Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-06-18
Che Ohio 9tatesmta1r
[Rrom the New York Express,j
From Europe MonarchicaI Views on
..... American Liberty.

25th ult., one day later BY mail than previously
received.
Monarchical writer's, ss was to have been OK
pected, are turning the wicked arrest Of Mr.
Vallandlgham to the utmost account In pre-
judicing "Republican Government" On the Other
side Of the Atlantic. The blow which Aboli.
tionism has thus dealt to the cause of the white
mans human liberty |. is scarcely possible "a
overrate. u will set back the cause Of popular
freedom in Europe for twenty years at least.
From the London Times-New York Correspondence
What would the people Of England have
thought, said or done under the following oir-
cumstances, supposing II to have been possible
they could have occurred2 John Bright, an
able, clear.headed, logical speaker and on
earnest advocate of peace, addressing the peo.
pie of Rochdsle, In the year 1854 on the sub
iect Of the war in the Crimea. Sp high is hie
reputation for elcquence, as well as for courage
and patriotism, that not only his Immediate
neIghbors and friends, but mul.itudes of people
from all the contiguous districts, gather TO lie.
ten to his voice and cheer the manly expression
OF bis sentiments. He denounces the war az
wrong In principle, erroneous in policy, unjust
and iniquisous in itself, and more dangerous 10
its continuance TO the liberty and prosperity OF
the British people than to the stability Of the
Russian Empire He declares that Lord Aber.
deem is little better than an old woman; tba,
Lord Panmure thinks too much of "DoWb" and
too little Of bis duty TO the country to be safe
or on efficen: Minister In time of national
danger; that speculation and peculation, iobbe.
ry and robbery, pervade every department oi
plorable and wicked, Is particularly horrible and
81, IL nkso nh wanaH of Oh, n
rotten and effete institution as the Turkish
Empire, which maintains slavery, and 10 there
fore no fit member Of the comfy Of nations
He lie not aware, while speaking, that two eff
GERS Of the Grenadier Guards, disguised in cis.
izen's attire, have been sent to the meeting by
the War Office to take notes of his speech, and
having ended his oration, amid the enthusiastic
applause Of his audience, goes home to supper
A few nights afterward, thinking no evil, and
believing himself to be citizen Of free
country, he rotires quietly to bed as usual.
But bis sleep is not permitted to be of long
Shortly after midnight he is aroused
by violent knocking at the outer door. He
springs to bis feet, thinking the house Ia on fire.
and rings the fire alarm accordingly His wife
children and household gather, in great alarm,
in their night clothes, on the stairs and passages
The outer door Ia ed in, and company oi
soldiers enter, the Captain with his sword in his
hand, and each man presents bayonet at she
breast of the bewildered legislator. The ladies
and children scream or faint, while Mr.. Bright
is told to dress Immediately and consider him
self prisoner. Mr.. Bright dresses himself
but objects to 60 to prison. The generous
blood Of true hearted EDglishman rushes tC
bis face, and declares that he will rather die
defending his life than yield to his lawloss and
brutal captors. His words are vain. He is vic.
lently seized and hurried through the streets to
the railway station, where special train is in
waiting to convey him to Birmingham. On ar
rival he 10 locked up in military prison. Next
morning he is brought before o court. srtial,
composed of one BsigaGier. General, one Colo.
mel, one Lieutenant. Colonel, three Majors and
two Captains, and put on trial on charge Of
sedition and treason. He declines 10 acknowl-
edge the jurisdiction oi the Court, and de.
mands, as British subject, to be tried before q
civil Judge and jury Of his countrymen. His
demand is haughtily and summsrily rejected
and the trial proceeds.
The officers and gentlemen" who conde.
scend to act the part of opies for the Govern
ment, detail and somewhat pergert the expres
sious which he used In denuncistion Of the Wal
and the conduct OF the Administration; anC
after an investigation that lasts two days, Mr.
Bright is committed TO prison until the Judge
agree upon their verdict, and decide whether
be shall be incArcerated till the war ia over
banisbed TO Russia to live for the future among
the friends With whom he sympa!hizes, or is
summsrily shot or hung. Would the British
people tamely submit to such wong inflicted
even upon much humber person than Judge
Bright7 Would not the Newspapers of al
shades of political opinion unite in expressing
their indignant dspleasure2 And would moi
the House OF Commons and tho House of Lordc
also ring with denunciation of the acG2 And
ii these bodies were not In session, would moi
every city and town in the empire hold immense
public meetings to call upon the Queen to dis
mias from her counsels the unworthy Ministry
who 30 degraded their function and so griev-
ously imperiled the public peacei Every hon
est Englishman who values the inestimablt
right Of free discussion and the supremacy o
law will reply in the affirmative. Substitute the
name of Clement Laird Vallandigham for
that of John Blight, and the war against the
South for the war against Russia; lay the scene
In Ohio In 1863, instead Of in England In 1854
and the imaginary story becomes true; and every
incident related 10 literal fact.
And what, il may be asked in England, have
the Americans done under the circumstance
They have done nothing. The leading ne Wepa
pers are silent. The leading people are SO
busily engaged In making money that they have
neither time nor inclination 10 attend to such
trivial matter. A meeting of Democrats
held to protest against the wrong is but thiniy
attended. Several clergymen publicly approve
the "vigor" displayed by the Government, and
rabid politicians In petticoats express their un
feminine joy OF the arrest of go distinguished q
"Copperhead," and hope he will he hanged Or
shot, as warning to other evil.doers who dare
TO speak of peace. It may be objected to the
comparison between the imaginary case of
Mr.. Bright and the actual case of Mr.. Vallsn,
digham, that in the one it Ia foreign war which
10 In question, and in the other civil war;
The distinction may be admitted without dam
age to the inference. If man be the free cit
izen of q constitutional Government, no has the
same right to oriticise the acts Of people N
power, and the policy of the Administration
whether the criticism applies to domestic or X
foreign affairs. 1t 10 only an arbitrary deepot
ism that will deny such right or punish its ex
eroise.
Il is as certain as that all men muat die, tha
IL the forms of American liberty last as lonl
90 Mr.. Lincoln's term of Office, the agency o
The ballot-box will consign that unluOky func
tonary 10 private life, and elect some other Pres
ident In bis stead; aud why, In the mean time
Mr.. Lincoln should be greater than Pope O
Kaiser, and why It should be considered treason
able to say Of so comparatively small persol
what no one ever thought it reasonable {
say Of 90 great hero and patriot as Georg
Washington--is one Of the many mysteries an
anomalies that will, perhaps, puzzle the futur