The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1864-12-21


and mprisomsni, upon charges clearly cog
nizable in the civil courts Of the State and
o. the Unied States. With the question ol
the guilt or innocence OF these men. (and
believe them truly innocent OF any dellber-
ate infraction OF fhe law,) ] have, in this
place, nothing TO do. II is the startling fact,
| that forty -four men, of good repu'e in their
respective ueIghborhoods, some of whom
had held places of high public trust aud
honor should be ss iZed By soldiery IN the
heart OF This peaceful aud loyal State, drag
ged oil to 8 noisoDe military dung eon, and
there kept Tor months, wiibou, being con-
fronted by an accuser; one CT them in the
meantime dy ing, as is believed, from suit
ferrIng thus; another becoming bllCd from
his confinement, while most oil The others
still coniinue shu, up in Fort Mif1in-a
damp, island fort, constructed more with a
view OF resisting bombardmeni, than any
Thing else A brave old name desecraied !;
"a fortress associated with many proud rec
objections and memories OF our ioreathers'
struggle for freedom turned into bastlle
Tor the uses oil modern tyranny
This is not all, nor in my view the worst
OF The case-if ii is 10 be established as
precedent These men are being drawn
out. one by one, TO be tried before a trIbu-
nal unkaown 10 The Constilutlon-caIled a
Court Do, tial, in which they are denied The
privilese-priceIess in freemAn's estimate
-oi trial by jury of their Psers, and OF
the vicinage
! should imp Iedly impugn your inielIi-
gerce aud love OF freedom, ellow-citlzeus,
by offering here any elaborate discussion OF
this sacred right OF trial 5y jury No work
OF tyranny so stirs the inmosI depths OF ev-
cry freeman's heart, as any attempted in
frIngement OF this precious principle Of
liberty, which has come down 10 US un-
trammeIled and unim paired from The days
OF Magma Chdrta 10 the present moment.
The very idea ol MiluGy Commission slt-
ting in the heart oil our faithful, Iaw>abldlng
old Commonwealth, 10 Try anything but
simply breaci es of military law and regu
Iaiions is monstTous and unbearaoe. Our
Legislature iairIy humbled itself 10 subser
vlency, 10 passing laws puuIshing any re-
slstance, by word or deed. TO the conscrip-
ton laws OF Congress and Congress IN
It's turn has piled enactment on enactment
now endorsing our gracious Presidents
procia nations OF martial law, and next re-
straining them-buI all The while Pointing
10 the civil courts as the proper tribunals to
try tae class OF offenses newly announced
shall say, created, by both President aud
Congress-Lord and Masters OF a submis-
sive people.
submit, fellow citizens, whether II is
not the duty OF the TWO hundred ard sew.
enty-six thous lnd Democrats of PeunsyiVa-
MIA. to inqnire mo this alarming violation
OF those great principles OF human rights
which even no monarch on the throne OF
our English ancestors since The da'e OF
Jfaena ChartG, ever yet invaded with i'm
PANTY and no administration OF our Gov
eminent ever before dared 10 infringe, even
in the slightest degree! The tate, Ia day,
OF these men of Columbia county, if inno-
cent, may be ours Tomorrow. Besides, II
il really has come 10 pass, that the OLD laws
OF The land require enforcement by bayo-
neis. aud the new ones introduced, and
uboui to be introduced, need the same Illus
lrslion aud support, it must at least be in
;eresuug to the people 10 know IT, and be
prepared TO yield uP gracefully all our
cherished principles OF civil freedom baP-
ized IN The bleed OF the fathers OF The rev.
olution, aud equealhed 10 US as their ines
Unable legacy
True, we had the boastful announcement
OF the Secretary of Sale at Washington,
lha; the suspension of the writ OF hd6eaS
corpus placed every independent heart in
the lend under his gaolership and we had
also The practice of Secretary SIanton's
satraps in various places in other States.
showing the same grand estimate OF his
powers 5ut, that military commissions
and secret trials WITHOUT JURIEs, we're 10 be
substi uied ior proceedings in the civil
courts Of lhe conE;ry, in cases clearly de-
fined by statute law as belonging exclu-
sivey 10 their jurisdiction, is a state OF
things which could not have been iully
contemplated by the people oi Penusyiva
MIA at the late election. We really seem
to be fast reaching the condition oi the Ger
man Baron of olden lime, who, ia order 10
provide the means for maintaining his
castle against assaiIants, morgased it 10
some neighboring ShyIocks, who seized and
u - D.
on's defenses were completed. Or, in plain
er words, in conducting whal appeared at the
outset TO be proper struggle TO sustain the
powers of the Constitution and the SUI
premacy of the laws over the Southern
States, we are now sinking the same vital
principles here at home
Who is responsible for this position OF