The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1867-02-27
ASHLAND, OHIO. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY ~ 1857

power Of appointing even q petty post.
master in the Northern States.
The third section Of the bill leaves all
recognition Of the local courts and author
tiles entirely to the discretion Of the
Brigadier General commanding the dis
trict, and makes il his duty, besides sup
pressing insurrsction, "to protect all per-
sons in their rights Of person and proper
"" and "to punish all disturbers Of Me
public peace, and criminals in other
words, he shall have unlimited power,
both Judicial aud executive, and absolute
Jurisdiction ever all sorts Of causes, both
civil and crimiual. If he chooses to set
iaside'all local goycrnmenfsa aud courts Il as
under this law be may, he and his sub
ordinates will try every drunken rowdy.
who should go before Police Court as
we'll as every one charged with thdt,
burglary or murder; they will try, also,
every civil cause, from an action in re.
plevin to a divorce for all ''rights Of per.
son and property" they are to protect
The whole elaborate machinery Of gov
ernment, executive and judicial, and, for
that matter, legislative also, is thus con-
centrated in the hands Of the Brigadier
commanding, and this is done by the
most freedom-loving party in the popular
branch of the legislature of the most
purely Democratic republic that the world
has ever seen, and in the 1--WE suppose
somewhat er.estimatcd) nineteenth GEN.
tury.
Is there not, however, some power of
revision or right Of appeal? There cure.
ly must at least be some provision for re-.
cording and publishing the DEGREES rela.
tive to property, and of accounting for
the moneys which nay pass into his
hands ! Not bit Of it. There are pro.
visions that call interference by said pre-.
tended.State Governments" shall be void,
that even the United States Courts shall
not issue writs Of habeas corpus, unless
in case Of crime Exclusively within the
Jurisdiction OF the courts Of the United
States" or unless the Brlgadier or one Of
his own subordinates shall indorse upon
the petition for such writ that he believe,
the Brigadier or his subordinate has
"wrongfully" arrested the person held
Those who know what military sabordina.
tion is will appreciate the chances for get.
ting writ. So much for criminal prao.
tice and Jurisprudence.
| But the civil side of the court is even
worse, if possible. There is not even q
military commission to try the causes -
Whatever is done is left purely and abso
lutely in the commandant's discretion.
He is not bound to report his decisions t.
any one, but may sit, as Saint Louis o.
France, used to, under tree by the road
side, and administer primitive justice tc
whoever comes, with or without "money
or price" The whole property of |
State will be at his discretion, and if h
becomes rich, he may say, as Warrer
Hastings did Of his wealth amassed il
India, that he is amazed that he did mol
become richer, since all the treasures O.
country were at his feet. 1t is ussless t.
say that it is not anticipated that local tri
, bunalS will be entirely set aside when th,
military Office is fully and in explici
terms authorized to set them all aside
, and their authority, even il they are per
' mitted to exist, is fatally attacked whei
+ they are declared to be parts of "pre
/ tended' government.
The utmost protection, then, for life,
!. the discretion Of the Brigadier; the NJ
most protection for property is the discr,
8 ton Of any boy, with the commission {
e Second Lieutenant, who may be sent wit
= a squad of men into any country; for th
= approval Of the commandant Of the di
: trict is all that is necessary for the inai'
. tion Of capital punishment under the fft
section, aud no approval or restrictio
: whatever is required in civil cases. I
! estimating the probable usefulness Of an
= = effort to appeal either to the President {
! General Grant, or to any tribunal or bod
!, whatever, we must not forget that Il
l. s ss,,O. \, VI . ~.'s'ary commission are . .
!, such effort, and tho attempt itself may |
10 ms rrauI -, siine @ iol wnlOu ns must sung
y lug p,,, says cIlel enS UNUSUAL PSuisl
% would protect any one without defnitiC
! VI msas s ;,:. sns,' ~ .egaraeI 0rue' or uo,
!. y suel lor mlnsary oo%mlsslvn, OF proVl
~ ins ,or somI appear wniOn n, .he agcus'
e may not MAKE IN VAN. is gu,'o''a
n Y fra"oe a'a "Ds ar:p ~, ,e'.e o'o0a oecdl @
y meacfs Pdssea py we !sd'onds ASseno