The Oregon union. (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1863, 1863-02-28
GOVERNOR SEYMOUR ON

'sOur people have,
tht refore, viewed with
alarm, practices and
pretensions on the part
of officials, which VIC.
late every principle o.
good order, of civil lib.
erty, and of Constitu-
tional law. tits claim
ed that in time of war,
the President has pow
ers as Commander in.
Chief of our armies,
which authorize him tc
declare martial law, not
only within the sphere
of hostile movements,
where other law cannot
be enforced, but also
over our whole land
That at his pleasure he
can disregard not only
the Statutes of Con-
gress, but the decisions
of the national judicia-
ry. That in loyal States
the least intelligent
class of officials may be
clothed with power not
only to act as spies and
informcrs, but also
without due process Of
law-to seize and i'm
prison our;citiezns, and
carry them beyond the
limits of the State. to
hold them in prison
without a hearing or a
knowledge of the offen-
ces with which the!
are charged. Not only
the passions and preju-
dices of these inferior
agents lead them to acts
of tyranny, but theil
interests are advanced
and their positions Sc
cured by promoting dis
content and discord.-
Even to ask the aid of
counsel has been held
to be an offense. Il
has been well said that
"to be arrested, for one
knows not what; to be
confined, no one enti-
tied to ask where /; to be
tried, no one can say
when, by a law no
where known or estab-
lished or to linger out
life in a cell without
trial, presents a body
of tyranny which cam
not be enlarged"
The suppression of
journals, and the i'm
prisonment of persons
has been glaringly par
tisan, allowing to some
the almost licentious-
ness of criticism, and
Furnishing Others for
the fair exercise of the
right of discussion. =
Conscious of these gross
abusee, an attempt has
been made to shield the
vlolators of law and
suppress inquiry into
their motives and con-
duct. This attempt
will fail. Unconstitu-
tional acts cannot be
shielded by unconstitu-
tional laws. Such at
tempts will not save the
guilty, while they will
bring a just condemna-
ton upon those who
try to pervert the pow
ers of legislation to the
purposes Of oppression.
To justify such action
by precedents drawn
from the practice of
Governments where
there is no restraint up
on legislative power,
will be of no avail un-
der our systam, which
restrains the Govern
mt mt and pi o'ects the
citizens by written con-
stitutions.
I shall not inquire
what rights States in
rebellion have forfeited,
but I deny Il at this T. =
bellion can suspend a
single right of the citi-
zens of loyal States. !
denounce the doctrine
that civil war in the
South takes away from
the loyal North one
principle of civil lib
erty.
It is a high crime to
abduct a citizen of this
State. It is made my
duty by the Constftu-
ton to see that the laws
are enforced. I shal.
investigate every alleg'
ed violation of oul
statutes, and see thai
offenders are broughi
to justice. Sheriffs anc
District Attorneys arr
admonished that it il
their duty to take car
that no person within
their respective coun
ties are imprisoned no
carried by force beyont
their limits, withou
due process or lega
authority, The remov
al to England of per
sons charged with of
fense, away from thei
friends, their witnesse
and means of defense
was one of the acts @
tyranny for which w
asserted our indepen
dence. The abduction
of citizens from thi
State for ofenses charg
edtohavebeen done her
and carrying them ma
NY hundreds of mile
TO distant prisons ii
other States or Terrific