The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-05-28
The sacred Right OF free Disease

NNoMs
VaIsndigham and his set are indeed
under the ban Of the Democracy, and,
having been repudiaied politically, were
gradually becoming odious TO their form
err associates. They are in truth a mere
set Of political hmaelites.-LolaSuiHe
Journal
en- The Journal is mistaken, % usual. Val
landigham's last violent speech in Con-
gress was received by the CONSERVATIVE"
democrats everywhere with delight, re.
published in nearly all their newspapers,
and was also extensively reprinted In
the rebel newspapers, from Mobile to
Richmond. Besidesb be has been frequent
zoo ly announced as the chief orator at "Con-
sentative" Democratic meetings since,
q y and has always been enthusiastically
81 applauded by those gatherings Nay,
, asa more; the Democratic Mass Meeting the
other day at indianapolis, which was
claimed to be the largest gathering ever
r3'r' convened in that city, by the copperhead
organs, passed the following resolution:
Resolved That the arrest of Hon. @. l..
~ T. Yalandigham, for no other reason than
the exercise of his right of free discus
sion, has been received by the Democra-
cy OF Indiana with feelings Of great dis
appreciation, as another evidence hat the
great and most sacred rights of the citi-
zen have been stricken down in his per-
son; and we send 10 that gallant Tribune
Of the people the sympathy of his DEM
ocratic friends in Indiana, who, though
-~- assaulted at home by kindred oppresson
are yet prepared TO stand firm by him in
his defense of the sacred PRINCIPLES Of
" ~ constitutional freedom.
Could Mr.. Vallandigham ask stronger
endorsement than this resolution, which
declares that be was "arresicd for no other
reason than the ere,ciseof his RIGHT OF FREE
DISCUSSIONS" that his Democratic friends
in Indiana" sympathize with the gallant
tribune of the people," and that they are
prepared to stand firmly by him in his
defense Of constitutional freedom {" This
large Democratic Convention carried their
endorsement of Vallandigham to the ut.
most verge, and yet the journal, after
publishing the resolutions, asserts that
"Vallandigham and his set were I'M
der the ban Of the Democracy" The
Journal is either individually ignorant, or
unpardonably dishonest, in this matter
1t followed Vallandigham as long as it
dared, and them seeing the danger into
which its leader has fallen, IL retreats
while il ungratefully let's fly Parthian
arrow at its fallen and dishonored chief
But there is a far more important mat
ter connected with this case. The Indi-
annapolis Convention declared in the res
olution already quoted, that Vallandig-
ham was arrested for exercising THE
RIGHT OF FREE DIscUssIoE," and the Jour
mad, taking its cue from this, talks of the
''sacredness of the rights which have been
violated in the person" of Vallandigham.
Is " free discussion 1.-THE right of an
American citizen to discuss, by tongue
or pen, or both, any matter of State or
National interest," and to say what he
pleases concerning il, go dear that if il
be infripged or restricted, or taken
away by civil or military power, even in
time of extraordinary peril, the whole
nation should demonstrate in thunder
tones? SO says the Journal noto. But
all this is very inconsistent with its in
famous editorials, published and ,cpub.
6shed in its columns few weeks ago, in
reference to the publication of anti-sla-
very and emancipation newspapers in
Louisville, in Lebanon, Ky, andi Nash
vile. 1t denounced the attempt as an
outrageous insult TO the people. IL was
not to be tolerated one moment. The
bare idea thrilled it with horror 1t
called on the people to make the city too
hot for ell men who dared to exercise
the right Of free discussion" in regard
to slavery. II called all men who epga-
ged in such discussions as insolent mis-
ohief-mhkers and incendiaries, and Anal.
ly declared that whatever might be the
lustre Of the character or the purity of
the motives" Of those men who should
attempt TO discuss the social, moral or
political features of slavery, their fran
tic undertaking must be "srAMrEp our
AS II IT WE'RE THE LIGHTED FUSE or A
BoMBsHEbL."
Al AAo Ai5At Vi ihSo uihushlOn De ea-
cred in ohs is it not equally as sacred
in Kentucky and Tennessee?
Why is il that all subjects may be
freely discussed, save negro slavery? Is
il so high and holy, that IL is above dis
oussiOn, or SO abauiinably odious and
atrociously wicked, that its public dis
cussion is an offence against decenoyq
The Journal will not oblige US in the
least by answering these questions, and
extricating itself from the bag into which
thas tumbled, bat will oblige many Of
its readers by doings so.
Now, il a scoundrel like Yallandigham,
may freely exercise "the right of free
discussion" then why not citizen of
Industrious character" and squire mo-
tivesg'
II Vallandigham may discuss the
policy OF ths. war, why may not an hon.
ma ~