Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1866-03-22
d An Eloquent Extract.

OelnG neaIu IN tne ". .. OupItiue NOuIt,
on habeas corpus. Many Of the ablest
lawyers in the United States are engog ged in
it, Attorney General Speed, Gen. B. 4.
Butler, Of Mass, and Henry Stanbcrry, Of
Ohio, for the Government-David Dudley
Field, Of New York, and Others for the
defence.
We make the following extract from Gen.
Buffers eloquent argument:
To set forth the difference with which
civil law views certain acts, and the import
ance which military law often attaches to
the same acts, ne used the following Illus
tration:
4 man seeing small piece Of WOODEN
cloth, OF varipgiteJ colors, swinging in the
wind, attached to pole upon a building
not his own, under claim of right, in view
of thousands. al. MONDAY, enters upon the
premises against the will of the owner, takes
down the cloth, and approprates it to his
own use. What crime is this? what Of
tense, even. against the civil law Methinks
hear my learned brothers say, in their
zeal for civil rights, Why, this is but tres.
pass in breaking close, and the appropria.
tion of the fabric is but an aggravatiOn Of
the act to be atoned for by 6ne Of small
SUN in damages. They are right 1t is
but treaspass of the smallest moment.
But let me state the military view Of the
same act and its consequences, | will en-
deavor not to give hypothetical case
Civil, public. territorial war is raging. A
feet has passed by the forts and outer 6e-
fenses of city, under a fire more eoncen-
trated and more terrible than ever before
assailed wooden ships-an enterprise that
only Farragut could have conceived or
successfully led The victorious vessels lie
before the great commercial metropolis Of
one of the belligerents. Their guns are
trained upon the streets, aud public build
ings loaded with shell and the death deal
ing grape. A surrender is demanded. The
mayor replies that be is but civil magis-
trate and has no power to make military
surrender of the city; that as the city is at
the mercy of the victor he can take posses
sion and raise his country's flag upon one of
his country's public buildings there to fly
in token that the city can no longer resist.
The proposition is accepted, and the stars
and stripes float out once more in triumph
over the public property. Of the United
States, in proud token of the restoration Of
our rights, our duties and authority, our
power over armed rebellion
u0 OuTlStidu naval OluCcI
in humble thankfulness aud gratitude to
victory, so nearly bloodless, called his sailors
on board all his ships 20 unite with him in
solemn thanksgiving to God for His good
| ness.
To prevent surprise, and to give notice OF
any renewal of hostilities from the retarn Of
the retreating army of his enemies, watch
| is set in the tops of the sloop of war Pen
sacela to see that no one hauls down that
| flag. For this purpose two small bowltzers
are trained on the staff. Their discharge
is to be the signal tor those gallant crews tn
rush, to their guns and renew the deadly
strife.
All is quiet repose in the feet. The only
sound that is heard is the low murmur com.
ing up the hatchways, of aspiration. OF
prayer. and praise to the Lord Of Hosts
from his children-rough sailors though
they be-in grateful acknowledgment that
He spared them amid the perls of pesti
lence, tempest and battle. and sudden death.
Hark The signal guns are fred I; the flag
is hauled down the enemy are returned
the city no longer surrenders; the battle Ii
renewed. Each sailor springs to his gun
each gunner, with the quickness of thought
instinctively pulls the lanyard which dis
charges it., What can save the devoted city
from the storm Of hurting shot and kissing
shell thus drawn upon it by the madness o
a few OF its citizens? ,........ .....
An overcast sky, threatening rain, ha'
caused careful ordnance officer to Withdraw
the priming waters from the vents of th
guns. lest they be injured by the shower
Fire no longer answers the locks; and s,
time is given for discipline to resume it
sway. What really had happened is seel
and appreciated. ..... ..I.4......
A small number of riotous rascally, in
furiated rebels, headed by drunken gam
bier, had torn down the flag and are anusin
themselves in desecrating il by dragging
through the streets, and with fiendish jo
tearing it in pieces--Dot cause for BON
} harding city, but for different remedy
Thus, little cloud no larger than man
hand by the direction of Him who oil
dereth all things wsll," and that only, save
population of men, women and childre
from q fire almost as destructive and terribl
as that which the Divine wrath rained o
Sodom, even from the dire consequences {
the insane acts of their wicked comrades
! In day or two after the city is garrison
q ed by Union troops, and the desecrator {
the fsg--the senseless provoker of bon
bardment Of his own city-the defiant reb
k the traitorous enemy-walks the stree
a scoffingly exhibiting at his breast tor
: shred of his country's banner, which he he
y trailed with ribald mockery in the dus
= We have seen how the civil law regards Il
H.. flag-a piece of bunting to be paid for at
. many pence per yard to the owner. if ca
l: ried away or destroyed, unless indeed
!. destruction is deemed to be an overt act
ii treason.
"a To the soldier his banner has high al
"a noble significance 1t is the symbol Of POI
i. er, of authority, of protection. The emble
" of his country's memories glorious in Il
Js past, its aspirations and hopes 10 the futur
% On its folds to his eye are emblasoned q
~ brave deeds of every patriot hero for b
Il. emulation, reverence and worship. Sacr
a to his love, endeared to his emotions
mr. that is enuobling clusters around it. |
a will follow il as the pillar Of cloud by d
ut and pillar Of fire by night" he fights tb
an it may be honored and triumphant,
nj braves wounds and death that il may not
I'd dishonorcd; and dying. wishes no rich
,s shroud than its folds, asking only. that I
ii music at the sound Of which he has folio
- ed it while living, may accompany him
his grave /: and that his last requiem IN
be the volleys Of his comrades, which,
ne I.r- ID in ito dofonsa Whnax