Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1865-02-24
Ths s.atu. OF Polltl..l PrI.on.r..

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The Status OF Political PrIsonsrs
The Secretary of War in reply to a
resolution of February 18th, has trans,
mttted to the Senate a communication.
relative to persons held as political prison.
ers. BE states that upon the passage of
the act of March Sd, 1853, he directed
Judge Advocate Holt to commence pro-
ceedings against all such as should not bs
released under the provisions Of the act.
The prisoners were confined at st. Louis.
Alton, Louisville, Sandusky, Wheeling.
Camp Chase, Fort Lafayette, FortMcHenry.
Fort Delaware and in the Old Capitol.
1t not being generally stated il the rolls
by whose authority the arrests we're made,
says Judge Holt, it has been preIumed, for
the purposes of the present list, that all,
were made by the authority, elder direct
ly or indirectly, Of the President, acting
through the Secretary of War In point
of fact, however, It is believed that the
arrests were generally made BY military
commanders and provost mArshals. with
President or Secretary TIE cases of
guerrillas, it seems, and such a are clearly
trisble by court martial were not general
ly included in the list, neither were the
cases Of paEties confined .uuSs se9tences
of military courts. Those sIntS itah,sa In the
list were those awaiting chkEgs stages.
refugees, rebel, disi6ya etC.tssf -.
The Secretary says that prior to t6Gr
passage of the act hs had taken measures
to examine and determine the class of
State and political prisoners, by appoint
ing commissions to examine the prisoners,
and discharge all proper cases. he states
that in some military departments prison.
ers had been incsrcerated by State Execu.
tiVes or local military commanders; that
such cases did not come within the terms
of the act, but that measures had been ta-
ken for their investigation, aud their dis
charge when it could be done without
prejudice to the public safety.
A commission, charged with this duty,
consisted of Benjamin s. CoWan, Roswell
Marsh and Samuel Bostwick. A special
commission, consisting of Judges King
and Bond, was also appointed for the ex.
animation of prisoners at Fort Delaware
or elsewhere in the Middle Department,
and General Dix was directed to iuvesti.
isyette, and other prisoners in"the Eastern
Department. ,=fOr4 the custody of blockade
runners aud Illicit traders.
Major Turner was directed, on February
Let, 1854, to make-inVestigations at the
Old Capitol, used for the custody of priso-
ners arrested by military commanders, and
by the Navy Department. He was direct.
ed to. discharge minor offenders; who were
not prisoners of war; tol report for ex-
change of all prisoners Of war; report for
trial all charged with the violation of the
laws of war, and to Investigate aud report
abuses in arrests by Provost Marshals or
others Of the military governors. The
Secretary also states that frequent exami-
nations of military prisons have been or
dered, from. time TO time The Secretary
recouhts'ths facts of defectibhi from loyal.
ty of officers OF every rank and departs
ment of service, and says, in this emer-
gency, the President thought it his duty to
employ with energy the extraorainsry pow
ersl ihiCh The Constitution confided in
him in cases of insurrection.
Hs., called into the field such military
and naval forces unauthorized by the ex.
listing law, ~ seemed to him necessary; he
directed measures to prevent the use of
the post office for treasonable correspond.
euce; he subjected passengers to and from
foreign countries to new passport regula
tious; and he Instituted a blockade, sus.
pended the writ of hsbeas corpus in va
rfons places, and caused persons who we're
about to engage in ,treasonabA and disloy-
al practices, to be-artested by special civil
as we'll 90 military agencies, and detained
in military custody when necessary to pre-.
vent IhemS and deter ethers from such
practices. =sa. sn-e
Examination of such cases was institu.
ted, and some of the persons SO arrested
have been discharged from time to time,
ander circpmstances, or upon conditions
compatible, as was Thoughts with the pub
lie safety. Meantime a favorable change
in public opinion has occurred; the line
betweeuiloyalty and iIsloysIty is plainly
defined; the whole structure of the Gov
ernment is firm, and stable; SPECIFICATIONS
of public danger and facilities forstresson.
able practices have diminished with the
passions which prompted needless persons
TO adopt thems u = II u -
The iusurrection has, eliminated, and is
believed'to be declining. .-.-,s
He further states that the President has
directed the discharge all political OF
State prisoners, upon thetFT sab bsctibIhga to
Iapatole to render no aid 70 the enemies Of
the United States. The Secretary Of War
| will except from the effect OF this order AL
4 spies and others whose release is deemed
dangerous 20 the public safety. An am
nesty is granted 70 all such as keep theil