The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-03-26
Hxhumation Of . Black Record.

1t will be remembered that In the tall OF
1864 agents were appointed in the different
states to visit our armies, for the purpose of
distributing tickets to the soldiers. Among
those agents from New York were Colonel
North, Levi Cohn and Martin NJ. Jones. On
the 9th of October of that year they were
arrested and committed to the old capitol
prison, on charge of 'defrauding soldiers
of their votes" While in prison they were
subjected to gross cruelties and lndlgnlties.
At the time of their arrest and TOR several
weeks afterwards, the republican newspapers
daily denounced them as being guilty OF the
charge for which they were arrested and in
carcerated, and the democratic party was
represented by those newspapers to have
been engaged in like offences in all the
states.
| After "a trial. terminating on the sixth day
of January, 1865, the men were acquitted.
but they were not discharged, nor was the
verdict rrade known to them. Col. North
was discharged on the 9th day OF january,
and furnished with an official statement OF
his acauittal by the secretary of war. On
the same day he was informed by the secre.
tary that Cohn and Jones had been found
guilty, and sentenced to imprisonment for
life. The two latter were discharged two
weeks afterwards. --s-. --.--- -
During Mr.. Lincoln's administration, the
parties could obtain no copy of the proceed
ings of the military commission before which
| they were tried, though earnestly endeayor-
| ing to do so. They not long ago obtained
an order from President johnson directing
| the war department to furnish them with
| such copy. It unearthed the facts we have
cited.
| They are compiled from statement made
| by prominent democratic newspaper and
there viii, probably. be no challenge of their
correctness by the press of the ruling party.
AT that time that press was busy in laudins
| Secretary Stanton as the embodiment OF
craftsmanship and patriotism, and at this
time it was equally busy in ascribing the
same and many other virtues to Abraham
Lincoln. Messrs Lincoln and Stanton were
| cognizant of and directed the proceeding re-
| lating to the arrest, trial and imprisonment
of the New York agents. Mr.. Lincoln
/ knew, of his own personal knowledge, O.
| their Imprisonment after their acquittaf By
| the military commissioning court organized
| to convict and ordered to condemn" ant
failing only in this instance to fulfill the pur
pose of its creation because there was not s
particle of evidence against the accused
and he refused to do those men the justice
even of a copy of the proceedings by which
| they might establish their entire innocence
1 of the charge on which they had been so un
justly, wantonly and severely punished.
So far as the facts we have given are II
| themselves concerned, disconnected from al
| circumstances tending to establish persona
and wicked motives on the part of Messr.
| Lincoln and Stanton in the lynching of ths
/ New York agents, they make up a biaci
record. They show upon the part of th'
highest officers of the government, charged
with and sworn to the enforcement OF lt'
laws, a contempt for their official oaths ant
for the most sacred rights of American citi
zens that could only be entertained by mel
capable of great crimes.
| To understand fully, however, the extent
| of the criminality of Messrs Lincoln ant
| Stanton in this matter, it must be known
and remembered that the men whom the,
| lynched were lawfully prosecuting worl
adverse to the individual interests of the theI
President and present secretary of war. Mr.
Lincoln and General Mcclellan were oppos
! ing candidates for the presidency. Mr.. Lin
coin was fearful that q fair election IN tn,
4 to General Mcclellan. The New York agent
were trying to obtain such an election, ant
it was because of this that they were arreste'
and imprisoned on a charge of which Messr
Lincoln and Stanton were themselves guilt
that of "defrauding soldiers of their votes.
The admission of the facts here stated pre-
cludes all possibility of defense of the cor
duct of Messrs Lincoln and Stanton in thu
business. Viii their partisans furnish re
butting testimony ?-Chicago Times.