Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-11-11

and military discipline, and with frauds
towards the New York elections, in that
they forged the names of officers to SOL
diers to show what purported to be bal
lots of said soldiers, to be used at the
election to be held on November Sth.-
They are also charged with falsely and
fraudulently issuing divers and sundry
blanks which purpOrted to be signed by
officers and soldiers in the military SER
vice Of the United States authorizing
certain parties to cast their votes at the
ensuing election with intent to defraud
the true elector of his rights.
MIR. Wettel, one Of the counsel for the
prisoners, pleaded to the jurisdiction of
the court, arguing that the court had no
jurisdiction over the parties; secondly,
over the subject matter; thirdly, that
the matter was not within the jurisdic-
tion OF the national government; fourth,
that it was Il subject over which the ma
tiOnal government had never legislated :;
and fifth, that there was no law of the
Federal government authorized the ju-
risdictiOn of a military committee for
the trial of any one not in the military
service of the United States.
Mr.. Gillett argued that the Federal
tribunal had not in any way or manner
authorized the trial of persons by Il Fed
eral court for crimes committed against
the laws Of any State or States. II the
accused had committed a crime it was
only violation of statute of the State
of New York, and consequently the tri-
bunal of the United States had no .jurls-
ldictiOn.
If an Ofiense had been committed, it
was against the laws of New York, and
\ Ia hpI ha fx
and modes Of trial and punishment. If
an o1tense was committed in any other
State against a law Of the State Of New
! York under the eXtradition law, the
party charged with the crime is liable
to be taken to New York. II the parties
here chargbd have not committed q
crime against the State Of New York it
must appear af1irmatiyely that the
crime is one against the statute laws Of
the United States. as il has been decided
that there can be no otfenSe against the
United States unless it is specially made
by statute, it is not averred that the
prisoners have committed an offense
against the statutes Of the United States
there are no common law Otfenses in the
United States, and it expressly rules
that what are common law Ofienses of
England are not law ottenses against
the United States. No offcnse, such as
these prisoners are charged with, has
been created by statute of the United
States, consequently this tribunal has
no jurisdiction. The court then assumes
Jurisdiction, for no power has been con-
ferred on it to try such eases.
NEW YORK, Nov. 3.-The CONNER
ci0t's Washington dispatch says the in
formation of plots to destroy northern
cities comes to the State Department
from official sources. In the provinces
the authorities of the various cities
have made ample preparations against
the raids. Commanders OF Federal
to inflict summary punishment.
Capt. Pennock, commanding the
Mississippi Squadron, reports that base
frauds have been perpetrated on the
sailors by election agents.
| Mai. Gen. Butler arrived here this
morning, accompanied by members of
his staff.
| WE'LL PUT ToGETHER.-At Prin-
ter's Festival at Boston, short time
since, the following capital toast was
drank:
| The Edit0q'-The man that is expect
ed to know everything, tells all he
knows and guesses at the rest to make
known his own good character, establish
the reputation Of his neighbo and elect
all candidates to office; to blow up eve
ry body, suit everybody, and reform the
world to live for the benefit of others,
and nave the epitaph on his tombstone,
"Here he lies at last" In short, he is
locomotive runner on the track of pub
lie notoriety; his lever his pen; his
boiler is filled with ink his tender is
his scissors his driving wheel is public
opinion; whenever he explodes it is
caused by the non-payment of subscrip-
| tons.
| NEW YORK, Nov. 4.-The Times
| Washington special says:
| Ferry has been convicted and sen-
fenced to State prison for life. On his
| trial he made formal confession, and is
Inow disposed to be more communica-
tive. Hesays that he had been for some
! time previous TO his arrest sick of the
whole business, and was only waiting
to receive replies to letters addressed by
him to Peter Cagger and other prOmi-
nent Democratic politicians in New
York, which would prove their COM
plicity beyond peradventure, when he
intended to voluntarily make complete
texpositon of the whole thing, and that
| if the arrest of himself and ccnfederates
had been postponed another week he
would have been able to fix the guilt of
the whole transaction. from its infancy,
where it properly belonged.
| This morning Capt. J. f. Gaynes, of
the 18th z. S. Infantry, arrived from
the front, having in charge Lieut.. Mur-
phy. of the 7th New York Artillery,
| who, it is stated, is implicated in the
election frauds by signing the blanks
Murphy was arrested by order of the
Secretary of War, and has been commit
ted to the Old Capitol to await an inves-
Jigation.
The Worlds special says: The New
York commissioners left for Albany to-
day, having failed to accomplish the
objects of their mission. Their report,
together with all correspondence held
with Government, will be delivered into
Governor Seymour's hands on their
arrival.
Late rebel newspapers give us the
particulars of the move of Gen. Hoods
army from Gadsden, Ala, toward Gain
tter's Landing, on the Tennessee river.
The most astounding results were
prophesied, but, says correspondent
of the Savannah Republican, it is to he
regretted that Gen. Hoods army is so
badly provided with blankets and shoes
in this extraordinary movement ; even
whole regiments are barefoot and have
: no blankets.
The garrison of Atlanta has about g.
1000 effective men.
The Richmond Sentinel, the official
organ of jeff. Davis, strongly advocates
, the placing of slaves in the rebel army.
Gen. Lee, in his official report of the
, surprise of our pickets in front of Pc
tersburg, last Sunday night, claims that
our lines were swept for half a mile
and 23O of our men were captured.
New YORK, Nov. 5.-Late rebel news
) papers contatin little concerning oul
!, movements. Some of them appear tc
have caught our present Northern polit
ical contagion.
Tho Rich ,nond TFhi0 is diSpystad with