Middletown transcript., 1868-06-06
Political Items.

ucu, uuIinS thc Wdi, COioSiaph omCcS,
and even letters, were open to the gov
ernment, and the railroads were seized
and occupied by it, the plea for it was
military necessity. No one conceived that
three years after the war had ceased, a tel
egraph company, to whom messages Of the
most confidential character are daily and
hourly entrusted, would be made to hand
over copies Of private kilograms to gov
ernment officials, as the Western Union
Telegraph Company has been compelled to
do by Butler, the late head of the impeach-
ment investigating committee. Is "poli-
tical necessity" to take the place of 90 mil
itary necessity" and, like that, be used
to justify every outrage upon the rights
of individuals and the public? We have
never heard of an instance in which the
most absolute monarch of Europe inter-
fered with the privacy Of the telegram,
and even in oriental despotisms there are
certain sanctities of family and business
communication which rulers do not in
trude upon. The secresy of q telegram is
often Of the greatest personal and CONNER
cial Importance, and the sender of it has
as good right to transmit it by those who
contract to carry it, and to have its priva-
cy respected, as he has to send letter to
a friend, either by private conveyance or
by post, without the risk of pretended
" investigator" robbing the carrier of it
and appropriating its contents.-Balti-
more Sun.
THE BRITISH MINISTER AND THE TELE-
GRApH.-It is reported, and we have little
doubt with truth, that Mr.. Thornton, the
British Minister at Washington, has ta-
ken decided steps in the way of protest in
regard to the lawless violation by con-
gressional committee of his rights, both as
a man and as diplomat, in the matter of
the recent seizure of kilograms at the
Washington office. 1t is certain that a
person like Mr.. Butler, who openly de-
clared on the floor of Congress that he
would not hesitate to arrest any citizen
without warrant, would pay no more
respect to the privileges of foreign envoy
than American citizens seem disposed to
exact of him for their own rights. But
any representative of foreign State would
be unworthy of his post who should per-
nit such an act as it is alleged has been
done in the case of Mr.. Thornton to pass
without the most energetic remonstrance,
and the British envoy will do a service to
America, as well as to England, if he
makes his position the opportunity for en-
phasizing upon the attention of Americans
an outrage which practically implies the
abolition in this country of the most sa-
cred guarantees of liberty and of law
~. Y. World.
A Washington letter, says:-The ex-
traordinary and oppressive action of the
House of Representatives in the case OF
Colonel G. w. Woolly, is the theme Of
general comment and it is universally re-
garded as the most alarming evidence YET
furnished of the strides of the Radical
party towards despotism. A citizen Of
Ohio comes to the National Capitol, and
while here has occasion to use $40, 900
more or less. A summons is issued fol
him to appear before a committee of Con
gress and disclose his private transactions
whatever they may be. He claims the
protection of the Federal Constitution
which guards him against precisely such
an outrage, but his claim is ignored, and
Colonel Wooley is thrown into prison.
Yes, imprisoned within the walls of the
nations Capitol, from the dome of which
the Goddess of Liberty looks down in
mockery.
FoRNEY AND STEvENs-A PROPHECY
Writing to one Of his - two papers, botl
daily" on the close of the Impeachment
trial, Col. Forney,. Clerk of the "higf
court" made this prophecy:
Should the Senate of the United States
fail to convict Andrew johnson on the &C.
cusations of tho House, not an electora'
vote, with the exception of the vote Of
West Virginia, Missouri, and Tennessee
will be given to General Grant in the
Southeastern States next November.
Stevens prophesied: That, !" if tho
President was not convicted, the Radica
candidate would carry but two Northern
States-Massachus and Vermont. -
National Ietelligencer.
Mr.. Clarence Logan, Of Philadelphia, re
Gently returned from Savannah, was an OBJ
server of the election there. He says tina
in one ward of that city several negroe
were supplied by wag with labels of Cos
tar's Rat and Roach Exterminator, an,
voted them as ballots. Some of the yer,
intelligent suffragans noticing cut of ra
on the supposed ballot, asked what it meant
They We're told that it meant the 'sratifca
ton of the constitution" They wondered
believed and voted. After this, who prate
about educating voters.-N Y. World.
5 The Louisville Journal, which enjoys tn
nAok.r of Iasv
s ments, ayers that General Steedman offere
S the Impeachment Managers dinner if the
: would examine him, and that he agreed t
: prove that Senator Pomeroy's vote was Offer
e cd him for ten thousand dollars. The Mar
ayers declined the proposal. If the stor
be true a commiteee to investigate the Mar
n ayers investigation should be appointed q
: once; +; if not true, it should be authoritive
! ly denied.
v The Senate on Tuesday, rejected tn
: nomination of Mr.. Stanbery to be Attorne
y General, but four republican Senators W