Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1868-01-08
The Fort MiClin. and other state
Prisoners.

growth, but, Fortunately, in the order OF
Providence, the period Of its duration is
commensurate with the short tine requisite
to even its full development.
This is fortunate for the human species,
to Which more particularly the above rule
aprlcs for if the rule were that the pas
sion of revenge should embrace all time for
the period in which TO sa;iatc itself, the doc
,rinc of Christian forgiveness woull ncces-
sarily be abroga.cd and men wonld be de-
mons through an everlasting existence.
But while the christian spirit Of forgive.
ness is to be- encouraged as being among
the hishca. Of those impclling powcrswlich
lead us not only to pardon. those who injure
us, but to do good for evil, yet a,nous men
in civilized communities, where it is pro-
i..sod that reason and law constitute the
rule Of action, and where au occasion OF
public disturbance il seized upon By persons
either in power, Or who have the car Of oh
e.s in power, to pcrrclratc outrage and
wrong in the mere spirit Of yiniicIveness FOR
the reason that the political ticwa Of the
weaker differ from those Of the stronger;
IN each 6 case as this, while revenge, which
is not passion stirred by Christian sonti-
ment, is not TO le sought, ye, "a decent re
spect for the opinions Of mankind, as vel
as a proper regard for Our rights .as free
men must always mrel us to stand NJ for
heritage which We can never surrender
without abandoning our status az MAJ.
These reflections were induced by the re-
cent call, published in most of the truly
patriotic rarcrs Of the land. for Conycn.
ton TO be held in the city Of New York, on
the twenty. second day Of Februsry, next, 10
be composed Of delegates representing the
vast number of persous who were no. Only
arbitrarily but ioolshly arrested by The Nil
ilary authorities during the late war, in see
'ons Of the country where "a: did mt pre-,
vail, and where the civil ccu.ts cou.l Eaye
afforded ample lcircss for any infringement
cf public O; priyat. Iish'. II is matter oi
history so familiar to all Tia. VIC need not
enter into details, that scorcs OF citizens,
against whom nu charg3 in the end "as
brought, wcrc dragged from their 'aMiiic; in
the quiet hours of the night, AM ircarcera.cd
in unwholesomc prisons, the poor un!o.tu
mates, in many cases not being allowed to
take With them change OF clothing, Or lii
adicu to their wcOping wives and won.lcr.
ing Children. Columbia County va. rec,!-
larly .turorel by the directors Of military
power, ana ls4r myrmiduns In August,
1854, battalion ef soldiers was marched
into the county, occupied for u time por-
ton Of the quiet town of Bloomsbury, and
were then, with all the paraphcrnala of war,
cannon, ammunition, &c, takcnto the still more
quiet sugar camps Of the upper par; OF the
county, into the midst of community Of
staid farmers, and there quar'cred on the
grounds and in tho houses of these people,
TO the demolition Of growing ard gathered
crops, and Of fences and timber, and to the
utter destruction of all the home comforts
of innocent families.
These soldiers, after lnvuriating for sew
t,al days on the proceeds Of the hard labor
Of these unsophis,icated citizens, proceeded
one morning at the break Of day to arrest
about ono hundred of the people Oh whose
labor they had lived. Forty or more o'
these people, oil and young, were marched
off, in the midst of glit,cring bayonets, to
Fort M;lln. But few OF these were even
brought to trial, even before the illegal
corrupt, and incompetent military comm!s
sions Of the day
But who, in the case Of the ColumliG
County prisoners, was mainly to blame
Not the military, tyr thy actsd upon s"g
yestions made By porSoas IN oar oi'St
Craven hearted fanatics had represented t.
those in power ,ha: the citizens OF the far
of region of Fishingcreck WERE ~ ARMS
An investigation, conducted u 4 Majc
General Of The army, showed that III,
people wesc engaged ouly in the peaceful
pursuits Of agricultural life. Neycrthc
less the one hundred were arrested, an,
the forty or more il,rarcera.cd in prison.
Now then, let justice. il PCS ible, be done
iNs SouNCht!pu Nnl-'l 10 aHout " NC bt'I
ia only, the beginning Of tho end. Ye
much to yindica,e the right aud severely re
buke the wrong may lie accomplished b.
these outraged men On the twenty second Q
February next. Let the real traitors, spies
and lying iulormers be unmaskcd Th
blood hounds Of the County Of Columba
whose yelpipgs led on the minions Of ire
sponsible power should be traced 10 thei
kennels-they should have such car.n.arks a
would distinguish them for all time. Il
this end Let out spoken men be scnt t
this Convention. Let justice be done thoug
the heavens fall let it be done not in
spirit Of revenge, but IN vindcation o
right.
y ---.-------
Hss- The Pittshurg lnst in speaking Q