Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1863-02-19
ARBITRARY ARRESTS.
SPEECH OF
HON. DANIEL S. UHL,
In the Ohio House Of Representatives, JdnuarJ
1871, 1863.

NIX. CPEAkER-l ueSlIe 10 Call tuc az
, tention of the House to the very great
importance it should attach to the reso.
, lutions, upon which we are about to act
with so little apparent reflection. and
0 with reckless Indifference to the principles
involved in them. If there is one sub
D iect which, more than any other, demands
the candid attention OF the repl esentatives
of the people, it is this one, which carries
| with it, when properly guarded, all that
is sacred and beneficient in government,
and, when dsregarded, destroys every
principle of public liberty assert, d and
maintained in the old world for centuries
past. and reassertcd on every occasion III
the bill of rights Of every American Con-
stitution. We may review with calm
candor the past history of mankind, re-
fleet on the seductive influences which al
ways cluster around the seats of power
and prelerment, and fail to recognize in
all its recitals examples Of such cold
blooded and wicked attempts. by the
minions of accidental mower, TO assimi-
late the long cherished and most sacred
rights OF the people. Forgetting for the
present all the unfortunate causes which
led the people to cnthrone the power that
now opplesses them, ve shall more Iead
lily keep before us the hypocrisy by which
many an honest man was laShed to the
car which has carried us so near destruc-
ton. Thee great principles Of civil lib
erty, so essential and sanitary to the pub.
lie safety, were set up by the party now
in power, when it yet had the boast Of
t youth and purity" to alleged wrongs
tolerated Oy the power Meh administering
the Government. In fact, it pretended
- that the whole superstructure of It's rotten
machinery rested on these principles Of
3 personal rights, as It's chief corner stone
On the 18th day of June, 1856, when
tnat party was for the first time assem-
n bled in National Convention, IN the ven,
erabIe city of Philadelphia. protest
- fraught with the air Of solemnity, was
p, was entered against the usu patton Of Of
ticinIS, Sustained by tho military powe
OF the Government. to enact and cnforc,
/ tyrannical and unconstitutional laws
and the rightr Of the people to be secure
in their PERSONS, houses and effects
against unwarrantahlc search and seiz
ures, was promulgated rs if originated
, at that time and in that Convention.-
- What more is contained IN these resolu.
tons, o. in these recently offered in Con
BresS, and spurned as il encrOachm 'ntS
n Oh lIs Sacred pre-, ence ? IT the state
ments Of tho resolutions arc false, why
refuse inquiry? Tho people demand it !
II they are true, has such deep seated
hatred of popular rights taken possession
N Of the narrow, dark souls Of men in
power as to make them forget the birth
right Of the citizen, and treat with scorn
iul contempt the bond of its security. ..--
v Have they forgotten tho blooi and treas
d ure, the toll and snlieling, the sell-sacrl
hclng devotion to principle, that led t,
their establishment and maintenance TIM
far ? And Will they not, for one moment
DO turned aside from their mad career t
S' heed the voice OF the people, so rccecentl
expressed IN tho most solemn maunei
asking that these rights, guaranteed t
them by the Constitution OF their alcgi
anco, might be respected-even by you
with whose natures opposition to the tru
principles OF well regulated liberty an
social oider is in perfect harmony. 1h
" solemn truth Is upon MS, that all this
dlSrcgarded. 1t seems that, as d people
we have been forced into u condition
public affairs, envlroned by designed an
plotted circumstances. until blind submi
sion to the tyrant's bohests has once MOI
become bliss, and sober thought crime
! when forgiveness and iorbarence has be
y come disIoyaIty, treason and cruel an
unusual persecution avrtue, ask, gen
tlemen, what salutary end do You eXpe,
~ to obtain ? What purpose do you hoI
" to accomplish by refusing this investigu
V tlon, and denying to the people the plan
est guarantees OF the Constitutions, Sta
and National ? Is it intended to inul
A, the public mind to think it's duty, /
silent acqui scencc, to yield without
struggle all their Constitutional rights
30 and finally decide in favor Of the mol
strous doctrine that all their libcrt
4. are to DO held at the option OF any OF
man; and that mans volition becon
the rule to which every distngulohln
. feature of our glorious Constitution mus
- bow IN humble submission. This, SIT,
claimed for tho President by gentleme
on this floor. These arbitrary arrests "A
n excused on tho plea that the Executi,
- thought them necessary, whether a rebe
lion existed in the State or a thouSan
re, miles from where thoy arc made. Wh'
more can be asked by the usurper? VIII,
. more granted to the absolute deSpot?
II | interpret Alright the lessons {
passing events. lreighted as they are wit
:, the mlseries and woes OF this distracto
> people, tho time is not distant whe
shame will ovetake aud eternal intan
TT settle as thickly as the gloom OF Byron
dream upon the men who advocate I'll
" assumption aud insist upon the entorc
ment Of these unwarrantablo powers
'hl Sophistry cannot hide from the poop
- the issue. They full well understaI
that loyalty means hdelity to tho Sovc
eign ; that in our form OF goVelnme
&C. sovereignty resides with the people; tn
ate III their sovereign capacity they ha
OF moulded their Constitution hence lidol
,eh ty TO that instrument prescribing &
u.t powers to be exercised is loyalty, and
'oIi willull violation overt acts OF treason
To the maintenance Of this principle, I'll
old Constitution. the Democratic par
'''S stand forever pledged, and will, as 'h
R. have in the past, give blood for bloc