Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1865-01-07
BLOOMSBURY
Saturday Morning, Jan. 7, 1865,
TERMS OF THIS PAPER;
AFTER JANUARY 1sr, 1865.
SO 90 per Year, or
2 so if paid strictly in advance
Mr.. Appleman's Case.

We publish this week tho Petition to
Congress OF William AFpleman, of Benton
township, with the accompanying Docu-
ments, as constituting the most full, &C.
curate and interesting exposition yet given
in relation to the arrest cases from this
County. These papers bear the stamp Of
truth upon their face, and proceed from a
worthy citizen whose voice will command
attention and carry conviction wherever he
is known No part Of the case is kept back
or CLOSED over, but the plain, simple truth
10 given in its integrity.
We have waited patiently for the day Of
vindication for our fellow.citizens arrested
four months since and hurried off with in.
decent haste aud In violation of law, to o
Government Bastle. The time has now
come for ventilating the whole iniqutous
proceeding of which they were victims ;
and the information for that purpose is ac-
cumulatiDg 10 authentic and reliable forms
Mr.. Appleman's Narrative reads like a
story of Austria, Poland or L,mbardy
and reminds one of the mis-deeds of
administration under crowned heads in
former ages. But what is most impor-
lant is mis- exposition of the two subjects
of inquiry uton his trial, to wit : the
Club meeliBgs in 1863 and the Rauz
meeting in August 1864 1t is shown
most clearly and beyond dispute, that the
Club meetings were purely political that
they were held 10 months before the ar
rests were made that they were not or
ganized to oppose any law whatever, ane
that they were, in all respects, innocent
and lawful in their character.
Equally satisfactory is Mr.. Appleman's
explanation of the Rantz meeting, and
particularly Of his connection with it. The
conclusion come to at the meeting was one
of peace, and Mr.. A. was prominent in
contributing to that result. Besides, tho
circu instances under which the meeting
assembled are shown, and allusion made
to the undoubted act that no actual op-
position to the laws or 10 auy officer was
ever made by the citizens. The stories
Of foriifcations, cannon, aud armed or
ganized forces, were false, as we're also the
charges against all the men arrested and
sent to Fort Mifliin from this County. Tb.
recent acquittals of accused men by the
Military Comm ission at Harrisburg, ups
full trial and examination of witnesses,
furnish conclusive proof upon this subject
and will close the mouths of all who have
slandered our people and assisted in their
persecution.
! Bat what shall We say of the open and
shameless violatio ms of law and of justice
in these proceedings aga aust our citizens
What of the enormous and profgate ex-
pense incurred by the military occupation
of our territory ? What of the malignty
exhibited toward innocent men, and of the
stream Of falsehood with which the public
mind was poisoned for months! Who are
to be held responsible for these things
and what reparation shall be made to oul
citizens who have been subjected to out
rage These are questions which deserve
full examination, and We shall recur tc
them hereafter.