The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1863-06-19
The Presidents Letter on the Arrest
of Vallandigham.
Executive MANSION,
WASHINGTON, June II, 1863.
IN. Erastus Corning aud Others /:

uAAO ACOc.
Hon. Erastus Corning and Others:
GENTLEMEN:--Your letter of May 10,
enclosing the resolutions of a public
meeting held at Albany, New York, on
the 10th of the same month, was receiv-
ed several days ago.
The resolutions, as / understand them,
are resolvable into two propositions:
First, the expression of a purpose to
sustain the cause of the Union, to secure
peace through victory, and to support
the Administration in every constitu-
tional and lawful measure to suppress
| the rebellion; and, secondly, declara-
| ton of censure upon the Administration
for supposed unconstitutional action,
! such as the making of military arrests.
1 And from the two propositions third is
deduced, which is that the gentlemen
composing the meeting are resolved on
/ doing their part to maintain our COM
mon government and country, despite
{ the folly or wickedness, as they may
conceive, of any Administration. This
position is eminently patriotic, and as
such thank the meeting and congratu-
late the nation for it. Ny own purpose
is the same SO that the meeting and
myself have common object, and can
have no difference, except in the choice
of means or measures for efecting that
object
And here ought to close this paper,
and would close it if there were no APP
prehension that more injurious conse-
quences than any merely personal to
myself might follow the censures system
atically cast upon me for doing what. in
my view of duty, | could not forbear
The resolutions promise to support me
in every constitutional and lawful meas
ure to suppress the rebellion; aud I
have not knowingly employed, nor shall
knowingly employ, any other. But the
meeting, by their resolutions, assert and
argue that certain military arrests, and
proceedings following them, for which !
am ultimately responsible, are unconsti-
tutional. think they are not The
resolutions quote from the Constitution
the definition of treason. and also the
limiting safeguards and guarantees
therein provided for the citizen on trials
his right 10 aa spssdRk oe bis sIa SafSg pDs hsld to az
an impartial jury. They proceed to re-
solve THAT these safeguards of the rights
of the citizen against the pretensions of
arbitrary power were intended more es-
Npecially for his protection in times of
civil commotion" And, apparently to
demonstrate the proposition, the resolu-
tions proceed: They were secured sub
stantially to the English people after
years of protracted civil war, and were
adopted into our Constitution at the
close of the revolution" Would not the
could have Uvsloua- been better, if it
safeguards had been adopted anu ar-
piled during the civil wars and during
our revolution, instead of after the one
and at the close of the other2 i, too,
am devotedly for them after civil war,
and before civil war, and at all times,
" except when, in cases of rebellion or
invasion, the public safety may require
their suspension. The resolutions pro-
ceed to tell US that these safeguards
have stood the test of seyenty-six years
of trial, under our republican system,
under circumstances which show that
while thew constitute the foundation oi
all free government, they are the ele
ments of the enduring stability of the
renublic." No one denies that they
have so stood the test up to the begin
! ming of the present rebellion, If we ex
cent a certain occurrence at New Or
leans; nor does any one question tha
thev will stand the same test muci
longer after the rebellion closes Blu
these provisions of the Constitution
. have no application TO the case we hav
| IL - - - ~ - \ q
of were not made for tire ason-that II
not for the treason defined in the Const
tution. and uron the conviction of whic
the punishment is death; nor yet wer
they made to hold persons TO answer TO
any capital or otherwise infamous crimes
|. nor were the proceedings following, i
anv COI1SJrUuvfvrrrs-4----l-y- % erin
;nal prosecutions" The arrests wer
made on totally different grounds, an
the proceedings following accorded VII
6 the Grounds of the arrests. Let US col
s;deT the real case with which we al
dealing, and apply TO it the parts OF II
Constitution plainly made for such case
Prior to my installation here, 1t be
been inculcated that any State had
6 lawful right to secede from the nation
Union. and that it would be expedient
in exercise the right whenever the devote
..n of the doctrine should fail to elect Pr
s s" ldent to their own liking. was elect
. contrary to their liking; and, accordir
ly, so far as it was legally possible, tn
had taken seven States out of the Uni'
ng. had seized many of the United Sta
20 forts and had fred upon the Unit
sned a States flag, all before / was inaugurat
and and. of course, before | had done a
n'f official act whatever. The rebellion Il
best, began soon ran into the present CT
very war; and, in certain respects, 1t beg
, as on very unequal terms between the ?
and ties. The insurgents had been preI
nSe- @ ing for it more than thirty years, 1l ".
y too the government had taken no sleps
res;sf them. The former had carefr
Ker considered all the means which could
turned to their account. Itundoubte
nd. Ill Wondered reliance with th