The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-06-13
The Arrest of Pat Woods.

,IH0 ATIGSL VI ssSSNN~'
No greater outrage upon personal liberty
or upon the dignity and majesty Of state
has ever been committed than that when
was perpetrated when PAT WOODS was NV
napped and spirited out Of the Cohl'nen-
wealth. He was arrested without autno,i'y
Of law, without warrant, IN v.ols''1 ~
Of the Federal aud State Cons'''u','nS, :"
contempt Of the Virginia b'il oi Hs,
ana IN defiance Of the process of court
co,nmand;ng his body to be brought before
that tribunal.
pr Voops is Of couse no hero. lie may
no worthless character for aught that we
know, though VIC have never heard that ne
is not Of good reputation. His standing IN
the community has no bearing upon TINS
question, IL the humblest negro clazen OF
the State had in like manner been kidnapped
and depriyed of his dearest rights, the out
rage would be the same as II GILBERT =.
WALKER had been thus wronsed.
What is PAT Woops's offence? The Fed
eral Constitution provides that "for any
speech or debate in either House" MEM
her Of Congress shall not be questioned
/. iuIany other place" Conceding that this pro-
vision gives to Congress the power to punish
persons who question its members elsewhere
concerning what they have said in debate, it
does not follow that PAT Woops was law
fully arrested, for it never had been init
mated in this community previous to his
arrest that Woops assaulted PORTER for or
on account of anything that PORTER had
said or done in Washington. The assertion
by PORTER that he was assaulted for that rca-
son was, we have no doubt, malicious one,
made for the sole purpose of enabling him
to employ the power of the Federal Govern
ment to wreak his vengeance upon poor
man whom he recognizes as personal
enemy.
How long is it since Congress acquired
the new power which now for the first time
it has employed? Beast BUTLER was well
trounced in Massachusetts, year or two
aco by stout mechanic who had n Srudge
against him, but Congress never construed
that attack into an assault upon Buffers
privileges MS member of that body. JOHN
WENTWORTH was threatened with personal
violence in the city of Washington whilst he
was a member of Congress, and yet nobody
was ever arraigncd at the bar of the House
TO answer for the offence. Numbers of con-
gressmen, members Of both Houses, have
in days mast been assaulted either at their
homes or in Washington city by belliSerent
individuals, yet never before since the foun-
dation ofthe Government did such an assault
result in so grievous wrong toa person or
so intolerable an Outrage upon State as
that which has just been inflicted upon PAT
Woops and the Commonwealth of Virginia.
What security has any man in this so-calied
free country for his personal liberty? If
PAT WooDs may be taken to Washington
and incarcerated, SO may Governor HoFF-
MAN or any other person or officer. There
is absolutely no such thing rs personal
liberty left.
No man can be constitutionally and law
fully arrested upon the authority of mere
telegram, although during the late war MIR.
SEWARD did often, after ringing "little
bell" order by telegraph the arrest of sus-
pected parties. But even if person could
lawfully be thus arrested, he is entitled to
the privilege Of the writ of habeds corpus.
1t must appear to the civil courts that he is
lawfully held in custody. 1t is for them to
decide whether the authority for his arrest
and detention is sufficient. And whoever
counsels the surrender of this risht-who-
ever justifies the violation of this conStitu-
tional guarantee of personal liberty to those
entitled to it's either miserable dolt, I'M
worthy to be anything else than slave, or a
villain worse than an assassin or Il parricide
for no other crime can equal that of Destroy
ing the liberties Of free people. Yet the
northern people sit down in stolid indif-
ference and see their rights thus stricken
down before their eyes, not having sense
enough to perceive that to deprive the
southern people Of their constitutional pri-
vileges is but to deprive themselves of the
the same. We of the South are bound in
chains. We cannot help ourselves, and our
northern brethren" aciH not help U.S.
And this is called free country!