Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-03-15

and Sailors Rights.Y Our motto-our dsmano
nov should be equally brief and emphatic--
.aFrse speech aud soldiers Rishss'" -
We demand Free Speech for all citizens
without regard TO party. faction, sect or clique,
whsshss st home or in the "tentsd field" 1t
a one Of III In born rights Of Americans which
they can never permit tsbe taken away or In
fringsd upon, without iOrfsiting all claim to be
called free men ..arg5
Bat we especially demand of men In authori.
ty that they shall respect the rights Of our citi
zyn soldiers. They only differ from other citi
xena In thls-that they are under military law
But military law is not the arbitrary whim or
caprice Of an officer or General or Com
mandsr.in. Chief; but Il consists of as well set
tlsd principles and rules ss the civil or munich
pal Law itself, of which the military law In fact
forms o part. EaEtt III
The soldier, then, in the camp or field is a'
much under the protection Of the law as the
citizen at home. The former is not, as some
seem to think, the slave of irresponsible officers
or authorities. The Law holds, or should be
made to hold, these to as strict an account for
their conduct toward the soldiers under them
and for the orders they issue, as il does sher'
1T or the Judge of civil court. One 10 Just
as much bound BY Law and precedents as the
other. The soldier has his rights as we'll as
any other citizen. and II there be any difference
made, the rights Of the former should be more
carefully guarded and protected.
Some men invested with little brief militia
ry authority, seem to imagine that when citl-
zen volunteers to serve his country as private
soldier, he loses oil the rights he formerly pos
sesssd ss citizen, and at once becomes the
slave Of arbitrary, despotic military authority.
But tbis Ia by no means the case. BY becom-
ing soldier, man is not divested of his
character as citizen. He is still citizen as
we'll as soldier. He is entitled to all bis
rights as q citizen not Inconsistent with his du-
ties ss q soldier. He Is subject to both civil
and military Law, and is entitled to the protec-
tion and guarantees of both for the two, as
was remarked before, constitute but one code,
having the same sanction, and equally binding
on officers and men.
We demand, therefore, that the legal and
constitutional rights Of our citizen soldiers
shall be accorded them In their full measure
and to their full extent. The private soldier
should be fully and promptly paid his scsnty
pittance II every other Government creditor
goes unpaid. No tax will the people pay more
cheerfully than that what they know goes
directly to pay Off as fast as they become due
the wages of our brave soldiers. More than
this-the soldiers are entitled I'd substantial
healthy food and comfortable clothing; to the
best medical attendance and nursing when sick,
aud 10 be carefully guarded from unnecessary
or careless fatigue and exposure.
But there Is among others enc important right
which our soldiers are entitled to demand, and
which every good and patriotic citizen will unite
In demanding for them. IL is the right to use and
enjoy as far as possible the same means of in
formation 90 to public affairs that their fell
Iow-citizsns In civil life possess and enjoy. In
plain words, the same newspapers, pamphlets
and books that sre allowed to circulate outside
should not be excluded from the camps or lines
Of the army. There should be no censorship of
the press ia the army that is not established all
over the country. The establishment of such
censorshipis calculated, If not intended to bring
on direct conflict between citizens and soldiers;
because the former possess means of informa-
ton which are withheld from the latter, and
may be prompted TO different and conflicting
course of thought action.
Il Is expected that Ohio soldi ers, wherever
they may be, will vote at our mex. State cleo
tion. II 10 the right-it is the duty of these
soldiers to be informed as to our State and gen.
ersl politics. They should have the opportu.
nifty to hear both sides-all sides as far as
practicable. Yet We every day hear Of mill
tary orders excluding certain Democratic pa
pers from the army lines. Other facts daily
come to our knowledge, showing that Demo-
cratic and Conservative journals are subjected
10 . rigid military censorship, and when direct
cd to the soldiers, are withheld from them,
while every facility and encouragement is af-
Borded 10 the circulation among the soldiers of
he most rabid Abolition journals, speeches and
racts.
The object plainly is to aboltioaise the army
y taking from the soldiers the right to have
md read such papers and political documents as
ire open to their fellow citizens. The paper
has father reads at home is denied to his
on In tho army; the tract that mother sends
her dazzling boy in the camp that boy isnot per-
nitted 10 see, because 1t does not square with |
he political sentiments of some one In author
ty over him; the speech that has delighted
1sother at home muht not be read by the broth
sr In the csmp,or field, because. forsootb, some
Abolition blackguard has called the author of |
he spesch Busternnt OF q Coppsrhead, and the
so1g that has been sung by loving sister.
WhiIe her heart was fall Of sadness at the peril
10 which her dear soldier brother was exposed,
has brother must not see, because some mill.
,ssy censor thinks Il contains sentiments that
10 mot accord with his style Of Abolition
|ogslsy. 0
In the name of the soldiers--in the name Of
our common country, its Constitution and laws,
Ne protest. against this petty tyranny and usur-
,siIon Of authority. The soldiers are gener.
a. g. E-o-, hn,,a nd fr;nn1a anI liftla of IN