The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-06-21

complicated subject Though not tenth part
of what be wall said, in illustration of the
thsms. believe to be quite enough to prove
the proposition with which started, that is
1.-THE convention was evolutionary, inits
origin, in its character, and it, acts"
II come now to treat Of a subject which, if
IL stood alone, would require long and labo
rious exposition. Bat a. my present theme
is only part of martial law, only the means
and machinery by which the laws Of the
land are silenced and suppressed, and the alb
solute power at headquarters ramited into
every corner OF the state, and permeated thro'
the whole mass of society the particular mat
Ter in hand is more than half discussed under
the head of martial law. ftts
My distinct proposition, announced at the
beginning, is this-'sThe government of the
various sections and districts of this state by
provost marshals is an unlawful and danger
Gus anomaly" Provost marshals are lawful
and useful in their proper places. They are
military police officers, and their authority
over soldiers and camp followers is much the
same as the authority exercised over civilians
by our civil provosts (often called chief OF po'
lice) In our towns and cities. And the pro-
vost marshal has no more authority over civ
ilians and their affairs than the provost civil
has over soldiers in garrison, camp, or field.
My objection ia not to provost marshals any
more than to captains and majors, when con-
fined to their proper places and limited to
their proper functions but 1t is to the per
version OF the name and uses of the Office, and
the gross abuse of power openly displayed, in
| contemptuous defiance of the law and its ac-
credited ministers, and capricious tyranny
over private persons and their property. The
anomalous character of this exhorbitant pow
er is beyond dispute; for such thing has
never been heard of before the present trou-
bles; its legality has never been affirmed by
| any respectable person within my knowledge;
| and ] venture to assert, that no publicist or
| lawyer of fair standing will risk his reputa-
| ton by affirming it. And as toits being dan
gerous to the laws. to civil and rel igious lib
| erty. aud to the rights and property of indi-
viduals, all the people of Missouri know that.
And yet its very existence among US re-
mains TO ;his l mystery. After frequent
| inquir,, both at Washington and here in
| Missouri, have never been able Il ascertain
that thu government, acting by any OF it's
higher functionaries, ever gave apparent
sanction to the guilty subordipates, by order
| ing the preparation of the outrage. IL seems
on the contrary, that the mischief was done
| by the quiet usurpation of subordinates,
backed, indeed, by bayonets, and winked at,
it may be. by their superiors. And some OF
| those superiors, Negligent of their great du
1
| lie enemy, TO command those who we're law
| fully under them, and to maintain discipline
| and obedience TO the laws have already suf.
fered, in part at least. the penalty of their
transgression. They have been deemed by
their superiors unfit for position whose du
ties they so inefhciently perfor med, and com
PEELED to retire under cloud which darkens
4 all their future. Like the High Priest Eli,
| who in his day bore a good reputation for
both patriotism and piety, yet he allowed his
| subordinate officers to trample upon the laws
of his country and to de6le the temple of God
| And for this great sin OF omission. his nation
| was deeply Inundated and his own household
! was destroyed. The hust of Israel fed inglo
| riously before its enemies Saul and iona
than and Hophni and Phinaes fell in the
great battle of Giboa the ark of God was
| taken by the Philistines and Eli himself
| dropped dead from his seat in the gate of Je
| rusalem And all these calamities were the
| legitimate fruit of E is neglect of the duties
| of his office, and his failure to enforce discip
line among his subordinates. For says the
holy scripture) 81 will judge his house forev-
or for the iniquity which he kuoweth because
his sons made themselves vile and he les
| trained them not"
l shall dwell no longer upon this miserable
monsrchic notion of governing the people OF
this state by district provosts, each indepen-
dent aud supreme in his district, without any
common method of proceeding prescribed for
them ali. and without any law to restrain
their capricious will. This is what is called
in former letter, despotism multiplied by
republican forms.