The Placer herald. [volume] (Auburn, Placer County, Calif.) 1855-1991, 1864-08-27
From the Boston Daily Courier.
AlSBETRAIsY ARRESTS.

those who profess TO speak authoritativelv
for the Administration have been telling the
pubic for year past, that no more arbitrary
breaches Of law in the violation of personal
liberty and the right of trial by jury would
be committed in sections not the seat of
military operations We have never given
this assertion any great credence for we
have long been satisfied that neither the
President, nor his Cabinet, nor his party il
Congress, has the least respect for, if they
have any comprehension of, the principles
OF American liberty. That they would fore
60 any political or personal advantage, there's
fore, which they might suppose themselves
capable Of deriving from the employment OF
irresponsible power that has been SO weakly
and blindly entrusted TO them, was in no
degree probable.
Events daily justify our increlulty, and
warn the people of the dangers which environ
them as the fruits of a war the first GEM Of
which sprang from haired of justice, and
a contempt for the mutual obligations of our
national compact In our news column of
yesterday was despatch which contained
facts pregnant with danger TO every citizen.
SiXtyllive citizens of the State Of Illinois,
under arrest OF charge uumped up against
them by political pponents--(who were,
without question, the persons upon whom
The chief guilt in the affair rested J after lyinc
for weeks in the military prison, at Camp
Yates, awaiting the action of he Federal
Court, were at last lawfully relieved from
arrest, under the act of Congress Of March,
1868, by the failure of the Grand Jury to
lind indictments against them. After the
Grand jury had been dissolved, The prisoners
asked for ha6eaS co,pus, which was granted
by judges Davis and Trent. What were
the consequences? The officer in whose
charge the citizens were, one Col. Oakes,
asked for short delay to communicate with
his superior, General Hentzeman, and
pending the delay thus secured, the sixtv-five
free citizens Of free and sovereign American
State were taken by night, under an order of
Edwin NJ. Stanton, Mr.. Lincolns Secretary
OF War, and forwarded to Fort Doaware!"
Ibis which we have related is an outrage
differing only in the number Of victims from
those that are being continually perpetraled
under the orders Of men for whom The Presi-
dent avows himself responsible and for whom
whether he ayows it or not, he is responsible
under the law, and will be so held by The
people. For instance-a paper Immediately
under our hand, the Washington Union,
contains the following item;
"ARBrGARY ARRESTS We learn that on
Saturday last the government detectives
arrested, without due process Of law, DR.. b.
Duval', Alfred Ray, aud Thomas and James
Noand, OF Montgomery county, Mary land,
and confined them in the Old Capitol prison."
The military prisons of the country are
full OF these victims Of tyrannous usurpa,
ton, as needless and as nefalious as it Is
illegal and destructive of our most precious
rights One, two or three at time, men
charged with no crime are hus taken by
night from their beds, or seized in public
conveyances and abducted by the emissales
of the government. Their friends 90 not
hear of them, sometimes for months. Their
neighbors, if told anything, are informed
that they are suspected OF some offence
against the Government. Time rolls on; the
excitement Of the times causes the event to
be speedily obscured and the victim of ex-
ecutive despotism an@uishes, wearing out
the weary months of Imprisonment, forgot
ten, perhaps, like the old prisoners in the
bastile, even by the power which ordered his
arrest, al The insligation, or upon the iuior-
nation of some underlying official, detective
or what not, whose motives, principles and
intelligence were Of that quality which fits
men 10 fill the office of Government spy.
We do not feel like commenting upon
these things. If the bare rehearsal of them
is not enough, then there is little hope for
this country-little hope for liberty, any
where. There were Americans once, like
the old Brutus, who "woud as soon have
broolied the eternal devil to keep his state"
over them, playing with their lives, their
fortunes and their honor thus as this mot
ley administration of motley President
If they are enamoured of slavery to such a
master they will re elect him, and men Of
the old strain will
-"Creep about.
To find themselves dishonorable graves"
for that will be all that will be left to them
"THE WAR CRIME."-On the Sunday