, 1863-07-18
communication which Mr.. Andrews Of
Virginia may be pleased to make to the
nenple Of illinois.
EEw FORK RIOTS AND TIE
DRAFT.

NEw FORK RIOTS AND TIE
DRAFT.
The New York riots are the necessary
and inevitable results Of the teachings Of
the Copperhead press, and party. From
the commencement OF the war to the pres
ent hour they have urged the people every
where to resist the Government, and have
both openly and corcrtly sided with the
enemies Of the Republic. Relying upon
the ancient traditions, which hare cstab-
1ished in this country Free Press, and
made freedom Of speech the inalienable |
right Of the citizen, and knowing how Sd
cred are the laws and feelings with which |
these two great principles of the Constitu-
tion, and Of American society, are guard
cd, they have carried them to the extreme
Of icentiousness, and hare converted the
sublime engmery Of liberty into a mighty
instgator Of rebellion and tyranny.
They claimed that the right to print,
and speak, whatsoever was dictated BY
party passion, by treason, and ferocious
hatred to the Administration, was as So
c7edly secured to them by these traditions
and laws, as the right Of speculative opiu-
ion dictated by the intellect, or Of worship
inspired by the conscience. They acted
upon the presumption that few men could
distinguish between what was liberty, and
what was license, in this matter-and that
under the plea Of exercising their right as
free men, they could utter the most mon
strous treasons, and escape the pun
ishment which every civilized government
in the world has ordained for this supreme
crime against its authority.
To what extent they have proceeded in
this direction Of anarchy, and with what
results, we arc all sorrowtully aware. How
it came to pass that they were permitted
to proceed to such dreadful extremitics, is
question which the nation, at any rate,
has right to ask, and which it is the duty
Of some one to answer. 1t is a question
not to be shuttled nor put aside-involying
either culpable magnanimity, as Of u
Government too great and powerful to be
injured by the treachery and treason
Of its subjects-or culpable i'm
becility, and lack Of power
to protect itself from insult and destruc-
tion. Like the idea Of 8 God, which is
given in human consciousness, so the right
to protect itself and punish its enemies
whether foreign OF domestic, is given in ali
governments. There is no such thing as
absolute freedom Of speech, or freedom
Of the..press, in any possible society. Both
IRE fenced about by laws which whose Vi
olates must take the risk, and the penalties.
This is well defined, and illustrated in
the law Of libel which declares that no
man shall be free to malign or otherwise
ipjure the reputation Of his fellow. What
is good for the individual, is good also for
the State, and holds equally in both in
stances. The law Of the great crimes Of
sediion and treason, declare that no man
slall be free to perperate them against
the government under whose gu
thority, and protection he Lives. And
yet in spite Of this; in spite Of
the clear definitions which the law lays
down US to the nature Of sedition and trea-
son--the CopperheadB have dealt largely
in both, and, except in ono or two unin-
portant cases, neither the majesty Of the
law, nor any other creature" has been
invoked to arrest the monsrous iniquity.
Hence the New York riots; hence the
murders and felonies, and arsons which for
three days hare desolated that city, The
Copperhead press by the most infamous
lies, has been goading the people to these
outbursts Of madness eyer since TIE agita-
ton for the draft commenced, and the New
York UorM is far more responsible for
them than Andrews the rins1eader Of the
rioters. This infamous print, when the
burnings and murders were in fullest blast,
had the hend1sh audaclty to charge the
Administration as being the author Of
these bloody, merclless, and 1nhuman out
Eages and c1lmesi tauntlng It as having it.
sel1 S'o''ieeo me ia"s' anu 1nsoiently and
oeuanly ask1ns II no" II reasneo the les
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