The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1865-04-12

qune groundless and false. Gen. Cadwal-
ladsr's researches upon the upper waters OF
Fishing Creek and on the North Mountain
/ believe were thorough, and should be
held as Satisfactory by he pnbIic authori-
ties. To lhs President Judge Of this dis
trict and to me, he characterized The a!ledg
Ell erection of works of resistance and the
assembling of men il arms to resist The
Government, as "a farce But the arrests
in question were ordered and actually made
before the Norh Mountain was scaled and
before the imposture which had mi-led
men abroad, wss fully exploded Had the
truth been known in the outset, | conclude
would have been spared The composition
OF this letter and you The trouble of perus-
ing it.
But while the imposture'-of ''iie Fish
ing Greek rebellion" remained undelected
before the advance OF Gen. Cad walader
upon The forests OF Suilivan-iorty-iour OF
our citizens were taken into custody and
transported to Fort Mf1in, where forty
three yet remain. With a single possible
exception, none OF them were deserters or
drafted men,. They were farmers and bu-
siness men, having no connection with the
military service of the United States and
many OF them above the age of forty five
years. Neither they nor their friends were
distinctly informed OF The charges assinst
them, nor has the privilege OF giving bail
for their appearance 10 answer, been per-
miued them. And their accusers are still
unknown, as well "a the authority BY which
they were arrested. ! hear il said recently
that their arrest was under an order from
the Provost Marshal General at Washing
ton. in which case you are mol responsible
Tor the order hul oEly for its execution.
These men, thus arrested, have been con-
fined in prison nearly one month, in an i'm
perfectly, ventilated bomb.proof Of Gov
eminent Fort, subjected 10 ve!min and olher
hard-hips, and even II i, can be shown that
they have been guilty, to some extent, Of
impruGenl or criminal speech or action,
.hey have undergone enough 10 satisfy the
demands not only of justice hpt of ven
geance. Besides, two of Them are officers
OF The comfy Ohe one Commissioner and
the other Treasurer) whose attention at
home to public business is necessary.
therefore now make application for their
discharge whhde, fnr.her proceedings or
delay. as measure Of justice aud humanity
warrantsd by the facts and demanded by
public opinion in this section.
-, - 49,,
observation upon the Illegally OF these ar
rests, nor upon The propriety of turning
these men over for trial (if they are 10 be
tried at ally to The proper court of the
United States which holds regular terms in
an adjoining county Cat ,wilIiaasport 1t
is sufficient for my presen, pnrpose TO say,
that The arrests were unnecessary that no
such formidable combination Of men 10 re.
sisi the laws as was slledged, had any ex.
is,euce; and that these men have under
gone already severe and prolonged impris-
onment. | suppose 10 advocate of mill
,ary arrests Of citizens in States untouched
by aclnal war, will pretend that they should
be made except in cases OF. u,moSr urgency,
ner thai punishment in such cases should
degenerate into persecution.
| must add some remarks upon the sub
ject Of keeping troops here. This county
has population Of 80, 1000 and no more
peacefnI, law abidicg district is TO be louud
in the United Slales. For many years the
quarterly Terms of our County Courts have
not had an average duration OF four days
The introduction OF large armed force
here was not therefore provoked by the
general character Of our people, but must
have been occasioned by the particular
falsehoods already mentioned and which
have been fully exposed. With their eS-
posure the reason for an armed force o. oc-
cupaiioa wholly Iailed and a part OF that
force has been Withdrawn. | shall hope
you will find employ ment elsewhere for
the remainder, and if not that you will give
the officers in command stringent orders
against interfering with our elections and
particularly against placing troops al the
places OF election in coniempi of an au-
cieni statute of this commcnweal,h
II remains only TO notice in this commu-
nicaiiou, the two, facts which remain after
freeing the case of "the Fishing Creek in
surecdonr from faIsehood. They are:
Ist. That here, as elsewhere, some drafted
men had failed 10 repor. for duty and 2nd.
That there had been small piQht affray in
which lyoung man named Robinson was
wounded. | have to observe upon these
points tio which The case as originally sta
ted has d dwindIed that for The arrest of the
offender in the afray, single officer, or al
mos, ConstabuIsry force, was adequate;
and that as to the drafted men, though they
were probably imperinent and boasiful,
they were, not numerous nor formidable e.