The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1867-03-08
BLOOMSBURY, PA, FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 1867.

vague and general phraseology, more in
definite, vague, and indcterminate than
that of any statute now upon the records
of this Government; ay, or OF England,
abused and traduced England, of whom
VIC complained because herGovernment
was arbitrary, and therefore took up |
arms to throw otfits jursdictionan and vim
dicate American freedom.
The General of the Army is to assign
to the command of each of the military |
districts created by this bill "an officer |
of the Army not below the rank of brig
adler general" and to detail n sufficient |
force to give dignity and effect to the |
jurisdiction conferred upon him; and |
there is conferred upon each district |
commander, in the third section, power
"to punish or causeto be punishedall dis |
turbers of the public peace, and crimi-
nails" ofevcry description andgrade. He
may in his pleasure, byno rule oflaw, by
no regulation of statute, by no principle
known to the Constitution or created by
Government, but according to his own
unregulated pleasure and will, conde-
scend to turn cases over to the courts
cor when in his Judgment"
his supreme and unchallenged judg-
ment-
Itmay be necessary for the trial of Of
/
military commissions or tribunals for
that purpose, anything in the constitu-
tion and laws of any of the so-calleg
Confederate States to the contrary not
withstanding."
And then the Supreme Court of the
United States, which your fathers es-
tabliShcd rs the supreme tribunal ofjus-
tice in this country, with appellate pow
ers from inferior tribunals, with the
great power of the'writ ofha6eds corpus
in its hands to correct injustice upon
the citizen, is to bcrestrained from med
ding in any way whatever with this
new, uncXampled, and abominable jur-
isdction which the bill establishes. l
am mistaken, sir; there is an exception.
The judges of your Supreme Court may
have jurisdiction in particular cases by
a clause which | propose to read. Nei-
ther the Supreme Court nor any judge
of that court or of the district courts can
issue a writ ofhd6eGS corpus or look into
the legality of any proceedings in which
this military jurisdiction is concerned
"Unlcss some commissioned officer"
Some dignified lieutenant of the second
degree possibly
" Unless some commissioned officer
on duty in the district wherein the per-
son is detained shall indorse upon said
petition statement certifying, upon
: honor, that he has knowledge or infOr-
nation as to the cause and circumstan-
COS of the alleged detention, and that he
: believes the same to he wrongful; and
: further that he believes that the indors-
, ed petition is preferred in good faith
: and in furtherauce ofjusticc, and not to
hinder. or delay the punishment OF
crime"
| The wealthy criminal, for his fee of S5(
! orSl0Oor$5cO, can get Il lieutenant'scertit'
icate to his petition, and go to the courts
3 of the United States and be heard under
l the laws of the United States, and have
I some little protection from the Consti
! tuition of your fathers, from that instru,
l ment under which you are assembled
t here and which you are sworn to sup
e port. This Is the manner i'll which
G judicial power may take hold of an!
e case, no matter how enormous, of out
Il rage or of iniquity, in one-third of til,
{ United States, under this bill.
II The fifth section provides
= "That no sentence of any militar,
: commission or tribunal hereby author
= ized, affecting the life or liberty of an.
u person, shall be executed until it is ap
y proved by the officer in command Of tn
" district"
" There, sir, shameful as the factappears
the power over the life of an American
"a citizen is contided to either one of tiv
IS military commanders, who are to b
y selected, not by the Commander-in
IT Chief of the armies of the United States
,r as the Constitution requires, but by
d General selected by your bill; and 70
r. might Just as well, instead of havin
ne selected the General of the Army 70
r this purpose, have selected the hero o
is Big Bethel orany other general, or eve
,r q civilian, if indeed this fearful and III
re cXampled power of creating militar
If rule resides in Congress ut all. Th
IN commanders of these departments haV
m the power of life and of death, the pow
H. er to imprison at their pleasure, tn
/. power to fine, to contiscate property
$? and to plumber or kill the citizens, an
e. that without any redress. Why, 81
it what are the military commissions TIN
H. are authorized here? Are not the men
la bers selected by this officer in comman'
he selected to do his bidding-organizC
or to convict, if he desires conviction
ed and their proceedings subject to his a
of proval? Nay, sir, even sentence
m, death by them is to be carried into e
ed ecution according to his will, becau
en- this bill contemplates the capital exec
nc ton of citizen tried before these trib
on nails simply upon the approval of t
th officer commanding the district.
lrs Such, sir, is the bill introduced hel
ire for the passage of which our votes q
nd solicited, and to pass which we are dri
Nv en- into the hours of the night, hurried
ect and unprcparcd, while some eXpecta
,ry persons outside, perhaps, look with il
e;s patience upon the delay which is TAXI
V? place, this unnecessary delay, this p
us, traction of our proceedings, this WA
i've of time, this foolish appealing to
our records and to principles which we ha
her advanced far beyond in our revoluti'
los, airy career. Ncs, sir, spirit OF i'm
MI ticnce and intolerance surrounds us q
Die, finds voice even upon this floor.
are will state objections to the bill
be general terms and conclude. l am
ces, Inclined to speak at length, but sho
ON, take shame to myself if such bill
this could be passed or be under cons
; | Grafton here without uttering some
, be sincere words in opposition to its enu
iich mCnt.
red Sir, this bill, in the first place, is
nil open confession in the face of the Wo
the that republican government is 4
Kill lure. 1t is an open and Shaine
the con lCssiOn, made by us III the prcSe
,out of our coun trymen and in the prese
are of the world, that our republican IN
r in tutions are not as they were supposed
tied be, destined To immortality or to lut
ern- renown; that their period OF lie
and about closed, that we are to be adde'
,rdy the list OF republics OF iorillSr ulillGs
re- OF OtnCf countries WIN luh luiii''i
and some of them not inglorlous careers
-, y,,,l In N,.bot this hill .uTppStS in the