The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-09-29
THE EXTRACTION OF TWEED.

person supposed 10 DC Nlillaii M i"CVu,
a fugitive from justice, has been suricn-
dered by the Spanish government, been
transferred to the United States ship
Franklin, and is now on his way to this
country, presumably to DO tried for his
crimeF. A year, or even six months ago,
this thing would have been deemed impos-
sible, but we have been confronted with so
many apparent impossibilities in the way
OF the application of international law, That
it would be the Liy1t of folly to declare
any freak Of nations an impossibliiiy or to
be surprised at euy such ueak.
But Why should Tweed, if it is Tweed.
be surrerdcred7 Why should the demand
for his .urrender be mad? He is not Il
fugitive from Justice in h. ordirnry sense
of the term. He may be uader iudic met
for aieec ines, sc KNOW BAT be- il un-
der Indictment Tor all eed misde e4nrfs
under he laws of Ne~ York, bu hls IS
caps was OF from arrest und-r thrsc u
III tm4nts H. mad b 'cn I'D, ,.no ~,
IN the c1stJay Of che sueriff OF ne ci ) i
New YufN, N civil process, Oh an oid,l
of arrest issued in civil I'll t brought by
the proper adtuuri,ej for the recovery o.
certain moneys which, 1t was alleged, LIE
had Obtained from the city or county OF
New York by fraud Has The general
government any thing to do with enforcing
tins cas-, Of remclits? His escape, if he
was not retaken, made the sheriff Of New
York and his bail liable for TIE amount of
the judgments. rendered against him. Has
the general government anything to do
with aiding the sheriff to escape FROM
such liability?
OF course there can be only one answer
to these questions-and that, that the gen.
eral government has no business whatever
to interfere with these matters. But con-
ceding that his arrest was demanded and
the surrender obtained on account of the
crimes or msdemeanors back Of these civil
prosecutions, why then does tie general
poyerutpcnt interfe,Oc r~i..s az So,
alleged crimes;and misdemcanors Ihey
are simply that Tweed entered into con-
.pr..,y ~I,u utners to deiraud the city ard
county of New York, that by means OF
such conspiracy he succeeded n sucl
fraud, and that to carry out the conspiracy
he was guilty of misfcasance and malfeas
ance in office. These crimes or mis1e
meanors are simply local ones, and are
such because they are made so by statute
They are unknown to international law
and are unrecognized by extradtion trea
ties. AS a matter of strict right, under in
ternational law, the United States govern
ment bad no right to demand his surrcn'
der, or the government of Spain 10 surren
der him.
The strapgeness of the case does no
end here. His surrender is demanded, ano
the demand complied with, without thu
least evidence being furnished that he hs
committed, or even been charged with tht
commission of a crime. There has not
even, been an attempt made to establish
his identity. Every principle of common
law and common justice, TO say nothing o
international law, has been violated in hi
surrender. To be sure, in one sense, thi
is none of our business. 1t is SPANS look
out to see that she surrendcrs an ALLEGED
criminal only on proper proof. But, afte
all, is it not our concern to zee to it tina
we do not make ourselves a party to tn
forcible abduction of au innocent ma1
for If it should prove that the extradite,
person is not William NJ. Tweed, then al
innocent man has been arrested in Spail
and forciDly brought to this cou1try.
Think of it a moment. A man by tn
name of William NJ. Tweed has been guilt,
of-murder, it you pIease. He escape
from this coun y. aud is 10 parts unknown
lie has teeu sculewt at proniirelt in Amer
lean polr no much SO rs to have fol me
one of h subj-c Tor Nas,'s pencil.
hue AID cry is raised, aud a m,n haa ice
found trive.nE N Span with 4 real g
ia cied resenbl .nee 10 one IT these ca
toIns, aud tor,h~ itu he il assumed 80 d
tie mtl sought for, ami. vi aout an
pratt H. ms ider t,'y; win 1T any evi
deuue htt he has cImmt e. cr,me
without eve, stopping to inquire wnclne
he has b7on di,ted OF no., hc 10 suiie'
deied, ,l.a j Oh an 10 tel States vess
and, against his VII, brought TO tats ouue
try. WHAT IS this bat kidnapping? sup
posing and it seems to be matter Z
doubt, the man is no, Tweed, Whist then
Is il not an abduction al the same in the
he is arres'ed transferred to a Unite
States vessel, and forcibly brought to thi
country, not only against his will, but j
the absence of all lsw-except. the law c
force-authorizng it
We need not stop to inquire why tn
general government has been so exceeding
ly anxious to secure the arrest Of Tweed
when II allows his paitners in guilt-Cor
molly, Sweeney, Genet, Fields, ct at
quietly remain abroad in countries, too
with which we have extradition treaties
and when it made no attempt to secure tn
return to this country of Sharkey, a cor
yicted and condemned murderer. No on
would regret to see Tweed brought to jus
tice for his misdeeds, and compelled I
disgorge bis ill-gotten gains, but there
something to BIZ considered besides Twee
and his crimes.
Is this to be taken as precedent fo
future action The United States woul
not undertake to secure an alleged Grim
nal from Great Britain in like clrcumstar
ces--we had an extradition treaty wit
that country, and yet failed to obtai
Winslow. 10 Tweeds crime greater the