Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-06-17
ARREST OF JOHN mitchell.


US of the arrest of John Mitchell, the brilliant ant
gifted editor of the New York News, lately
connected with the press of this city. The Time!
furnishes the following account of the affair:
Mr.. John Mitche, one of the editors OF the
New York Daily News, and recently OF one OF the
Richmond papers, was arrested yesterday at his
Office and sent to Fortress Monroe. The pnbliC
were first informed OF the fact by two large pla
cards in front of the News Office, on which was
printed the announcement that John Mi chel had
been arrested by military power and carried oil.
Naturally among his friends this summary pro-
cesding caused considerable surprise and mole
alarm. Ne Their surprise nor alarm were, how
ever, of the least avail. Mr.. Mitchels career
was suddenly ended, and the world moves on.
The facts connected with the arrest are as fol-
lows: IL had been determined a week ago by
the Washington authorities that Mr.. kitcheIs
arrest should be speedily made, and his jJurnal'
istic opportunities suspended for the present.
For reasons entirely satisfactory, the matter was
deferred until yesterday, when Gen. Dix detailed
Lieut. William II. Morris, OF the Twentieth New
York Battery, and Detectives Elder and Kelso AZ
the capturing party. Taking a carriage they
lode to the office of the News. They were shown
TO the office OF the proprietor, Mr.. Benjamin
Wood, to whom they simply remarked that they
desired 4 see Mr.. Mitchell. This being matter
OF frequent occurrence excited no surprise or
apprehension in Mr.. Woods mind, aud he con-
Quoted them To the adjoining office, in which
sat the object Of their visit, busily engaged in
writing.
Touching him on the shoulder, one of the Of
fcers announced his Grand, when Mr.. Mitchell
desired him to remove his hand, and Lieut.. Nor.
ris interfering, said Take your hand off, OFF,
Ger; Mr.. Mitchell will go with you without any
difficulty" Entering the Office Of Mr.. Wood,
Mr. Mitchell said I'm arrested" 10 which Mr..
r.pIinH that hn laaunl IL a n an
that he extremely regretted il. Without further
words and without delay, Mr.. Mitchell went 10
the door, entered the carriage with the party,
and was driven TO headquarters. He was there
informed as 10 the nature OF the order received
by Gen. Dix which was peremptory aud entirely
without discretionary power, and then was taken
quietly to the small boat OF the Generals private
steamer, the Burden, which lay with steam up
in the North river, waiting for her solitary pas
senger.
Information of every kind is deniei the press
by the officers on duty at headquarters. Whether
they know any more about it imam we is mat
lei of question; but their orders are precise, and
they cannot break them, even to oblige the pub
lie.
The more intimate political friends of Mr..
Mitchell have been in readiness for this phase in
his checkeIed career, and II is said that a habeas
was prepared for the emergency but uniOrtu-
nately Tor him, long before his friends knew Of
his apprehension he was gOns and the places
which knew him before, knew him no nOie there
after. IL is .lieved by many that letter writ
ten by Mr.. Mitchell in yesterdays News was the
immediate cause of his arrest.
Unless We are greatly mistaken, we think it
will be found that Mr.. Mitchell is held TO answer
for giving aid and comfort 10 the enemies of the
United States, especially in regard TO the treat
meat OF our prisoners. The government, We have
been informed, is in possession u testimony on
auhiaet " liph made lia st matter OF
absolute ecsssiy.
We understand that Mr.. Mitchel's family will
rea Ia this city from the South to-day or to-moI-
row.
The letter referred to by the Times" as the
possible cause of Mr.. Alitchers arrest is as fol-
lows:
Mr.. NTcHEL's LETTER.
NEW YORK, June 10, 1866.
To the Hon. Benjamin Wood, Proprietor Of the
Daily News;
DEAR SIR. As my arrival in this city, and con.
nectiOn, as an editorial contributor, with your
journal, has OccasoLed mach hostile comment
from some other newspapers OF New York, which
pers st in teTming me rebel and loudly call for
my punishment as traitor | think it desirable
that should once for all define my position
as that seems 10 be a subject OF some interest to
d portion of the public.
% lOuk d5 u DouNlclA NbultuGAdN1 tAiHltu
was a Confederate, a seceSsionist, or what some
persons choose TO term a rebel. FIR IN the mo-
ment OF General Johnst)n's surrender TO General
Sherman, at Greensboro, | perceived that the
cause OF the c. niederacy was utterly Loot. There
was no longer u Confederate Government, 1t had
dis ppeared from human eyes and inasmuch as
q country cannot be without government, and
the only government then in fact subsist-
irg being the Federal Government of the
taa | atyaA that
instant, full obedience. which obedience | at
once yielded in good faith, as think my fellow
citizens at the South very generally did at the
sane time and for the same reason. | am there.
lore no longer a sectssOnst nor q rebel but
Unionist and a lawful citizen.
BY appeal to arms in assertion of the right 10
sscede, the Southern States accepted beforehand
the arbitrament Of that sOvereign tribunal. 1he
decision has gone a. ainst them Lo matter by
what means, or by virtue of what Overwhel-
ming odds-against them ii is. And believe
that all Southern men Of high and honorable
character do frankly accept the new position that
war has made for them, aud acknowledge the
duty of applying themselves To the task OF recon-
structng aud re establishing their society upon
the basis OF the Union and the Constitution Of
the United States. This they will assuiedly do,
If they are permitted 10 do IL in peace; il the
successful tiOveTnmt mt do not trampe them into
the earth or torture them by prosecutions for the
crime of having asserted right long known 10
have been claimed by most Southern politicians,
and admitted by many AZ tie North also.
The institution of Slavery is virtually abolished
on this continent. The irrepressible conflict be.
tween Free Labor and slave Labor has come;
and Slave Labor has gone down. To this, also,
the Southern people submit On this point also
they accept the decision of the war, aud If they
do 50 with reluctance and regret it IS but just 10
them ID say that in most cases their sorrow Is
more for the fate which threatens that unhappy
race they have protected so long, than for the
loss OF tie money value Of tier slaves which
mouey.value indeed was less than nothing, mas.
much as they could at all times have had labor
on cheaper terms.
Some newspapers taunt me with inconsistency,
in toat stood up for Liberty in my native cOun-
try, and then came and advocated Slavery here.
| cannot perceive the Inconsistency. The liberty
which | sought for Ireland was national in epen-
dence only and that only was what sought for
the South. wished that Ireland should have
the power TO regula her institutions in her own
way,and | wished the Southern States 10 have
the ZANE power. | wished to repeal an enforced
&c Union" Of Ireland with England, and wished
to resist the enforcement of an Union between
Virginia and New York. Where is the inconss-
tencyl
Others psrsiste1tly charge me with having
written everything Objectionable TO them which
they can rake up out Of the columns of the Rich
mond Enquirer and the Richmond Examiner for.
some years past. was never, at any time, the
editor of either OF those journals. refuse TO be
responsible for ali that appeared in them; never
re id their personals" and never used that me.
dunn TO give aid and comfort to The enemy, or
either OF tue enemies. Further, ! never, by
writing or speech, approved of any maltreatment
or starvation Of Federal prisoners at the South.
Nor was aware that there ever was any maltreat.
lent or starvation. The orders, as knew, were
to give those prisoners the same rations which
Con ederate soldiers received; and understood
that those orders carried Out. To be sure Con.
federate rat.ons were sometimes meagIe enough
but must he excused if decline to believe all
the dreadful stories told about this matter, or, in
deed, aboui anything else, by witnesses befuIe
the military gentlemen at Washington.
What more must deny never recommended
the roasting Of my fellow.creatures with vitroI