Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-06-22
speech of HON. ;. $. coz /.

speech of Hon. =. y. Cox.
A friend has sent us speech delivered by Hon.
S. s Cox, at Newark, Ohio, on the 9th of May,
addressed to his constituents. The subject matter
of the speech was the questions involved in the
arrest of VALLANDIGHAM, which Mr.. Cox dis
cusses not only with eoquence. ability and fair
ness. but with the deep feeling which that event
OccasOned with every man who desires to see
the supremacy of the Constitution and the laws
maintained during the terrible ordeal which the
country is undergoing AS we can not pub
lish the speech entire, for of space, we re-
produce the following extracts, which the reader
can not fail to admire both for the felicity with
which the sentiments are expressed, and the force
of the argument he uses:
Fellow CITIZENS: In the last Congress you
were my constituents Ii is proper that should
answer your call to address you; for you should
know every reason for every vote | gave as your
Representative.
i represented your voice truly when | warned
and worked from 1856 to 1860 against the pas
siOnate zealOtry of North and South: when I de
nounced, in and out of Congress, the bad fallacy
and worse conduct of the secessi0nisis; when
voted to avert the impending war by every
measure of adjustment, and when, after war
came. by my votes for money and men, aided
the Administration in maintaining the Federal
authority over the inSurgent States. Sustained
by you, | supported every measure which was
constitutional and expedient to crush rebellion.
At the SINE time | have freely caavassed and
challenged the conduct of the Administration in
the use of the means committed to it by deso-
ted people. | to day frae to do it. l shall
do it with decorum.
Gen Hascal, in his Order No. 80, has inter-
dcted all such speaking as will make the Ad-
minstration disreputable; and he has said that
Gen. Burnside has approved of that order. | do
not believe this TO be true. 7 am sure that Gen
Burnside could not have approved of that order
and then have told Judge Leavtt, in his return
to the habeas corpus in Valland CHAINS case.
that eff the people do not approve the policy of
the Administration, they can change the cOnst-
tutional authorities of the Government at the
proper time and in the proper method" What
time and method! At AMI by the elections pro-
vided by law. To this all agree No going
to Jail for that. Nor is Gen. Burnside so absurd
as to accord us the privilege of election, with
out the means TO make up minds to the
policy of men to be voted for for he goes on to
say: LET them freely discuss the policy in
proper tone" Very good agree to that. No
bonds for me vet. IL, therefore, by ga proper
tone" should bring tie Administration into dis
repute, Gen Burnside will not send me to prison.
Indeed i DO not thlDk Improper tone ever
bring any one into disrepute except him who
uses IT, Therefore think Gen Hascall has pre-
sumed on his brief authority, and has been ae
cOrdingly dismissed But Gen Burnside would
stop what he calls "lcenSe aud ntemperate dis
eussion" Had such discussions been prohibited
years ago, this would not have been ON u
now. As to the prOpriety of stopping that sort of
discussion by military arrests, even if they were
legal, should dissent from the General; but as
90 the bad taste and policy of such discussion
should agree No "olfease" in saying that, |
trust The same thing has been sale in various
ways since men wrote with the stylus, Cadmus
made the alphabet. Indeed he weakens his
Cause who uses the incorporate or licenti0us
tone Is he therefore to be suppressed.
Even the New York Tribune has said that
"Our Federal and State Constitutions do not re
cognze perverse opinions nor unpatriotc speeches
grounds of infection We must, TO be faith
fol citizens, take the drOss with the gold, in the
current discussions of the day Better let the
Httle speck of license remain upon the eve than
put out the Orbs of public intelligence and live in
sightless and despOtic gloom. The people of
this land can not change their nature their
education. Much as they may deprecAte bad
sentiments. they prefer to see them fash like
powder innocentiy above ground. than pent up to
explode with fearful ruin and combustion.
Il is in the spirit have indcated--of dec0rous
and discreet moderatioB-that | propose to dis
cuss the question, uppermost in your mind, con-
nected with the arrest of Mr. Valandigham. II
is unnecessary for me To denounce his arrest as
Illegal / come not 70 stmuiste passion. ask
you to practice the courage of endurance. to the
end that We may more speedily have a remedy
The question inyolve in Mr.. Valland CHA m !
arrest does not concern him alone lf it- is a
breach Of law i, involves the fate OF each and all
His arrest Is breach of the Consfituti0n-St State
and FederaI-which provides for the security oil
the people, in their persons, houses, papers and
effects, which for5ds that any one shall be held
to answer for any crime except by indictment
which protects life, liberty and property by the
processes Of law. and which declares for free
speech without abridgement
The question in that view is: Can citizen moi
contested with the army of the United States
remote from the scene OF it, operations, and IL
Ohio where all the laws are yet enforced by con
stitutiOnal means, be subjected to military arres
and trial and Imprisonment before military com
mission, and punishment at its discretion, eithe
for ofenses unknown TO the law, or. il known
for which the law has provided mode of tria
and penaItyf 10 other words: In this time G
great peril, has the Federal Legislature, afte
two years Of war, failed TO provide for all il
emerrencies7 and, If il has failed. can the Exc
cutive act instantly and beyond the limits Of tn
law, At his discrefionl Ia pursuing these ques
tons. hold
1. That Congress has provided for the offens
alleged against Mr. Vallandighan. In the spcci
fcations, he is charged with various expressions
call Of which opinions and sentiments he wei
knew, did aid. comfort and encourage those Il
arms against the Government, and could but in
duce in his hearers a distrust Of their own Gov
eminent, sympathy for those in arms against u
and disposition to resist the laws Of the land
In The laws passed by the last Congress, suel
an onense Is made punishable. By an act sp