The Van Buren press., 1873-05-27
Captured, Or Not Captured That's the
Question.
ui,,l. Roc, n,u, Ke,ubliean, 21th. |

custody. Up to this time, we nave reir"iheu
from saving ANYTHING about the matter hop
ing that the governor would embrace the hrst
opportunity TO escape. but as yet our hopes
kuye not been realized. What these men nave
kim to do. we do not knoW' DuI
hear it rumored that AS prerequisite 10 MS
release they have made him remove sen. Up
ham from the command Of the militia anu
the entire militia commanders up
on aku-klux basis.
Asy vet, but few republicans have been per
mitted to visit Gov Baxter IN ms eapthity'
not because they are unwilling To staha by
him in all that is republican but because
first, they do not care to inperli their liVes
in running the gauntlet OF hG-hluA VINO
guard the approaches to his Office ana person
with Springfield muskets which they have Ia
ken from the State'sarmory ana secohu' oe-
cause his captors will not allow him TO be
visited by persons who are Objectionable to
them. We are told these men refuse to allow
the governor to leave his office, even obey the
calls of nature. without being guarded oy
mem Der of the death committee ariheu
with navy skies. They compel MN 10 sieeP
at his office, and is not We are informed al
lowed To visit his family. even under guard
Never before in the worlds history, nave we
heard of anything AZ audaciouS as the capture
OF the governor. IL was bold stroke ana tue
u.
Fort Ticonderoga, was nothing compared TO
it.
On Friday and Saturday few republicans
were permitted to see him in his prison. Ihey
report to us that he looks pale and haggard'
that his beard is ofaweek's growth, ana thal
he has not been allowed to change his linen
since capture. His entire physique mas "n
dergons great clsITe, and an expression oi
Iunacy oYsrspreadShis features. aud Is very
la ah Iii l.
ted to converse with him except in the pres
ence of one of his captors.
We are told by those who have been per-
mitted to see him that by the threats ana
menaces of his captars. but that he is sur
rounded by friends Of his own selection, and
that the ku-klux are there by his order and at
his request for the purpose Of resisting the
process Of the courts, il any of them should
dare to open their doors to allow inquiry to
be made as to who was legally elected gov
ernor of the State. We had supposed the gov
ernor was made OF sterner stun. and that al
though prisoner. brute force. even, could
not have compelled him to give utterance to
a sentence which should blister his tongue
and inscrbe his name higher on the roll OF
in fanny than Judas Iscaiot'S or Benedict Ar
nold's.
In charity. we have inclined to the opinion
that the governor has been captured, for it
cannot be possible that he would have called
the men about him he has Of his own accord,
or by the conset and advice ofany republican.
We have inquired ofal the prominent repub-
licans in and about the city, if they had ad
vised the governor to his present course, and
they all inform Es that they did not and that
they had no knowledge that he contcn plated
any thing Of the role he is now playing. The
step was taken without the knowledge of
Senator Clayton or Gov lIadlcy. 1t was ta-
ken without the knowledge OF Gov. Johnson
(for he was not in the city, and without the
ofJudges Stevenson and Caldwell.
1t was taken without the knowledge Of Sena-
tor Dorsey, or that OF Grey AND White. 1t
was taken without the knowledge of Jud ge
Bowen. Judge Yonley or Judge Mcclure,
From the fact that he did not advise with any
of these well-known republicans we incline
to the opinion, and prefer to believe that the
governor has been captured.
If GOV Baxter appreIlended danger. we are
at loss to understand why he called men
around him to protect him, who were his OPP
ponents in the late canvass, and who have re
pcatetly sworn that he was not elected gov
ernor? In tins city there are five hundred
white republicans and twice as many black,
who would have rallied TO his call had they
been notified What danger the governor APP
if fany, we have been unable to find
out One day he says he did it for one reason,
and on the next he 81 Yes a different one His
stories are so contD 'ictoyi 'h Ncy only
( fus WIZ ne clsss
thceca, bagseA Forg he seems tc
have different stofJ and so far as we have
probed them, we have not found a grain OF
truth in any oftlstm.
We heard at irst that his captors made
him say that he was fearful that Mcclure
would issue writ Of qao tcdTrdat0 against
him and oust him from his Office. when he was
told that this lie was toe thin, and that Nc
Clure had no power to issue aWrit of9Ho uar-
1t was q power to be exercised
by The court, and not by single Judge, then
they made him say that he was fearful The
court would allow the writ and that Mcclure
would issue an order sus pending him from the
exercise OF the duties Of his office. When he
was told that the court did not meet until
Monday. and that Mcclure did not have the
power to issue any such writ. or order. and
that nobody ever heard of any such proceed
ing, they made him say that Lieut. Governor
Smith had been tampering with the militia
and that he was fearful Smith would take
possession of his Office by force. When he
was told that GOV, Smith had gone home. and
that he never thought of such a thing they
made him say that Brooks held a meeting OF
his friends and resolved TO take forcibo pos
session of his office.
The excuses which the governor thus far
has given, for his coaduct, arc palpable lies
which no man with three out OF the five
senses would believe. Behind all th. there
i. something else. The truth has not been
told, and one OF two things Is true, either that
he has sold out body and soul to the Democ-
racy, or that he is prisoner, and now in their
hands. II the governor at the point of the
bayonet, has been compelled to say what lie
has, IN order 10 sdre ms iVe. we can excuse
hipl, but if these stories are hi, volun tary ut
terngs. thon indeed do we bow our heads in
shame at his shamclessness.
Whether or not Mr.. Brooks is entitled to
yio trd'rdHt0, Is question for the supreme
court and not for the governor to decide
Whether the supreme court has jurisdiction to
hear quo tcdrrdato against perSon holding
he office of governor. is not question for
he person affected 10 determine. II Is not to
be presumed that the court will assume iuris-
liction of a question which cannot rightfnlly
be brought before il. In the first place. no
application has been made to the court for
i,to l-arrdHtO against him, and for the governor
10 anticipate what would be done is not ex-
ictly within the province of an executive of
icer. No man was ever oustcd from an office
~ quo warranto without having an oupor-
unity to he heard. and the governor has no
light 10 assume that he would be. II the
ourt was proceeding illegally, 1t wa, time
enough for him to resist tc5ca his rigAts had
been lnraded. His fears and sGpsrstitisns are
entitled to no more weight than the fears of
,ne laborng with mania potu.
We understand he says, that il the supreme
'ourt dares to hear quo warranto against him
hat he will put this county under martial
aw and iWprison the court, Well, that
would be awful and we apprehend the Judges,
n order to protect themselves. will put the
ttorney general in jail for contempt OF court,
{ he should ask for quo warranto against
elisha Baxter. II GOV. Baxter wants to put