The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-06-21
CHI A r L E. S TON.
THURSDAY MORNING, JUNE 81, 1866
TIE INC ULsITIoN AND THE BAs7ILE.

TIE INC UISITION AND THE BASIILE
Inquisition! Bastile! Words Of terrorl How
often has the check of the student paled at the
horrors Of their history While they existed tho
world was paralyzed with dread, and even now,
that they have rolled years backward in til D asst
their very names call up memories which chill tho
blood.
The one was an engine Of power, which, by the
secrecy OF it's working and the unscrupuousness
of its management, subjected the most innocent
victims to tho most diaboIcal tortures, The
other was itself an instrument Of punishment
an awful prison, where long lives were wasted in
the thick darkness Of it's cells. But it was not
this that made it 30 torrible. A prison. where
convicted criminels alone are punished, has no
terror for the world. It was that here might be
incarcera:ed any ono at the mere nod Of one man,
on the bare accusation of an unknown person.
1t has been the boast Of the United States, ever
since it WAS o nation, that the right of personal
liberty was better guaranteed hero than in ary
other country, and that even the guilty could not
be deprived Of it without fair trial. It is not se-
knowledged noD that We live under q despotism,
and in the comparatively narrow district where
military law still rules; it is asserted to be for
the protection of the weak against the strong, tho
impartial administration Of justice and the pre-
vi INV duu OTueT-nOU I0T purposes OF
spoliation, concentration Of power, nor exercise
OF tyranny. Alas, for our boasts. Alas, for our
excuses. Facts speak louder than words. 1t is
upon record that in this State of South Carolina,
which has complied with all the acquisitions of
tho Chief Executive Of tho country, in order to
regain her place as a component part of tho ma
tion, the military authorities, established by the
Government for tho laudable purposes above
mentioned, havo exercised their judicial functions
very much like an. Inquistion, and have made
genuine old-fashioned Bastile of their prison.
In proof Of the first assertion, We call the at
tenion of our readers to an article from the Bal
timore Gazette, which we publish in another
column OF to-day's issue, and which was written
by one OF our most distinguished citizens, and
vouched for by him as correct in every detail.
The parallel between the conduct of Major MOORE
and that OF the officers OF the Inquisition is car
rled to the last extreme OF disgraceful tyranny;
for not only does Major MOORE use torture to ex
tort confessions, but, like the most unscrupulous
and vindictive OF inqusitors, he uses torture to
extort eVidence-not only puts the accused "to
the question" but the witnesses also.
In regard to the particular victim mentioned in
the extract to which we have alluded-the poor
negro-he WAS, as we have learned tortured again
and again, and will probably never entirely re-
cover from the effects. So much for the Inouisi-
ton. Now for the Bastile. l
The men mentioned in the extract and some
others were brought to Charleston and confined
in the jail. Six OF them were confined together
in small room, fed only on mush and that once
day, cursed by the negro jailors, and svs,ected
to annoyances OF filth OF too disgusting nature
to be detailed in public print. This would be
horrible punishment for criminals but that is not
Ill., o...k A.. - n
terrible enough in itself, but is rendered doubly
so by being inflicted on innocent persons, without
the means OF redress. These six individuals, all
respectable citizens Of Edgefed, were kept in
that filthy cell for ten days or two weeks, and
then, representations OF counsel, were released
parole within the limits of the city, and finally
discharged for ,oant of any evidence 10 substantae
the charges brought against them.
The terror Of this prison is, that any innocent
person may be thrown into it on mere aoouss-
ton, just these six were; and if they are not so
fortunate as to be able to employ counsel or OBJ
tain the assistance Of influential friends, they
may remain there until doomsday, or at least un-
til the removal OF the military, which seems, to
all intents and purposes, as far off.
In calling attention to these cases of NAL
feasance in Office in strong and emphatic Ian
guage, We in no manner depart from our con-
servatiye course, and uniform and unwavering
support Of the President and his policy. We are
only doing our duty as journalists to the commu-
nifty and the whole country by exposing the crimes
of subordinates, which might otherwise be re-
peated to the detrment and disgrace Of the ma
ton. We cannot deny that we are anxious for the
complete restoration Of civil authority, but did
the military confine themselves to the protection
Of the weak and the impartial administration Of
justice, we should scarcely be aware Of their
presence: - ' D,@e rtar mt5'a