Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-08-16
CONSTANT SPY HUNT
DURING REVOLUTION
Drastic Penalties Were Melted Out
to Even Those Who Held
Reasonable Thoughts.

In revolutionary DAYS the hunt for trait
ors was steady and relentless. As early
as NAV 1876, the Provincial congress APP
pointed committee 70 deal with mites
tine enemies arrested bv the committee
of safety During the next few years one
body after another was appointed to run
down c0nspraCics. These moved from
place to place, and with the aid OF armed
force sought out and arrested the enemies
Of the people Their functions included
the right to seize papers and arrest sus-
poets. 10 administer oaths and take bonds,
jo lmprison all persons dangerous 10 the
safety of the State. and to discharge from
confinement Others upon evidence Of 10y
atty
At hr>t lcnicnt measures were tired
DlsatfcCtcd pers ms were removed from
the centre Of activities 70 distant farms
and allowed to work these nj a moderate
rental Because they were too close TO
tn, heart Of things they were banIshed to
isolated places, ~ in tins war aliens
have been sent out Of the District OF
Columbia and have been forbidden TO APP
proach other important points.
Lcnicncy was found to be Intellectual.
On Julv /. 1880, n bill was passed by
the New \ ork Legislature for the deport-
ing OF the families of the disaffected be-
cause they concealed emiSsaries from the
enemy and 'trafficked in information.
Numerous residents were sent into the
British lines
Protests poured IN about the star cham
Der methods OF he commissioners, but
jolnt committee from both houses of the
New y ork Legislature justified their pow
ers IL sent an address 10 constituents
showing that since concealed traitors
scattered the seeds OF dISaiiectlon and
took advantage Of the credullty of the
honest 1t was necessary to reach them
BY summary method Rangers were en-
ploved 10 rundown suspects warrant
for arrest was IN most cases issued after
charges were made by a reputable citizen.
BY an act of March 80, 1871, provision
was made to punish more etfectually ad-
herents 70 the king 1t enacted that any
one who preached, taught, spoke, wrote or
printed that the king OF Great Britain
had dominion III New York or who Sc
dueed the allegiance OF anyone IN the
state was guilty Of a felony without
benefit OF clergy, though the court could
commute the sentence from death 10 ser
vice for three years N the navy of the
United States.
IL Was SuiitltHi tIl1l Il HldH might
make trouble. He could be imprisoned
without any evidence that he had com
mitted overt acts other than by word or
mouth.
Thousands OF suspects were called up
bv the boards for detecting and defeating
conspiracies, according TO the records
compiled by Paltsts, State historian of
New York Many of these were examined
and discharged because the evidence did
not show disloyalty In case of any doubt
the accused was made To give bond and
often to report TO the commissioners at
set intervals, as boys now do to the juve-
nile courts y great many others were
confined for a time and then released
In view Of the question that has arisen
during the present war about reprsals
IN he matter of treatment of prisoners, ii
is interesting to recall that in Revolution
aIy days the rigor of the treatment to adj
hercnts Of King George was based upon
that which was gwen 10 Wing prisoners
by the enemy
Persons who refused TO give information
about suspected traitors were themselves
/ arrested and flung into prison. This
applied to women as well as men
The pro-German propagandist has since
the war began talked a great deal about
freedom of speech. He charges that we
are abandoning the standards set by our
Revolutionary forefathers when we cur
tail mans right to voice publicly what
ever he wants TO say. Since the United
States has always stood for free speech
and free press, many good citizens
have been puzzled how TO answer these
assertions.
The facts are quite otherwise While
the colonies were fighting for indeDend-
ence, Tories were not permitted to preach
whatever doctrine they liked, to c0nsort
with enemeies of the people, or in general
to show a spirit of disaffectlon.
Disturbing and harmful parties were
fined, deported, interned, imprisoned, and
in the case Of spies, hanged. Our Revo-
lutionary forefathers were very business
like in their method of treating the dis
loyal They went after them as a terrier
does after rat.
Never in this country has here been
freedom Of speech in the sense that Il
! man could say what he wanted to with
| out being responsible for his words No
| freedom Of that kind ever has exist ed
anywhere in the world man could talk
| in Revolutionary days, but If he said
| improper things he had to suffer the con-
| sequences So it is in time Of peace All
| our laws on slander and libel are based
| on this principle When an individual
/ feels he is injured wrongly he can sue.
! The redress OF the State, III case II de
! termines that the talker is a public en-
| envy, lies through a criminal action. The
| right of freedom Of speech is hedged
| about with restrictions.
But in war times the liberty of the in