Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-11-16
Arrest of a Butler County Editor
for. treason.

From The Cincinnati Enquirer. Nov. Is
On yesterday, Mr.. John McElwee was
brought down from Hamilton, Butler coun-
ty, in this State, where he was arrested on
an Indictment found against him by the re-
cent Grand Jury for the U. s. Southern
District Court of Ohio. The Indictment
against Mr.. McElwee contains four counts,
the first being, shat as a traitor to the
Government of the United States, on or
about the 21st of july" &c. The second
count charges him with ''inciting, stirring,
promoting, assisting, giving aid and COM
fort to the rebellion, insurrection and war
against the United States of America, in a
certain public newspaper called the Hamil-
ton True Telegraph, did write, print and
publish, and circulate to and among 5000
subscribers, false, malicious, wicked and
traitorous article, and publication of'and
concerning the Government of the United
States, and with intent to bring the said
Government into disrepute, and into dan
ger and contempt, in the words and figures,
and of the tenor and effect. as follows:
"To THE PATRONS OF THE TRUE TELE-
GRAPH.-For the very brief period during
which we expect to control this paper, the
object of its conduct will be the following:
Believing that reconstruction of the Fed
eral Union is now impossible-that the war
ure, and that its further prosecution will
end in the subversion of the remaining lib
critics of the people, we shall, therefore, ad-
vocate an immediate cessation of hostilitics,
and the appointment of commissioners en-
powered with authority to treat, subject to
the approval of the people of the remaining
States of the United States, with the repre-
sentatives from the Confederate States of
America, upon all questions incident to just
and honorable terms of Separation. To the
end that this may be accomplished, we shall
ignore the discussions OF all past issues, in
the belief that it is now useless and too late
to review, with profit, the causes which
have brought us, as apeople, to our present
never forget that at least three-fourths Of
our political opponents are as sincere in
their convictions of right and patriotism as
we ourselves are, and that many OF them
already begin to realize the terrible future
in store for them if speedy peace is not at
tanned. They, too, begin to understand the
great truth, that personal liberty, dignity
and happiness are not necessarily dependent
upon territorial extent, and that the freeborn
citizen of the mountain-girt republic Of San
Marino, with its 30 miles of territorial do
main, is freer and happier than the serf
who bows in abject submission to the I'm
pcIldl Will VI tuc NZdT VI Ill Ult IIusSldS.
Much as we may regret the imperative
necessity that compels us to abandon the
once cherished dream of an ocean-bound
Republic, destiny, through the bad passions
of men, has entered its inexorable decree,
and wise will we be if through its accept
ance the black mantle of death, which has
SO long hung over us, shall give place to
the silvery veil of peace. 1t is our settled
conviction that the war, if protracted, will
bring anarchy upon the North, and ulti-
mately some form of despotic government.
On the contrary, we are as firmly convinced
that separation of the belligerent sections
will bring us order and liberty. With this
understanding of the issue before us, who,
that claims to know the rights of an Ameri-
can citizen, shall gainsay our right to discuss it
fully and freely. j. MCEL WEE"
The third count is based upon an article
published i'm the telegraph, on the 21st day
of July, 1864, headed "The Grand Swell.n
Mr.. McElwee was taken before the
Court during its yesterday mornings ses-
sion, by the Marshal, and was held in $4,000
bail, for his appearance on the 10th, when
he will be arraigned, his plea taken, and
the case set down for trial. Hon. Alexan-
der Long went his security.