The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-03-31
Tbc system of Arbitrary Arrest.

The tendency VI LILO poi'ioai sP"iSs
now holding the reins of power III tins
country, to modify OF subvert our repub-
lican form of government and establish
in its stead something very like the des-
potisms of the old world, has been appa
rent to the least critical observer ofthe
com.se of events during the past four
wears. 1t has excited much comment,
both public and private, the former be-
ing confined however to the Journals
and orators of the opposition party and
the latter freely INDUCED in by men OF
both parties. So far have some men In
administration circles" fallen III love
with arbitrary power that they advo
clte its continuance and perpetuatl"n,
h,piny that. when the government Is
t,Een ont of the hands of the people,
tier may be members OF the IelghihS
class. And there are others, differing
radically in political opinion from the
present administration, who are 50 lar
sickened, panied, and Disguised by the
enormitirs perpetrated in the name OF
r.publicanism, as to sigh for the estab-
lishment of a limited monarchy upon
what they regard as the ruins OF the re
uublic. We have the machinery of I'M
perialism already in orr midst and want
nothing but the name.
What better evidence OF this can he
found than is afforded 10y the system OF
unlawful arrests still permitted, though
now. happily, fallen somewhat into
disusel
Am effort was made i'll Congress last
winter, to repeal the laws authorizing
arbitrary arrests by the President, and
other officers of the Government. Sew
eral prominent members of the Rcpnhll
can party favored the abolition OF the
whole system of arrests without due
process of law, and labOred and voted to
secure that end, but the LINCOLN faction
of the party came to the rescuc and de
feated all attempts to change the exist
ING condition of affairs. What that con-
dition is, is graphically and tuthtnlly
portrayed in the following article from
the New York UOrM We cannot better
occupy the space usually devoted to cdi-
torial matter than by giving loaded
prominence To this:
We say system" for the whole husi-
ness has been reduced to system which
is perfect in all its parts, from lis mStl-
gator ia the State Department, its chief
fnmctionary in the War Department. IT.
courts, its detectives, its spies, aml It's
prisons.
The spies of this system are of that
class of men, to he fonnd in every COM
munity, who, if not paid Tor such law
lessness, would he committing ot1rnscs
known to the statutes They thrive on
ly hy success in securing victims. They
are to be hribed but their victims can
besides, it is not impossible for sharp
detective to serve the one and cheat the
other, and so get pay from both
The officer who makes the arrest is
generally armed with a cOmnittal to the
Old Capitol prison issued by the provost
Jmarshal, who Processes to act upon an
order of the President, per Secretary
STANTON. or per G. A. DANA, Assistant
Secretary of War Mr.. DANA was once
the managing editor of the IWbURr r.
His executive abilities are considerable,
and therefore ii is doubles, more to his
taste to act than to talk; but no one will
accuse him now of amy Inconsistency.
In the Old Capitol prison the victim is
put into close confinement in Il dingy
cell. All parties whom he is permitted
to see express utter ignorance at the
cause of his arrest His cell lIaS one
barred window. At first he has no c"ln-
panions save the vermin The lUrn,imc
OF his cell is sack of straw and pair
of blankets lie is fed ON prison IA
lions aud eats without knife, fork, OF
spoon Ahuckct is his closet Turkeys
guard him who are tit for such business.
such was the treatment Colonel NORTH
was subjected to, and Mr. JOKES, and
scores and hundreds of others. Ii is
against prison rules that the victim
should see a lawyer OF any Other person
as Ia his case, until his ChaTgtS shall have
been served and he can neither secure
nor hasten his trial Everything /, at
the beck OF the high powers OF the pan
ty founded ON great moral ideas Yer
haus the prison officer viii PENN, III
teen-minutc interviews with wife az ,rl-
ativcs, perhaps not The prison officers
dinner may not have agreed with him, on
he may he taking a nap when the pris
onrr'S wife arrives FROM New York ~
Missouri. His letters may pass ont u
they contain nothing that the prisoner
cares most Ia write about, VIZ: himself
and his Imprisonment. Letters to him
generally reach him after istrial, Il h.
is tried. al after his capacity j. proved 10
A. II M frg,fi = oil,