The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-02-23
Citizens in British Dun.
qeons.

Mr.. Reach, in the Ohio House of
Representatives., Friday, offered the
following joint resolution, which WAS
unanimously adopted:
Resolved, by Line General Assembly
of the State OF Ohio, That the Sena-
tors and Representatives in Congress
from this State are hereby requested
to use their influence to secure the
immediate intervention of this govern
ment in behalf OF American citizens
now confined in British dungeons on
the charge of sedition.
We hope This resolution adopted by
our General Assembly will spur up our
Representatives in Congress, 50 that
they will raise such a clamor around
the Administration that it will take a
few leisure hours from diplomatic balls
and Presidential dinner parties to look
after the rights OF our citizens now
imprisoned in foreign dungeons, for
language used UPON our owa soil and
under our own flag. Congress has
too long delayed action in this mat
ter. These men are wrongfuliy
and u~nIawfully detained in British
prisons. One of the citizens of our
own State, Lieut.-Col. w. Ct. Hafp;n,
formerly of Cincinnati, who greatly
distinguished himself as an officer OF
the Tenth Ohio Regiment during the
war, is n vi the political prisoners,
who is suffering close confinement and
vindictive treatment in a British
prison Colonel Richard Burxe is
another prisoner. So terrible has been
his punishment that he has become
deranged. One account. Speaking of
the manner the Irish American polite
al prisoners are treated, says: "5he
worst criminals are treated better
When in chapel the political prisoners
arc guarded by tie warderS, who sit
in front of them with their backs to
the altar, when one OF them goes to
communion he is ed mp to the altar
by a warder, armed with a sword and
a heavy club, which he holds above
the head in the most meanacing and
indecent manner. The ordinary
prisoners are allowed to communicate
without any guard, and the result Of
this is the political prisoners have rel
solved not to communicate again while
in prison."
The seven prisoners are confined in
a cell ii by I, i'll the most unhealthy
part OF Chatham Jail, breathing the
exhausted air in such a confined place
all the day. Along with this the halls
are heated by two. stoves, in which
coke is used as fuel. This cmits such
volcanoes of carbonic acid gas that it
poisons the air of the cells, although
the prisoners do not receive a particle
of heat. !''.
This trea, ment is simply infamous,
and our government should reach out
its hands and ave the poor unfottun-
ates from the horrible doom that seems
to be impending over them. We are
glad to see that Mr.. Cox, of New
and MI. Swami, of Maryland,
are agitating in Congress the impera-
tive and immediate adoption OF such
measures, as will ameliorate the con +,
Hilton of these political prisoners until
heir cases have been fully invesestigat-
I'd ; and, if such investigation should
prove, as it will, that they have been
treated, unlawfully convicted :
md inhumanely punished, the Govern ]
nent should at once demand their i'm t
Lediate release, at ali Consequences. {
The American Government yves pro-
to its humblest citizen, and the {
and indifference manifested by
he radical majority in Congress over
he arrest and Imprisonment of
American citizens for the alleged ut
france of reasonable sentiments on
'ur soil against Great Britain is GER q
ainly most extaordinary.-P1n !
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