The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-07-23
Tho last MiIItary Usurpatlon.


10 regard Il as simply In the course oi
evcnts--a matter Of no special moment
When, IN truth. " las not been exceeded. |
ia itsty nnnieal features, by any thing pre-
ceding. We regard It's reproduction IN our
columns as matter of sufficient import-
ance to attract the special attention Of our
readers. IT. says; Il nFN @H
UKAfouk kttrFRs oF afm Amy.
ADJUrANT-0 0ENERAL's OFFICE
WAsHfNgfON, July I, 1869
General Order No. A-Departnent, dis
trict and post commanders OF States lately
In rebellion are hereby directed 70 arrest
porsOns who hagc been or may hgfeaftcr
be charged with the commission Of crimes
and oflepses against officers agents citizens
and inhabitants Of the United States IRE,
spectiye of color, IN cases where the elVll
authorities have failed to arrest and bring
such parties to trial, and to detain them IN
military confinement until such time as q
proper intlicial tribunal may I've ready ana
willing to try them. strict and prompt
reinforcement of this order Is required.
by command cf Lieut.. Gen. Grant:
r. u. TOWNSEND. 4. AsG.
How is this extiaordinary missive re-
gArdetP How should 1t be regardedP 2
dear the New Yorbl9i ilathe --thehoo land
snarchy organ OF Northern dcspdtism'
"General Grants orlertllis morning, d.
rccting a general arrest and detention ny
his snbOrdinates Of ali persons In the lateiy
| IIonfetlerate States who have committed,
or shall hereafter commit, outrages upon
loyal persons of any color which the local
authorities do not and shall not punish Is
the most important paper we haze pr.ntcd
! for months lf not lnralyHed by highci
/ laV ,tttll "a
doers aud a much needed slicld y the
prosecuted lOyalists OF the south, we ar
dently trust that IL may be upheld ana en-
| forced. 10 is eQuiUdient 10 q fresh prOctdl'ad-
tton Of martial tdto at the South, where no
other law operates TO protect those who
have been faithful to the Union" E
"a FRESH PROCLAMATION OF MARITAL
LAwir That is what,it is IN the view Of
GREELEY Is 1t not the first movement to-
ward the opening of another CIVIL WAR;
Is il not the first movement in the re-es-
tablishment of that damnable system Of
espionage, which nrnished employment to
so many Detectives, lntormcrs. peljurers
and stool-pigeons during the war aud, ia
the prosecution OF which, so many hun
drcds and thousands of reputable citizens
suffered outrages aud prosecutions unpar-
douable?
As the louisville Courier says, the first
impression produced by the reading of this
document is that monstrous assumption
of power is about to be attempted, and That
the military arm ot the Government is still
regarded rs supreme. The second impress
sion Is, that . wholesale system of perSccn-
ton is about to be iuauguratcd. That it is
a usurpation of power not authorized by
the Constitution or the laws, cannot fail to
strike the dullest comprehension, while the
necessity for such usurpation does not by
any means appear The country is quiet,
the people orderly, the civil courts in full
Operation and acting efficiently, admins
tering justice and furnishing crime. Ihcii
flats and decisions are no where resisted
and the whole machinery of the admins
tration OF civil law is in a most satisfactory
condition.
1t viii be- seen that ilic order directs tht
arrest of all persons who have been ol
may be hereafter charged with the commits
sion of crimes against the persons enn
mcrated This is about comprehensiv,
enough 10 cover every species of erin,
which can be committed. But the question
naturally arises, what is meant by the Wort
, 'chargcd?' By whom must the charge
have been made 2 Evidently not by til,
, courts, for the avowed purpose is TO com
q pei the courts to prOsecutc persons s,
p ''charged.' The presumption is that npoI
a charge made by any responsible or ire
q sponsible person, without any Investigation
of the charge, with no authority to inquir
whether it is sustained by circumstance
: ljustifying suspicion of its truth, tn
:, arrest must be made, and when it is mad
= the party arrested is to be held a prisonc
10 until ''such time rs n proper judicia
tribunal may be ready and willing
, try" Here then we see that perso
u aetuated alone by malice, may so befor
the military authorities with charg
having not the slightest foundation, an
upon his unsupported statement ii
he party against which the charge is brougl
= must be arrested and detained until son
is competent tribunal expresses Il willingne
p TO consider the case. No court may
n. held for months, and the victim of this de
- potic exercise OF power languishes
n prison, Ne believe that such proceeding
A. are without parallel in the history OF Il
~ world; they are certainly without WA
r rant in our system of government, al
be those who attempt to enforce them will
st deserving of the severest censnre rs well
ID. merciless punishment. Ff.l
rk The Courier truly observes that il Is {
al subject of anxious inquiry whether or II
mn this abomlnable edict has The sanction
o. the President. 1t is rs difficult TO belle
~. that he wonld have authorized such an u
90 warranted and outrageous usurpation
nd power, as that Gen. Grant would have We
he tured upon 1t without his approval.
Of WASHINGTON MoRAIs.-The Washingt
.he correspondent of the New y Nork Wdtcim
'le' a religious Journal, thus depicts the state
lie morals at tile National Capital under Ra
n cal auspices
ar 'Iicentiousness and drunkenness are
fed prominent features of Washington life t
: season. Members of Congress spend tn
vi afternoons and evenings i'm billiard "A