The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1863-05-27
Gov SeymOur's Letter fe flae
vatlanligham Meeting


The followin 9 is the letter of Governor
SEYMOUR to the Vallandigham meeting at
Albany, N, Y, last Saturday night:
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, May 16.
| can not attend the meeting at the
Capitol, this evening, but wish to state
my opinion regard to the arrest Of Mr..
Vallandigham. 1t is an act which has
brought dishonor upon our country. 1t
is fall of danger to our persons and our.
homes. 1t bears upon its front a consci-;
Gus violation of law and justice. Acting,,
upon evidence of detailed informers,
shrinking from the light of day, in the
darkness of night, armed men violated tke
house of an American citizen and furtiyely
bore him away to military trial, conducted
without those safeguards known to the,
proceedings of our judicial tribunals
The transaction involved a series ofoffenses
against our most sacred rights It inter
fered with the freedom efspeech; it moles-
ted our, rights to be secure in our homes
against unreasonable searches and seizur-
es; it pronounced sentence without trial,
save one which was mockery, which in
suited as we'll as wronged. The perpetra-
tors now seek to impose punishment, not
| for an offense against law but for the dis
regard of an inyalled order, put forth in
the utter disregard of the principles of
civil liberty. If this proceeding is ap-
proved by the Government, and sustained
| by the people, it is not merely step to-
ward revolution-it is revolution; it will
not only lead to military despotism-it cs-
tablishes military despotism. In this
aspect it must be accepted or in this aspect
| rejected. If it is upheld, our liberties
are oyerthrOwn, the safety of our persons,
security of our property will hereafter
depend upon the arbitrary will Of such
military rulers as may be placed over US,
while our constitutional guarantees will
be broken down. Even now the Cover
nors and courts of some of the great
Western States have snnk into insignif-
canoe before the despotic powers claimed
and exercised by military men who have
been sent into their borders. 1t is fear
full thing to incresas the danger which
now overhangs US by treating the law,
the judiciary, and the State authorities
with contempt. The people of this coun-
( try now wait with the deepest anxiety the
decisions of the Adm. inistration upon these
acts. Having given it "a generous support
in the conduct of the war, we pause to see
what kind of Government it4ia for which
we are asked to pour out our blood and
our treasures. The action O the Admins
tration will determine in the minds of
more than one half Of the people ofthc
loyal States whether this war is waged to
put down rebellion at the South or destroy
free institutions at the North We look
for its decision with most solemn solici-
tude yd s4saTs ases 4ag;it.4H lt
(Signed.) HORATIO SEYMOUR.
The resolutions adopted point to the
devotion shown by the Democrats during
two years Of civil war, and express a de-
termination to devote their energies to the
cause of the Union; denounce the assum-
ption of militay power in the arrest of
Mr.. VALLAND1GHAM; assert the right of
free discussion. They say that in the cleo
tion of Mr.. SEYMOUR the people condem-
ned the system of arbitrary arrests, and
call upon the President to restore Mr..
YALLANDIGHAM V to liberty They direct
copy Of the resolution % be sent to the
President, with the assurance of the desire
of the meeting to support the Government
in every constitutional and lawful measure
TO suppress the rebellion -