Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-02-28
ypsi fNAixnation.

The BOsson Eeentng Courier indulges In the
following Just Indignation over the report
Of the Secretary of War, touching the SUBJ
ject of arbitrary arrests:
II anything could be fitted TO rouse the
torpid spirit Of this people, so as to bring
forth one burst of indignation from those
who have any CLEANS of spirit left, 1t would
be the report OF the Secretary OF war, as
given in the telegraphic news OF this morn
ing. Let our readers look at It and Judge
for themselves. Two years ago, at the time
that arbitrary arrests were becoming quite
common, and there was sense enough in
some quarters to see their iniquity and dan
ger, and courage enough to demonstrate
against d course of proceedings so fatal TO
the very principles of civil liberty, Con-
gress passed an act requiring that the names
and imputed offenses of persons arrested
for political reasons should be furnished to
the nearest United States tribunals, in order
that the cases should be investigated and
the prisoners put on trial, or discharged If
nothing was found upon which they ought
20 be held. We need not say that this law
has not been complied with, and we are
aware of no case in which trial OF this
description has taken place.
1t now appears that, upon the passage OF
the act specified, the Secretary of War di-
rected Mr.. Holt, the Judge Advocate Gen
eral, to act in the premises; and what is the
result? Mr.. Holt did nothing, because, as
he says, sit not being stated in the rolls"
(that is, we presume, the prison-lists), 'by
whose authority the arrests were made 1t has
been presumed, tor the purpose of the pres
ent lists, that all were made by the author
ity, directly or indirectly, through the Sec
retary of War;" The presumption, we may
l. ho
reverse of that stated by Mr.. Holt; namely,
that if there appeared TO be no authority for
the arrest, the want of authority was to be
implied. And such proves, upon Mr.. Holts
further statement, to be the truth. lie says:
"In point of fact, however, 1t is believed
that the arrests were generally made by
military commanders and provost marshals,
without any intervention on the part OF the
President or Secretary" Thus, the Secre-
tary officially notifies the Judge Advocate
General to put the law into effect, we are
forced to imagine, for the simple Object OF
keeping his own official record good; while
the Judge Advocate General, we are also
forced to conclude, from some private un-
derstanding with the Secretary, presumes
that all these arrests were made "by the
authority, either directly or indirectly,
through the Secretary of War"
Such facts scarcely need comment. For
two years, since the passage of the act in
tended TO relieve political prisoners improp-
erly held, this practice of arrest has been
going on and no relief afforded. Men have
suffered and died in prison without know
ing why they were placed there. Mr.. Holt
presumes, in the absence Of any evidence
to that effect, that they were arrested by
authority of the Secretary, and it proves,
now, as alleged by him, that neither Secre-
tary nor President had anything more to do
with the matter than to permit such out
RACES to be committed, without any inter-
position, on their part, to see the law vindi-
Gated, the wrong righted, the liberty of the
citizen protected. Over and over again,
we have called public attention to the APP
parent course of these proceedings, making
our inferences from what seemed the actual
fact, upon the surface; namely, that citizens
were seized upon by petty officials at various
points in the country and committed to
prison. and that there was no apparent re-
sponsibility for this, except the caprice,
prejudice, or whatever motive, of men thus
assuming such tremendous authority, as it
is when not confined and guarded by the
law. For these honest remonstrances we
have been subjected to all the choice epithets
in vogue against those who do not agree
that all things done under pretended au-
thOrity of government are right. 1t is now
made manifest that, in these cases, there
was no authority whatever; but after three
years of outrage, who is really responsible?