courts,
and Whep they saw the flames encircling the
cupola. Talk then about rules Of court and
would do thst wonid fiddle while thc capitol
was burning. fsensation.l He enried not
any man the possession Of such stoical phi
losophy. Talk about illegality! Talk about
f"rmalitlesi Why, there was but one form
altty TO be observed; ana that was the f0rH1-
atty Of directing the cannon, and DESTROYING
il be By tie seizure Of cotton bags, Or the seiz-
ur Of persons, il the necessity Of The ea@ required
it. The God Of nature has conferred this right
on men and nations; and therefore let him
not be told that 1t was unconstitutional. 10
defend the country, la hin not bs told kadt il toas
unoonst 1,tional to ,tac tie necessary means. The
Constitution YVES adopted for The protection
Of tie country; and under that Constltution,
Tie nation. had the right to ereTeise au tae opers
that toee necessary for The protection Of ae coan-
yation Of the country, martial Iaw s1as legal
for that purpose. If It was necessary for a
Judge, for the preservation Of order, to punish
fur Contempt, he thought 1T was necessary for
II general to exercise q control over his can
aud to intercept communications With the
enemy. If this Was necessary, all this was
Legal. =