The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-01-11

partnent TO he Broken UP.
We learn from Washington that the muster
ing out of General L. O. Baker, chief of the
detective force of the War Department, will be
followed by the adjustment of the bureau and
the discharge Of all its employees within few
days.
This intelligence, while it will be received
with reclamation and profound gratitude by
those who have been, and possibly still are,
under the secret surveillance of the War De-
partment will demonstrate to foreign govern
ments a striking fact in regard to republican
institutions 1t is that, although we may have
adopted some monarchical ideas in time of
war, we can abandon them the moment the oc-
casion for their employment ceases. But the
United States government, while it employed
the services of detectives, never, during the
most trying period Of the war, availed itself of
those inhuman means which despotic govern
ments have heretofore used to discover foes
and unravel conspiracies. During the great
wars of Europe, whether arising from political
or religious causes, or whether proceeding from
q thirst for conquest, history tells US the most
atrocious methods were resorted to for the
purpose Of extOrting confessions. Bodily tor
lures of the most cruel description we're the
common practices Of beliigerents in those days.
And even at this moment, in time Of appar-
emily profound peace, European monarchs
employ legions of spies, informers, gems d'armes
and secret emissaries Of every sort to ferret
out the proceedings of suspicious private con-
claves, to Overhear private conversations among
suspected parties, and to employ every possible
means to ascertain the movements of persons
conceived to be inimical to the government.
Briefly, in abolishing the detective system of
the War Department we show to the world that,
while in time of war the government of the
United States is ready to employ all civilized
methods of indicating its dignity and sustain
ing its sovereignty, in time of peace it can
afford to dispense with them all, and throw
itself confidently upon the people of the nation
for everything that is necessary to sustain its
honor and power.
But we see in this breaking up of the detec-
tive bureau another thing, which, taken in con-
nection with the honorable dismissal of one
hundred and twenty-five general officers from
the volunteer force, must prove a source of con-
graduation to the whole country. We infer
from it that the necessity which prompted the
organization of the force has ceased to exist;
that the government will no longer impose per-
sonal espionage upon the South or upon South
erners in the North; that one citizen can talk
to another and not have the fear Of Fort Lafay-
ette--a useful institution in its day, no doubt
before his eyes. In short, that General Grant,
being in the South, acting with the "advice and
consent" of the Executive, If not Of the Senate,
is satisfied that he can keep the South in the
night path without the assistance Of the spies
and detectives of the War Department.
How is 1t, then, with these signal evidences
Of the return Of loyalty, security, and peace
throughout the entire country, we find men,
state Of war, and that the harshest measures
resOrted TO when war actually existed
should still be employed against the South!
The radicals in Congress are the men who do
this. They are the agitators who are casting
Rssssaads saoag No eRssds- u hsrmeay end
union with crazy fcrocity. They are the real
disunionists Of the hour; and IL may be that the
time will arrive when it will be necessary for the
government to put them down as it did the rebels.
correspondencs OF Lord C1arcnaon and
Minister Adams-The Impudence OF enc
British Secretary.
The correspondence between, the British
Foreign Secretary, Lord Clarendon, and our
Minister, Mr. Adams, in connection with the
affairs of tho rebel pirate Shenandoah, must
strike the public with surprise at the GOODNESS
and impudence with which the British statesman
endeavors to dismiss the subject Lord Claren-
don must have forgotten that Ne was treating
with the representative Of great nation, which
has established itself a. one of the leading
Powers of the world, when he 30 flippantly
that no advantage can result from prolonging
the controversy, of which the topics are fully
exhausted. but which might, possibly, If con-
tinued, introduce acrimony into the relations
Of England and the United States" And in the
absence Of information as TO Mr.. Adams reply
we may assume that The representative of the
United States has properly resented the offence
involved in these words. Upon what grounds
| does Lord Clarendon assume that the topics of
the controversy are exhausted That they will
not be exhausted upon our side until England
pays the just demands made upon her by this
government for the damage done to our
merchant marine by pirate vessels, fitted
out in her ports and manned by British
subjects, Lord Clarendon will discover.
There Is . question Of right to be de-
termined, which cannot be set aside by any
assurances Of continued friendship or any
threats Of the disruption of friendly relations
between the two countries, as implied in the
language Of the British Secretary. When our
government made It's demands for indemnity
in the matter Of those Anglo-rebel pirates II