Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1863-07-16

longing to the land or naval force OF tllc Unltou
States nor to the militia IN actual service, by al
legged military authority, for no other pretended
crime than that of uttering words OF lcgiti (
mate criticism upon the conduct of the Admins
ira ton in power and of appealing TO the ballot
box for change of policy Said arrest aud mil
itary trial taking place where the courts of law
are open and unobstructed, aud for no act done
within the sphere of active military operations in
carrying on the war)--we regard as palpable
violation OF the following provisions of the Con
stitution of the United States
/. Congress shall make no law 81
abridging the freedom of speech of the press
or the right of he people peaceably to assemble
and to petition TIM Government for redress Of
grievances"
9. "1he rights of the people to be secured in
their persons houses, papers and effects, against
unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be
violated; and no warrants shall issue, but upon
probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation,
and particularly describing the place to be search
cd and the persons or things to be seized"
3. "No person shall be held to answer for
capital or otherwise infamous crime, unless
prescntmcnt or indictment of grand jury, ex-
cept in arising in the land or naval forces,
in the militia, when in actual service in time Of
war or public danger"
4. sin all criminal prosecutions, the accused
shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial,
by an impartial jury of the State and district
wherein the crime shall have been committed,
which district shall have been previously ascer-
tanned by law"
And we furthermore dcnoun ce said arrest, tyi-
al and Punishment, as direct insult offered to
the sovereignty of the people of Ohio, by whose
organic law it is declared, that ''no person shall
; be transported out OF the State for any oitcnse
committed within the same V
l6. That Clement l.. Vaandigham was, at the
time of his arrest, prominent candidate for nom.
naton by the Democratic pa ty of Ohio for the
- rNntn lla,tt tlaa tip
:; party was fully competent to decide whether he
was fit man for that nominations; and that the
attempt to deprive them OF that right by his ar
rest and banishment was an unmerited imputatlan
upon their intelligence and loyalty, aswell as n
vioatan of the Constitution.
II. That we respectfully but most earnestly
call upon the President of the United States to
restore Clement i. Nallandgham to his home in
Oho and that committee of one from each
Congressional District of the State to be selected
by the presiding officer of this Convention; is here
by appointed to present this application to the
President.
The undersigned, in the discharge of
the duty assigned them, do not think it
necessary to reiteratc the facts connected
with the arrest, trial, and Punishment OF
Mr.. Vallandigham-the are well known
: to the President, and are of public histo-
NJ ry-nor to enlarge upon the positions ia
ken by the convention, nor to recapitu-
late the constitutional provisions which
n, it is believed have been contravened; they
have been stated at length and with clear
ness in the resolutions which have beer
recited. The undersigned content them
selves with brief reference to other sug
gestions pertinent to the subject.
They do not call upon your Excellency
as suppliants praying the revocation o
the order banishing Mr. Vallandigham a
favor; but, by the authority of con
venton representing majority of tn
citizens of the State of Ohio, they respect
fully ask it as right due an American
citizen, in whose personal injury the SOW
ereignty and dignity of the people of Ohio
as free State, have been offended. Ant
this duty they perform more cord ally
from the consideration that, at time o
great national emergency, pregnant witt
danger to our Federal Union, it is all i'm
portant that the true friends of the Con
stitution and the Union, however the
avn differ as to tile mode of administering tn
Government, and the measures most like
ly to be successful in the maintenance Q
the Constitution and the restoration @
= the Union, should not be thrown int
to conflict with each other. The arrest, un
usual trial, and banishment of Mr.. Val
-, landgham, have created widespread an
III alarming disaifection among the peopl
es- of the State, not only endangerlnS tn
of harmony of the friends of the Constitu
Ar. ton and the Union, and tending to dis
turb the peace and tranquility of the STATE
but also imparing that confidence in I'll
fidelity of your Administration to tn
great landmarks of free government, e'
sential to peaceful and successful ell
forcement of the laws in Ohio.
in. You are reported to have used, in
Of public communication on this subjec
on the following language
on 1t gave me pain when learned that Mr.. Nalla
on digham had been arrested-that is, was pain
18th that there should have seemed necessity for
resting him and that it viii afford me- % great psi
,m, believe the public safety will not suffer by it,
ing The undersigned assure your Excelle
on, CIV, from our personal knowledge of t
nu. feelings of the people of Ohio, that t
heir public safety will be far more endanger
n it by continuing Mr.. Vallandigham in ex
was than by releasing him. 1t may be tr
,ere tnaL persons uiHeIihS iioh nm -" Poi
ect. ical views may be found in Ohio, al
, of elsewhere, who will express d ilere
t of opinion. But they are certainly mistake
.eld Mr.. Vallandigham may differ with
President, and even with some OF his oV
political party, as to the true and mt
+;or elfectual means of maintaining the 20
Ct to stitution and restoring the Union b
free this difference of opinion docs not pro
free him to be unfaithful to his duties as
Jug American citizen. If a man, devoted
onal attached to the Constitution and the |
their ion, conscientiously believes that, fr'
as as to the inherent nature of the Federal co
ti tbat pact, the war, in the present oonditi
nd to of things in this country, can not be us
Us to as means of restoring the Union
their that war to subjugate part of
y, ,tood States, or a war to revolutionlze the
It's in ciol system in a part of the States, col
nd of not restore, but would inevitably res
eace. in the final destruction of both the C'
So"n sTe stitution and the Union, is he not to
!, not allowed the right of an American citi2
At we to appeal to the judgment of the peo
, their @ for change of policy by the constitute
o"' al remedy of the ballot-bo =?