The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1863-07-15

M. a. N Olan,
.. ...... Secretaries.
10 his Excellency Abraham Lincoln, Presi
dent of the Uni'ed States:
Sir: Your answer, which has appeared in
the public prints to the resolutions adopted
at recent meeting in the city of Albany of
firmirs the personal rights and liberties Of
the citizens Of this country, has been referred
to the undersigned, the committee who pre-
pared and reported these resolutions. The
subject will now receive from us some fur
ther attention, which your answer seems to
Justify, if not to ,rvite. We hope not to ap.
pear wanting in the respect due to your high
position il we reply with freedom and earn
estness suggested by the infinite gravity and
Importance Of the questions upon which you
h4vethought proper to take issue at the bar Of
public opinion. -....,.
You seem to be aware that the Constitu>
tion Of the United States, which you have
swoin to protect and defend, contains the
following guarantees, TO which we again ask
your attention: l) Congress shall make no
law abridging the freedom OF speech or OF
the press. ~ The right Of the, people to
be secure in their persons against unreason
able seizures, shall not be violated, and no
warrant shall issue but upon probable cause
supported by oath. (3) No person, except
soldiers and mariners in the service OF the
Government, shall be held to answer for a
capital or Infamous crime, unless on present.
ment or indictment OF grand jury. nor shall
any person be deprived OF lite, liberty or
property without due process Of law. a.
In all criminal prose cutions, the accused shall
enjoy the right Of speedy and public trial
by an impartial jury Of the State or district
in which the crime shall have been commit
ted, and to be confronted with the witnesses
against him.
| You are also no doubt aware that on the
adoption OF the Constitution these invaluable
provisions were proposed by the jealous eau
ton oil the States, and wers inserted as a..
mendmen S Tor perpetual assurance of lib
erty against tho encroachments of power
From your earliest reading of history you al
SO know that the great principles Of liberty
and law which underie these provisions were
derived to us from the British Constitution.
In that country they were secured by magma
shayta more than six hundred years ago, snd
they have been confirmed, by many and TO-.
peated s,atutel OF the realm. A single pal
pable violation of them in England would
not only arouse the public Indignation, but
would endanger the throne itsel For a
perslstant disregard Of them, Charles the
! First was detbroned and beheaded by his re
belious subjects.
The fact has already paased into history
that the sacred rights and immunities which
were designed to be protected BY thess con-
stitutional guarantees have not been preser.
we'd to the people during your administration.
IN violation OF the first OF them, the freedom
OF the press has been denied. In repeated
instances newspapers have been suppressed
in the loyal States because they criticised, as
constitutionally they might, the Iatal errors
Of policy which have characterized the con.
duct Of public affairs since your advent to