April 16, 1863, Peoria Morning Mail (Illinois)
We are informed that a rather rich, but withall a rather humiliating affair came off a few days since in the Provost Marshal’s office in the city of St. Louis. Michael Foley, a resident of Bath, Mason county, last week took a trip to St. Louis. While walking along the street he happened to meet a band of rebel prisoners. Their appearance in a uniform entirely new to him attracted his attention and without stopping, he continued to look at them, probably thinking that in this great and glorious country, which is at present under the law martial, it was no harm to look at a passing pageant, even if it was principally made up of rebels. But he had forgotten that Abraham is a man more careful of the loyalty of his people than any of his predecessors have found it necessary to be. He had not quite concluded in his own mind whether the procession was an object of pity or contempt, when he was touched upon the shoulder by a uniformed gentleman, who politely invited him to recreate himself a while in the Provost Marshal’s office. Of course he accepted the invitation at once, since it has occasionally been noticed, that to decline an invitation given in that delicate sort of way, has an effect to confuse the programme.
When arrived at the Provost marshal’s office, he was cross-question for an hour, insulted by pompous officials, threatened, and brow-beaten, to make him say something by which he could be convicted. During the examination the following questions were asked and answered:
“Are you a Democrat?”
“No!”
“Have you read the Chicago Times?”
“Yes!”
“Do you endorse it?”
“Partly!”
These questions seemed to throw some light on the cause of the arrest, but Mr. Foley, being naturally of an inquiring mind, naturally became the questioner, when the following colloquy, substantially, took place:
“Do you make a man’s politics a test of his loyalty?”
“Yes, to a certain extent!”
We cannot avoid saying that the answer last recorded was, in our opinion, disingenuous. They make it a test of loyalty to a very uncertain extent!
After the examination was finished, and Mr. Foley had time to see what it all meant, he concluded that he was guilty of the crime of being dressed in a suit of homespun clothes, which, it seems, is sufficient cause of arrest in St. Louis, under the mild administration of a Provost Marshal.