East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1864-10-26


outed ms to enforce obedience to tho
obligations of the constitution, and
the laws passed in accordance there
with and that they shall not be SO
prosecuted as to reduce to a position
Of inferioIity any Of the States, or to
interfere with their State governments,
or to abolish slavery within their
limits"
In August, 1864, he made most
able argument against the contisca-
ton act, in which he was warmly sec-
onded 10y Hon. Alexandria s. Diven,
the present republican Provost Mar
shall Of this division Of the State, and
others of the same side. While yield
ing support to all legitimate measures
for putting down the rebellion and
restoring the Union, he has firmly and
consistently resisted all the fanatical
and insane edicts and acts Of the exc
cutive and Legislative branches Of the
government. He has always insisted
itary principles between the two arm
les and having the peace restored at
the earliest moment between the peo-
pie Of the North and South. Against
the infamous measure introduced by
Thad. Stevens and adopted by par
tisan majority, to indemnify the Pres
ident and all others for susponding the
writ Of haJeqs corpus and their unlaw-
full ard arbitrary acts in pursuance
thereof, Mr.. Pendleton, on the 22d of
December last drew up the following
protest which was signed by himself
and the other members of the House
whose names are attached and which
at this time possesses no little inter
est:
| "pRoTEsT.
"ResoIrcd, That the following pro-
test of thirty-six members of this
House against the passage of House
bill No. sol be entered upon tho
Journal:
-.' On the 9Th day Of December, A.
ID. 1862, and during the present ses-
sion of Congress, Mr. Stevens, Of
Pennsylvania, introduced the bill No,
sol, entitled, An act to indemnify the
President, and other persons, for sus-
pending tho privilege of the writ OF
haJeas corpus, and acts done in pursu-
ance thereof and after its second
reading moved that its consideration
be made the special order for the
Thursday then next ensuing, which
motion being objected to, he moved
the previous question, and this being
sustained, under the operation thereof
the bill was read third time, and
passed.
'sThe bill involves questions Of the
gravcst Importance. 1t provides that
all suspensions Of the privilege Of tho
writ Of habeds corpus, al arrests and
imprisonmonts upon whatever pre-
texts and by whomsoever made, under
the authority Of tho President, how
ever arbitrary or tyrannical or unjust.
!, era saaafgsasd. ..paaa Valid and
cuted or assisted to the execution of
any such acts are discharged from oil
liability, whether to tho State or to-
individuals, in respect thereof and
that the proceedings against them OF
every nature, whether for the recovery
of damages or for the infiction Of
punishment, commenced or to be
commenced are discharged and made
void. 1t also provides that the Presi-
dent may, during the existence of this
rebellion, at any time and anywhere
throughout any of the United States,
and as TO any person, suspend the
privilege Of the writ of habeds corpus.
"The bill is framed upon the idea
that the facts recited were Illegal and
without just cause or excuse; that
they were violations Of the rights Of
the persons arrested and imprisoned ;
and that for them redress might be
had in the courts Of the United States,
by resort to the peaceful, regular and
ordinary administration of the law
1t is framed upon the idea that tho
citizen was arrested without the ex-
: istence OF crime on his part, or even
: probable cause to suspect it, and that
in making such arrests, the substance
as we'll as the form, Of those provis
ions of law intended to secure person
0 al liberty were entirely disregarded
D 1t makes no exception Of those cases
in which the arrests have been made
, With malice, and the imprisonment
: have been inflicted with circumstance
:, of brutality and cruelty--in which th'
/, public good has been made the clocl
4 wherewith to cover the qualification o
!, political amin osity or private hatred
Q 1t distinguishes in nothing betweei
i tho cases in which an honest mistake
has been followed by its immediate
a correction, and cases in which malg
: nifty has been enabled, by false pre-
: tences, to procure the arrest and pro
: long the Imprisonment, TO the loss 0
Q property, tho destruction of health
s and, in some instances, the insanity
n suicide or lingering death Of the un
happy victim. 1t distinguishes II
d nothing betwecn the active officer
# jealous in the full discharge of hi
y official duties, and the basc rniscrea,
d who volunteers to assume the degrad
ing character Of spy and informei
: that he may, with moro effect, and Sc
cretlv, use the falsehood which th
l. venom Of his heart prompted him I
,f invent. IT proposes TO cordene a
|; offence, to protect al offenders, and
is take away all redress for injuries
le however gr, at. or with whasevcr ci'
I cumstances OF nggrayation or bad ms
J. tive inflicted.
N "lf tlrese acts hasl been done in a
10 cases from the purest motives, with 6
to eye single 10 the public good, with
t. little aggression us possible on priva'
" rights, with all circumspcction an
s, care that only those wlso were real
" guilty should euiler ssch conhnemol