Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-07-25

army OF fellows i'll the North In the ulSrep-
utable employment of prying into honest
peoples business would, perhaps, make an
army sufficient to capture Richmond by
very force of numbers-for they would not
be likely to do it by the exhibition of NOR
al or other courage. They should either be
made 90 to the front, or to obtain an honest
livelihood, as other people have to do, es-
pecially as citizens, who are helps to the
community, are liable to draft to ill their
| places. H f5 orr #.---..-
ALL OF GEN. M'CLELLAN'S LETTERS OPENED.
1t has become notorious, and it is not a
matter OF one year but of several that Gen
eral McClellan's letters are regularly opened,
and 1t is stated on pretty good authority
| not General McClellan'sauthority, however,
but by people who profess to know-tbat
| the direct reason of his supersedure after the
battle of Antietam, was letter which he
wrote to friend in the irritation he was
under at the absurd orders of General Hal
leck and Mr.. Lincoln, in which some ex-
preston was construed to be reflection
upon the President; and it is said that this
also accounts, in some degree, for the ex-
traordinary personal spite and malice man
ifested against him by the administration.
OF the latter, the recent removal of Colonel
Bowman, and reduction in rank of Lieuten-
tee whicn invited Mcclellan to deliver the
West Point Grafton, are instances. ur.n-Hr
GENERAL FREMoNT's LETTERS OPENED.
In the case of General Fremont, the tam
pering with his letters has become so regu-
lar and palpable that he has found it neces-
sary to have his correspondence addressed
to some fictitious name to receive it in due
time by the regular course of the mail. Tel
egrams to him are also delayed in the same
way, and a singular fatality attends all tel
egrams relating to the Fremont movement.
When the great meeting was held at 81.
Louis, it took two days tor an account OF 1t
to get through by telegraph, and two tele-
grams sent arrived barely in time to be read
at the Fremont meeting in this city. 1t
may not be out of place to mention the fact,
though it may have no connection with the
subject, that when the Fremont convention
was in session at Cleveland, a telegraph op-
orator at Buffalo shut up the office and went
home, imagining that he had heard "Good
night" said to him over the wires from the
West; and thus the late Associated Press
dispatches and a dispatch of over column
to The World from our special correspondent
were delayed at Buffalo all night. The next
night another column and half dispatch
was delayed owing to some arrangement of
the wires.
Mrs. Fremont's private letters to friends are
also opened, and it is stated that on one Oc-
casion it became so annoying that she wrote
to western postmaster that if he would
be kind enough to let her letters pass
through without delay she would mail with
them to him duplicate of each for him to
examine at his leisure.
Several letters inclosing money in the
envelopes used by the Fremont men in this
cit hnN LOT fal
not yet found. ...-.
AFRIEND OF MCCLELLAN A SUFFERER.
The letters of well known gentleman Of
this city who is known to be Democrat
and fast friend of General Mcclellan have
been regularly delayed and opened, so much
so that he made it subject of especial re-
monstrance with the government, and the
fact was not denied that his letters were
watched. Letters of friends of Mcclellan
are regularly watched.
THE CASE OF MR.. HILTON.
1t will be remembered that Chalker, of
custom-house notorIety, succeeded in pro-
curing the arrest of Mr.. Winthrop L. Hill
ton through the postotfice. Somebody, it
is supposed under the advice of Capt. Chalk
er, wrote a letter purporting to be from
Mr.. Hilton to rebel agents in reference to
supplying the Confederate government
with material for making their notes.
Captain Chalker, it is stated, gave informa-
tion of these letters, and they were opened,
and. on this evidence Mr.. Hilton was ar
rested, and is still in Fort Lafayette, al
though his innocence is clearly proved.
Perhaps the administration has forgotten
all about him, and perhaps Capt. Chalker
prefers, for private reasons, that he should
still be kept in custody. There are some,
too, that think that the reason of his con-
tinued incarceration is, that The World of
April 20 published his case, and showed the
manner in which the administration does
injustice, and i'm which the loyal leaguers
dispose of incOnvenient witnesses, and
feather their nests generally.
3 THE MoDUs oPERANDI.
The methods adopted for the opening of
private correspondence passing through
the mails are those most approved by thieves
and mail-robbers. The opening of letters
is brought to such perfection that it is i'm
possible, in many instances, to discover that
they have been tampered with. One meth
cd is said to be as follows: A small tube is
inserted in the corner of the letter, where
it is generally not sealed, and gas blown |
in which acts upon the mucilage, and, by |
its continuous pressure inside, bursts open |
the envelope, with no possibility of tearing |
it or destroying the regularity OF the edges. |
There are other methods, too, by means of
thin knives. aJ 80
It is stated that great many of the let
ters thus detained are sent to the dead-letter
office, the officials being ashamed to forward
them, after so long delay, by the regular
channels. The dead-letter office is found
very convenient in these cases.
WHAT WOULD BE DONE IF THE LAWS COULD
( yiau lu.j l BE ENFORCED. r b lu. ..t-L gG3 /
If this administration had the slightest
'espect for law-not to say decency-there
would be a remedy for these things. But
What law shall be opposed against the
will? The laws againstirobbihg
he mail are of the severest character, as
hey should be; and every one of these spies
ire liable under that law to imprisonment
or term of years; and If ever we should
,e blessed with Democratic administra-
ion they might possibly get their deserts. \
The following extract, from the act of
'ulyl 2, 1886, still in operation, gives the
'enalty even for detalning papers or letters +
Dr, day or two, and applies to hundreds OF
ases, even where the opening and robbing
And be il further enacted, That IL any post
Master shall unlawfully detain in his office /
nv letter, package, pamphlet, or newspa-
er, with intent to prevent the arrival and II
eliyery Of the same, 10 the person or per- b
Dns to whom such letter, package ,pamphleti T.
r NEWSPAPER may be addressed or directed, III
! the usual courseao of the transportation OF B
ne mail, along the route; or IL any post ?
laster shall, with intent as aforesaid. give +
to any letter, package, pamphlet
r NJ xvenaner over another which NAV Daes