Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1863-05-21
Burnside on Vallandigham's

was sent to General Burnside, who replied
by the fol owing statement:
HEADoUARrERs DEPT or THE ONO, {.
-CIscISsATI, ONO, May H.
To tie Honorable tie Circuit Court of The
United States scifhin and for the South
ern District Of Ohio; i
The undersigned. commanding the De-
partment of the Ohio, having received no.
tice from the Clerk of said Court that an
application for the allowance of writ OF
habeas corpus will be made this morning
before your Honors on behalf Of Clement
L. Vallandigham. now q prisoner IN my
custody. asks leave to submit to the Court
the following
STATEMENT:
II | were to indulge in wholesale crIti-
cisms, of tho policy of the Government, it
would demoIalize the army under my COM
mand. and every friend OF his country
would call me a traitor. Ii the officers or
soldiess were to indulge in such criticisms,
j. would weaken the army to the extent Of
their influence; and if this criticism were
universal in the army. it would cause 1t to
be broken to pieces, the Government TO be
divided, our homes to be invaded, and an
archy to reign. Ny duty to my Govern
ment forbids me to indulge in snch crili-
cisms; officers and soldiers are not allowed
to so indulge. and this course will be sus-
tanned by all honest men.
Now. | will go further. We are in a
J 6 al. IF
this Department is at this moment inva-
ded, and three others have been threatened.
L command the department. and it
is my duty to my country and to this
army to Keep it in the best possible
condition.; to see that it is fed. clad, and.
as far as possible. to see that it is encour-
aged If it is my duty and the duty of the
troops to avoid saying anything that
world weaken the army. by preventing a
single recruit from joining tho ranks, by
bringing the laws of Congress into disre-
pute. or by causing dissatisfaction in the
ranks. it is equally the duty Of every cit
izcn in the department to avoid the same
evil. If it is my duty to prevent the prop
agation Of this evil in the army. or in a
portion of my department, it is equally my
a1aty in all portions Of it; and is my duty
to uso all the force in my power to stop it..
Ii were to find o man from the ene-
my's country distributing in my camps
speeches of their public men. that tended
to demoralize the troops. or to destroy
their confidence in the constituted authori-
ties of the Government, would have them
tried. and hung ii found guilty. and all
the rules of modern warfare would sustain
me. Why should such speeches from our
own public men be allowed?
The press. aud public men. in great
emergency like the present, should avoid
the use of party epithets and bitter invec-
tives, and discourage the organization OF
secret political societies. which are always
undigniied and disgracelul to free people,
but now they are absolutely wrong and in
furious: they create discussions anl dis
cord, which. just now. amount to treason.
The simple names Patriot" and ''Trai-
tor" are comprehensive enough.
AS before said, we are in a state OF
civil war. and en- emergency is upon us
which requires the operations of some pow
er that moves more quickly than the civil.
cessfully without the exercise of that pow
CIR.
1t is said that the speeches which are
condemned. were delivered in the presence
Of large bodies of citizens, who, if they
thought them wrong, would have then and
there condemned them, That is no argu-
ment. These citizens do not realize the ef-
feet upon the army of cur country; never
faced the enemies Of their country, never
underwent the privations of our soldiers in
the fed; AMI. besi les. they have beea in
|, the habit o: hearing their public mer
speak. and. as general thing, OF approx.
ing Of what they say; therefore. the greater
responsibility rests upon the public men
and upon the public press, and it bchove,
e them to be careful as to what they say
! They must not use license and plead tina,
they are exercising liberty. In this De
partment it caunot be done. / shall ust
all the power have to break down sucl
license, AMI am sure | will be sustained
in this course by all honest men. At all
events, will have the consciousness, be
S fore God, of having done my duty to m,
t country; and when 1 am swerved from thu
r performance OF that duty. by any prejudice
!, will no longer be man or patriot.
: l again assert, that every power pos.
Q sess on earth, or that is given me from
above, viii be used in defense of my Gov
eminent, on all occasions, at all times, an,
= in all places within this Department
There is no party-no community--nt
S State legislative body--no corporation, o.
J. body of men that have the power to in
4 ausurate a war policy that has the validit,
of law and power, bat the constituted au
9 thorities of the Government of the Unites
J. States; and am determined to supper
n their policy. 1.-THE people do not app row
n Of that policy, they can change the con
stitutional authorizes Of that Government
), at the proper time and by the proper meth
u cd. Let them freely discuss the policy il
l. proper tone; but my duty requires m
Ito stop license, and Incorporate discus
sicn, which tends to weaken the authorit,
l. Of the Government and army; while tn
y latter is in the presence Of the enemy, it j
e cows rlly SO to weaken it. This licens
could not be used in our camps-the MAJ
wonld be torn in pieces who would ailemp
> lit. There is no fear of the people losin,
IL vi - III ~