The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-06-19

mr. L,.es,n VIA ,sasss So Arbisrasy
ExKcurryx MAssIoN,
Washington, June II. 1868.
Hon. Ernans oornins and otherss -..--l
GKsrLrxEs: Your letter of May 10th,
enclosing the resolutions of public meet
;no held Al Albany, New York, On the T
10Th Of the same month was received Sc
versl days ago.
, The resolutions, a. understand them,
are re- clvab.e intoswo ppopositioAs@l6nt, |
the expression Of purpose to sustain the
cause of the Union, TO secure peace thro'
victory, aud 10 support the administration
In every constitutional and Law full niea- \
sure TO suppress the rebellion and sec.
ondly, a declaration Of censure upon the
administration for supposed unconstitn-
tional action, such - the making oil mht-
tary arrests And. from the two PROPOSE
tions, thir,l Is deducsd, which is, that
the gentlemen composing the meeting are
resolved on doing their part to maint.in
our common government and country de.
spite the folly or wickedness. AZ they may
conceive, Of any administration. This
posit;on is eminentfy patriotic. and as such,
j thank the meeting, and congratulate the
nation for it. Ny owa purpose i the
san,e ; 30 that the meeting and myself
have common object, aad can have no.
difference, except in the choice Of means
or measures for effect.ng that object. e 4
And here ought to close this paper,
and would close il, If there we're no sp-a
prehensiou that more inj urious conseq uen-
sss than nny merely psrsonal 70 myself
might follow the censures systematically
cast upon me for doing what, in my view
of duty, / could not forbear. The reso-
lutions promise to support me IN every
constitutional and lawful measure TO sup.
press the rebellion and have no. know.
ingiy employed any other. But the meet.
ing. by their resolutions, assert and argue
that certain military arrrsts. and proceed
iups following them. for which am ull-
rnsteiy responsible, are Unconstitutional.
1 think they are not. The resolutions
onote from the Constitution the definition
oftreason, md also the limiting safeguards
and guarantees therein provided for the
citizen on trials for treason. and on his be-
ing held to answer for capital or otherwise
infamous crimes, and, in criminal prose-
buttons, his right to speedy and public
trial by an impartial jury. They proceed
TO resolve that these safeguards of the
rights Of the ritixea against the prefer.
sions Of arbitrary power were intended
more especially for his protection In times
of civil com motion I" And, apparently
to dom onstrste the proposition. the reso.
lutions proceed They we secured sub
stan,i.lly to the English people after years
of protracted civil war, and we're adopted
into our Constitution at the close Of the
revolution" Would not the demepsira-
tion have been better, if 1t could have
been truly said that these safeguards had
been adopted and applied during the civ
il wars and daflag our revolution ins.ead
Of after the on, and 1t the close Of the
other F.? /, too, am dovotedly for them
after civil war, and before civil war. and
at atitimes. '.except when, in cases OF re-
bellon or invasion, the public safety may
require their suspension. The resolu-
tions proceed to tell US that those safe
guards "hsve stood the test OF seyenty-six
years oftriai, under our republican system.
under circumstances which shov that
white they constitute the foundstios, OF
all free government. they are the elemrnts
of the enduring stability ofthe republic. I"
No one denies that they have stood the
test up TO the beginning of the pressnt
rebellion, if we except certain occur
renee at New Orleans; nor does any one
question ,hat they will stand the sWe
test much longer after the rebellion closes
But these provisions of the Constitution
have no application to tae case We have
in hand, because he arrests complained
of were not made for tresson--thnt IL, mo-
for the Treason defined in the Constitution,
and upon the conviction vi which the
punishment is death--nor yet were they
made " bold persons to eanswer for any
capital or otherwise Infamous crimes; nor
were tie proceedings following, in any
Constitutional or legal sense, 'eriminal
prosecutions" The arrests were made on
totally different grounds. and the proceed
ings following accorded with Tho grounds
OF the aHFests. Let " consider the real
case with which We are dealing, and apply
to II the parts OF the Constitution plaiuly
made for such cases.
Prior TO my installation here it hat
BEEN ineulca,ed that any State bad a Law
full right to secede from the nationa
Union, and that it would be expcdient t
exercise the right whenever the devotee
Of the doctrine should fail to elect = Pres
ident u their own liking was electe
contrary to their liking; and, according
ly. 80 far as il was legally possible, the
had taken seven States out Of the unioi
bad seized many Of the United States fort
and had fred upon the United States fai
all be lore was inaugurated. aud,
course. before had dune any Official a
whatever
The rebellion thus began soon ran ini
the present civil war and. in certain Z
spects, IL began on very unequal tern
between the parties. The insurgents h,
been preparing for il more than thlr
years, while tie Government had tax,
no steps to resist them The former h,
carefully considered Nil the means Viii.
could be turned To their account. Il u
dcsb'ediy was we'll pondered relisn
with them that in their own unrestrict