Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-03-01
The aovcrnment Detective.

X A. .cotemporary photographs the Govern
ment Detective and holds him up to public
contempt. He now infests every commun-
ity, and is loathed and abhorred eyeniby
the "loyaln whose dirty work he Is always
ready to perform. Here is the picture,
which we trust LINCoLNs Detectives in
Columbus will study;
The detective system which has obtained
such widespread prevalence IN this country
at the present time is an evidence OF TWO
things: despotic central power, and low
grade of public morality. No Governments
save those of tyrannical character have
ever had resort to the use of detectives: and
no people have ever looked upon these
agents with any feeling save that OF con-
tempt, unless they have lost their self-re-
spect and proper appreciation OF the dis
tinction between honor and dishonor.
OF the precise moral position OF the de-
tective In the employ OF the Government,
we can infer much by an examination OF an
analogous character. In military affairs,
spy is one who gains information in disguise
and through treachery. This is precisely
the status of the detective. He conceals his
character, and by treachery, that is, by pre-
tending gtosympathize with the designs OF his
victim, and by taking any number OF solemn
oaths with the Intention of not keeping
them. Thus it is that the definition OF
spy and detective applies equally to both;
they both seek their ends "through disguise
and treachery" This being admitted, we
can very easily arrive at the moral charac-
ter of the dective; for, if two acts are ex-
actly alike, the esteem in which mankind
has unanimously decided to hold one should
apply to the other.
Among all civilized nations, and for all
time, the spy has been held to be an infa-
nous character. Vattel says: "Sples are
usually condemned to capital punishment
and not uniustly and for this reason, a man
of honor, who would not expose himself TO
die by the hand of the public executioner,
ever declines serving as spy. He consid-
ers it beneath him, as it can seldom be done
without some kind of treachery. The SOW
ereign cannot lawfully demand such SER
vice of subjects, and it remains to him to
hold out the temptation of reward asan ln-
ducement for mercenary souls to engage In
the business"
General Halleck is still more explicit.
He says: "No authority can require oil
subordinate trcacherous or criminal act
in any case, nor can the subordinate be JUS
titled in its performance by any orders OF
his superior. Hence the odium and punish
himself although it may be doubted wheth-
er the employer is entirely free from the
moral responsibility of holding out induce
ments to treachery and crime"
The fact that a man of honor cannot act
as spy applies with precisely the same
force to the case of detective; and the
terms odium, crime, treachery, are as eX-
actly applicable to the latter as to the for
mer.
We attempt this definition of the position
of detective that men who propose engag-
ment of what is called secret service may
know the estimation in which they will be
held by thinking men, and, furthermore,
that the general public may extend to this
class of men the consideration which they
deserve.
AS further proof of the dishonorable
character of the spy, it may be added that
all military writers hold his testimony as
unreliable, forth reason that man despic-
able enough to commit an act of treachery
for reward, will, for little higher reward,
commit another act of treachery by selling
his services to the other party. For the
same reason is the evidence af detective
unreliable, for if he will commit perjury and
treachery for given sum, he will undoubt-
edly perform the same acts against his em-
ployers for higher reward.
Let the mind of the public perfectly COM
prehend the utter infamous elements which
enter into the composition of detective,
and verdict of condemnation will be rem
dered that will detract much from the pop
ularity of his profession, and will go far to-
wards reducing to the minimum number
those engaged init. Let detective, when
known, be driven from society, as was the
abhorred headsman of medieval ages, or
the leper from the camp of the Israelites.
In this way only can ali evil be checked
that now permeates every part of our social
system. .....---'.