Year: 1863

commended to be continued towards prisoners sus.
pected of shaving violated any law Of the Confeds-
rate States" The other class excluded from its
mercy, are all such suspected of having done
an act hostile injurious to the Confederate States"
Although every wilful violation Of law is an act
both hostile and injurious to the State yet it is evil
IDENTIFY the purpose of the instructions to reach at
least all acts concerning which tho law statute
common, might be silent 1t is left to the commits
siOner with the broadest discretion to Judge of the
character of such acts; and il they be- in his
opinion, either "hostle or injurious to the Con-
federate States" his mission Of mercy is closed
Now, if the opinions of a patriotic press be any


index to the probable opinions of the commissioner,
the door of relief is shut against every person sus
Pected of having speculated on food or raiment-
every producer who may be deemed to have asked
an exorbtant price for his prOductions-every man
who may have published an article that questioned
the ability or patriotism of the President or the
capacity or integrity Of his high officers or even
the sobriety and honesty Of the keeper of military
prison. He too would be deemed dangerous
man." If this most vague of all charges that were
ever seriously entertained judicialy in land of
freedom, be sufficient to detain freemen in prison.
as those thus designated have been for many, many
months, it is quite sufficient to cause arrests
of dangerous men" all over the land; and as tho
power and discretion of arresting men, is according
to your report left to the "oficers of the army
your report sanctions the arrest of all such as they
may deem Dangerous" from whatever cause or
in whatever respect 1t is true you instructed your
commissioner "to discharge those against whom
there was wellgrounded cause of suspicion of
having violated law, or done an act" &c,-yet in
the face of these instructions you sanction the con-
tinued Imprisonment Of men who are not accused
of either violating a law or doing act The
probe has been introduced into their hearts, and
they aresdiscovcred to be "dangerOus!'


Among the cases os specific charges preferred"
there is against a citizen Of Richmond, (No.
65,) of multiplied guilt which defies all analysis
for prosecution upon any legal principles. 1t is
drunkenness, continually in Jail, dangerous" We
not aware, Sir, that the drunkenness of civil
Ian is a crime against the Confederate States,
can be made such; or that repeated Imprisonment
for past offences is new and distinct offence against
State or Confederate law. On the contrary, we had
supposed it was punishment and not a crime
These charges, however true, were evidently mar
shalled into the report, to mpart dignity and con-
sequence to the case, and TO furnish proof that he
was dangerous"


All history, Sir, Is full of warning against the
croachments of military power. The facility with
which the plowshare is turned into the bayonet
was never so illustrated on earth rs within the
last three hundred days. The fierce spirit of war
is shaking the foundations of free government.
Constitutions and laws tottering under the fury
Of Excitement and desperation. There have been few
besides the father of his country, who have kept in
place, they trembled amid the shocks and storms
Of civil strife the fundamental pillars of freedom,
and stayed the lawess strides of military usurpa-
tion. In the confusion Of these times the voice of
all past ages assures you that however urgent may
be the vigilance Of the armed sentinel in the strug
gle for independence, that Of the unarmed sentinel
on the watch-tower of civil liberty, is more urgent
still. And unless there be fatality which dooms
men once put in possession Of the sword to deride
and forget all past reverence for the most sacred
principles Of human freedom, you may yet see the
day when, in your ambition Of vrtuous fame, you
would rejoice to separate your name forever from
the history of woes unjusy suffered in the military
prisons Of the South