Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1863-07-21

LincOlns Beply to the vallandigham Commit
tee of Ohio.

confer with the President and ask his re-
lease, waited on him with an address. TIE
following is the closing part of Mr.. Lin
coins reply to said Committee, with the
conditions upon which Yalandigham may
he released:
am unable to perceive an insult to the
State Of Ohio in the case of Mr. Vallarl-
digham. Quite surely nothing of this
sort was or is intended. | was wholly un-
aware that Mr.. Vallandigham was, at the
time of his arrest, candidate for the dem
ocratic nomination for Governor, until SO
informed by your reading to me the reso-
lutions of the Convention. | am grateful
to the State of Ohio for many things, es-
pecially for the brave soldiers and officers
she has given in the present national trial
for the armies of the Union.
You claim, as understand, that accord
ing to my own position in the Albany re-
spouse, Mr.. Vallandigham should be re-
leased, and this because, as you claim, be
has not damaged the military service by
dscouraging enlistments, encouraging de-
sertions, or otherwise; and that if he had,
he should have been turned over to the civ
il authorities under the recent acts of Con
gress. | certainly do not know that Mr..
Vallandigham has specifically aud by di-
rect language, advised against enliStments
and in favor of desertion and resistance of
drafting, We all know that combinations
armed in some instances, to resist the ar
rest of deserters, began several months
ago; that more recently the like has APP
peared in resistance to the enrolment pre-
paratory to drart; and that quite num-
Der of assassinations have occurred from
the same animus. These had to be met
by military force, and this again has led to
bloodshed and death. And now, under a
sense of responsibility more welghty and
enduring than any which is merely official,
| solemnly declare my belief that this bin
drance Of the military, including manning
and murder, is due to the course In which
Mr.. Valandigham has been engaged, in
greater degree than to any other cause !;
and is due to him personally in a greater
degree than to any other one man. These
! things have been notorious, known to all
and of course known to Mr.. Valandigham.
Perhaps | would not be wrong to say they
originated with his especial friends and adj
herents. With perfect knowledge Of them,
he has frequently, if not constantly, made
speeches in Congress, and before popular
assemblies; and if it can be shown that,
with these things staring him in the face,
he has ever uttered word of rebuke or
counsel against them, it will be fact
greatly in his favor with me, and one of
which, as yet, | am totally ignorant. When
! it is known that the whole burden OF MS
speeches has been to stir up men against
| the prosecution of the war, and that in the
midst of resistance to it he has not been
known in any instance to counsel against
such resistance. it is next to impossible to
| repel the inference that he has counseled
directly in favor of it. With all this before
their eyes, the convention you represent
have nominated Mr. ValIandigham for
Governor Of Ohio; and both they and you
have declared the purpose to sustain the
National Union by all constitutional means.
But of course they and you, in common,
reserve to yourselves to decide which are
constitutional means, and unlike the Alba
ny meeting, you omit to state or intimate
that in your opinion an army is consttu-
tional means OF saving the Union against
a rebellion, or even TO intimate that you
are conscious of an existing rebellion being
in progress with the ayowed object of des
troying that very Union. AT the same
time your nominee for Governor, in whose
behalf you appeal, is known to you and
to the world to declare against the use of
an army to suppress the rebellion. Your
own attitude, therefore, encourages deser-
ton, resistance to the draft, and the like,
becauses il teaches those who incline 10 de-
sert and escape the draft, to believe il is
your purpose to protect them, and to hope
that you will become strong enough to do
so. After a personal intercourse with you
gentleman of the committee, | cannot say
| think you desire this effect to follow
your attitude; but | assure you that both
friends and enemies of the Union look up
on it in this light. 1t substantial hope
and by consequence, real strength to the
enemy. 1t is a false hope, and one which
you would willingly dispel. ] will make
the way exceedingly easy. ! send you du-
plcates of this letter, in order that yoa, or
a majority of you, may, If you choose, in
dorse your names upon one Of them, and
return it Endorsed to me, with the under
standing that those signing are thereby
committed to the following propositions,
and to nothing else:
1. That there is now rebellion in the
United States, the object and tendency Of
which is to destroy the National Union;
and that in you opinion an army and navy
are constitutional means Of suppressing the
rebellion.
.. That no one of you viii do anything
which in his own judgment, will tend to
hinder the increase or favor the decrease,or
lessen the efficiency Of the army or navy
while engaged ia that effort TO suppress
that rebellion; and
3. That each of you will, in his sphere,
do all he can to have the officers, soldiers