Columbia democrat and star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1867, 1866-04-25

she saw any person whom she chose to de-
nounce for 'thwarting the government or
using disloyal language" her obedient toll
lowers needed but a sign to make them
spring at the throat of their victim. It gives
me unspeakable pleasure to tel you the Sc
quel The people rose In their Strength
smashed down the whole machinery OF op7
preston, and drove out into uttermost shame Al s
king, 1strumpet, dogs, and ALL From thas
time 70 this neither man, woman, nor beast
dared to worry or kill the people OF Bavaria.
All these are but so many dlHerent ways
Of using the arbitrary power TO punish. Inc
v,r;ofv is merely In the means which ty-
rannical government takes to destroy those
whom it Is bound to protect everywhere
Il Is but an other construction, on the same
principle of that remorseless machine py
which despotism wreaks It's vengeance ON
those who offend it. In civilized country
4. nearly always uses the military force, be-
cause that is the sharpest, and surest, as
well as the best looking instrument that can
be found for such purpose. But IN none
of its forms can it be introduced into this
country we have no room for it; the ground
here is all preoccupied by legal and free IN
stitutions.
Between the officers who have power
ike this and the people who are liable to
become its victims, there can be no relation
except that of master and slave The master
NAV be kind and the slavemay be contented
In his bondage bat the man who can take
vour life. or restrain your liberty, or despoll
vou of your property at his discretion, either
with his own hands or by by means of a hir-
ed overseer, owns you and he can force you
to serve him. All you are, and all you have,
including your wives and children, are his
If nv learned and very good friend the
Attorney General, had this right Of dOmina-
fion over me, should not be very much
frightened, forI should expect him to use it
as moderately as any man in ali the world; but
still should feel the necessity of being very
discreet. He might change in short time.
The thirst for blood is an appetite which
grows by what it feeds upon. We cannot
know him by present appearances. Robe
pierre resigneda country judgeship in early
life, because he was too tendr-hearted to
pronounce sentence of death upon con-
victed criminal Caligula passed for most
amiable young gentleman before he was
clothed with the imperial purple and for
about eight months afterwards. 1t was
Trajan, think, who said that absolute
power would convert any man into a wild
beast, whatever was the original Leneyo-
lence of his nature. If you decide that the
Attorney General holds in his own hands or
shares with others the power of life and death
over us all, i mean to be very cautious In
my intercourse with him and warn you,
the Judges whom | am now addressing, to do
likewise Trust not to the genteness and
kindness which has always marked his be-
havior heretofore. Keep your distance, be
careful how you approach him, for you
know not at what moment or by. what tri-
fe you may rouse the. sleeping tiger. Re
member the injunction of Scripture '-Go
not near to the manBho hath power to kill;
and if thou come unto him, see that thou
make no fault, lest he take away thy life
presently; for thou goest among snares and
walkest upon the battlements Of the city. "
The right of the executive government to
kill and imprison citizens for political often
ses has not been practically claimed In this
country, except IN eases where commissioned
officers of the army were the Instruments
used Why should it be confined to them?
Why should not naval officers be permitted
to share it2 What is the reason that COM
mon soldiers and seamen are excluded from
all participation in the busines? No law
has bestowed the right upon army officers
more than upon other persons. If men are
to be hung up without that legal trial which
the Constitution guarantees to them, why
not employ commissions of clergymen, mer-
chants, manufacturers, horse-dealers, butch
ers, or drovers, to do it? 1t will not be pre-
tended that military men are better qualified
to decide questions Of fact or law than other
classes of people; for it is known on the
contrary that they are as general rule,
least of all fitted to perform the duties that
belong to a judge.
The Attorney General thinks that a pro-
ceeding which takes away the lives of citi-
zens without constitutional trial is most
merciful dispensation. His idea of human
ity as well as law is embodied in the bureau
of military justice, with all It's dark and
bloody machinery For that strange opin-
ion he gives this curious reason: that the
duty of the commander-in-chief is to kill,
and unless he has this bureau and these
commissions he must butcher indiscrimi-
nately without mercy or justice. l admit
that if the commander-in-chiefor or any other
officer of the Government has the power of
an Asiatic king, to butcher the people at
pleasure he ought to have somebody to aid |
him In selecting his victims, as well as to do |
the rough work of strangling and shooting |
But if my learned friend will only conde- |
scend to east an eye upon the Constitution, |
he will see at once that all the executive and |
military officers are completely relieved by |
the provision that the life of citizen shall |
not be taken at all until after legal eonvic- |
ton by q court and jury.
You cannot help butsee hatmilitary COM
missions, if suffered to go on, viii be sued |
for most pernicious purposes. / have crit |
icized none of their PAST proceedings, nor |
made any allusion to their history in the |
last five years. But what can be the mean
ing of this effort to maintain them among !
us2 Certainly not to punish actual guilt |
All the ends of true justice are attained by |
the prompt, speedy, impartial trial which |
the courts are bound to give. Ls there any |
danger that crime win be winlSsd upon by |
the judges 2 Does anybody pretend that
courts and juries have less ability to decide |
upon facts and law than the men who sit in |
military tribunals? The counsel in this |
cause VIII not insult you by even limiting
such an opinion. What righteous or just
purpose, can they serve ? None, whatever