The Ohio Democrat. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1840-1900, 1863-06-26

commssion-let the debt be gIoriously
paid in defense Of liberty. l scorn your
Order No 3S. (Cheers.) l spurn, l
execrate, l trample under foot the order
of any military officer defining treason
and prescribing liberty. (Renewed ap-
plauSe.) Come what will-come i'm
prisonment, exile, stripes, hard labor,
death-Idefy Order No. 3S. (Immense
applause.) We are hot such abiect
slaves as to yield our lives, our liberties,
and right of property and the security
of our households at the dictation Of any
man, be he General, corporal or civil.
ian (CheerS.) If you submit, you de.
serve to be slaves. l may not agree with
Mr.. Vallandigham in all his views upon
the war, bat will maintain bis right to
express them, as maintain my own.
exhort you, my fellow citizens, to post
pone every other question aud think of
nothing until you have vindicated your
right to liberty of speech. 1 will ex-
press my opinions, if need be, at the
hazard of my life. l have at least the
courage of Cato, not to live slave when
| can die freeman. l exhort you, my
friends, to put aside oil other work and
devote yourselves to the settlement of
this great question; let that be your bu.
siness, all your business, until October
next. Do not holloa to day and repent
tomorrow; but maintain your position
with the dignity and courage and stead
mess of freemen. Take counsel of your
hearts and solemnly resolve that this
thing shall be stopped-stopped peace.
ably if possible-but stopped at all
events. (Applause.) The best Secu-
rity of the liberties of people is the
knowledge Of the courage with which
they will maintain them. Then Gener.
ais, ColonelS and Corporals will think
before they undertake to deprive you of
them. Some of US must make the issue
on the subject Of these arbitrary arrests;
it may be you, it may be me. If me,
God help me; will meet the responsi.
bility as becomes man | want no of.
flee, ask no favors of you or any one,
as politician, but l claim the right to
maintain my privileges as q citizen, and
l will do it. (Cries of "We'll stand by
YOUR If we had an honest man in the
Governors office of Ohio, our liberties
would have been maintained in tact, brt
we have had q creature who has dragged
the great office into the dust. We have
no Governor--we have thing. (Groans
for Tod:) And yet this renegade Tod
has the audacity to tellme to my face that
when this war is over he will come into
the Democratic party (renewed groans
and Kisses and put such Democrats as
Vallandigham and Olds to the wall. l
told him, aS | now tell you, that if he ev-
er appears in Democratic Convention
again, | will move to suspend all bust
ness until he has been expelled pro
longed cheers and cries of "We'l kick
him out.") can pardon an honest
man who errs in judgment in the clamor
aud emergencies Of the hour, but never
the man who sold his birthright in De-
mocracy in order to oppress it. Tod
sold himself for an office, and became so
Infamous that no words can describe his
infamy. prolonged groans for Tod }
If | am dragged before military com.
mission under Burnside's Order No 38,
before tomorrow night, l ask, "Will
you act?" (Cries, "We will" and tire.
mendous applause.) 1 have considered
the possibility that you will not act; and
if you do not am determined to main
tain my rights at the cost of my life, and
l will thank God that l have been con.
sidered worthy to suffer in the cause of
liberty, (CheerS.) When my friend
and fellow citizen, Vallandigham, for
expressing his opinions and maintaining
his right 10 discuss questions of public
policy, was seized in his chamber, drag
ged in secrecy to Cincinnati and impris.
oned, my Indignation against the militia
ry authorities was such that no bounds
could contain it; bnt when judicial of.
ficer, knowing his duty under his>oath of
office, failed to perform that duty from
cowardice-when he not only
violated his oath to the Constitution he
was sworn to maintain, but betrayed
the liberties of his fellows-then the
question passed to that Of the impeach.
ment of judicial officers, and making an
example Of Noah H. Swayne and Humph.
rey Fl. Leavitt, for the benefit of pos
terity through all coming time.
Nothing but a sense of danger to my
own personal liberty and to that of my
brought me to this Convention
to-day" I have no iavors to ask of it
or of any one. l have served the De-
mocracy of Ohio in an elevated position
for twelve years, to the best of my abili.
ty, and the contract is dissolved. l de-
sire no Office, and want no other position
Lhap that Of a private citizen. I have
duties to discharge that l owe to my
children and the wife of my bosom, and
would fain perform them; but life is no
Ionger tolerable if this despotism contin-
les, and l would sooner face platoon
Of soldiers at once than submit to the
leSpotism established Jy Order No. 3s.
The question for you to decide is, will
you submit2 (Cries of "No," "No,"
Never" "Never.O If we fail at the
election ia October next, aud il the peo.
pie, by their suffrage, sustain that Order,
counsel my Democratic friends to sell
their chattels and properly, and with
;heir. wives and little ones emigrate to
'om6 other country, where you may en-.
oy that liberty as citizens which you can |
10 longer enjoy in this. Immense ap-