Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-02-06
Ohio Statesman
Speech of Hon. George II. smythe, OF
Licking County,
In the Ohio House Of Representatives., on ATbi-
tYdTy Arrests
Iooncluded..

In the Ohio House Of Representatives., on ATbi-
trdYy Arrests.
Iooncludsd.l
Bnt 1t is new idea in this country that any
person can forfeit his or her constitutional
rights. The right OF trial by jury on present.
meht, to be confronted with his Witnesses, and
the right to the privilege of the writ Of habeas
corpus, are sacred to all persons accused Of
crime. They are seldom needed by others.
They are their peculiar rights, which cannot 10
forfeited or rightly taken from them. Without
these there is no method to distinguish the 10.
nocent from the guilty; and II is contrary to
all just ideas Of judicial administration that the
acsuser may also be the judge and the execu-
tioner. This Is the very essence of despotism.
1t 10 among the curiosities Of the times in
which We live, that new ter have been in
terpolated in our republican vocabulary.
"Treasonable PRACTICES" "discouraging enlist
meDts," "the war power" and "poltical priS.
oners," are new and unfamiliar worda. We
have read of lettres de cachet, political prison
ers, government basties, and Spanish inquisi
tlcns in other lands, and congratulated ourselves
that such things were unknown in American
history. They are not to be found in your
statute books, and are not consistent with the
spirit OF our institutions.
The gentleman from Muskingum eays that il
10 OF no Importance that the member from
Fairfield was arrested, orNthat ho waa escorted
to Columbus. Sir, IL is not for me TO mepsure
the Importance of Individual suffering, charac-
ter, or injury; but 1t concerns me aud every ia.
habitant of the republic, thai personal rights
are invaded and the protection of the Law 10
atricken down incur midst. Tho blow struck
at the member from Fairfield ia blow struck
OF you and me and every member of society.
His case to-day may be you're or mine TONER
row. II the forms of our Governments can 10
longer protect personal liberty and personal
rightp, then indeed arc the bonds OF society
broken up, and We live in the midss Of roien
of terror.
Sir, the exhibition to whioh the gentleman
hos referred as matter of such ttihing con.
sideraton ought TO arrest his more thoughtful
attention When we see the victim Of arbitra-
ry power, while struggling 10 tho grasp of hiG
Prosecutors, elected to q high place OF conf
dence and trust by the free voices of American
citizens. whose deep moving impulse impels
themS surround his person and bear him in
roman triumph to your capital, though 1t mey
not be subject of much Importance, 10 is ney-
ertheless O circumstance Of very great signif
cameo. Wise men will draw from IL fruitful
lesson for contemplation. Does any cue sup
pose that this distinctive mark Of popular "a.
vor springs from personal devotion to mere
representative in this General Assembly Was
such an exhibition, on such an occasion, eyor
before witnessed in this republc7 No, sir; It.
was the client but determined EXPRESSION of an
outraged and eKasperated people, 10 signal vim
dicsiion of their own violated rights. Sir,
what cared the people OF England for tho par
ticular person Of John Wilkes. that be shgald
become the subject of popular commotion. He
was man Of intelligent character and position
In society; but when indicative power struck
down the privileges of British subjects BY his
unlawful Incarceration, the people of England
rose up as one mRn, and In his person, Vindi-
Gated the principles Of English liberty
know not and care NOT what ill.judged or
i'll timed expressions OF opinion, offensive to
men in power, hes visited eleven citizens Of
this commonwealth with the distinction of 20.
litioal vengeance. / am not here TO aIopt, TO
justify or palliste any msn's errors Of opiuion.
believe with Jefferaon shat "errur OF opinion
may be safely tolerated where reason is left
free to combat It," But am here as the rep
resentative OF gallant, free and loyal people,
TO uphold and support the Constitution and
laws OF my country. speak iu behalf, aud |
believe speak the voice, of the people of this
noble State, whose inaiensble rights hsve
been violated by these il-advised arrests It
was unbecoming the dignity and character of
an American Administration, with million
volunteer soldiers at its command, struggling
for the life Of the nation, to turn its bayOnets
inward and wage guerrilla warfare against
peaceful; cisizens in the loyal States. In thia
emergency many mere mistakes and hasty
stretches OF power growing out of active and
honest zeal for the maintenance of natonal
authority, ought to and would be overlooked by
patriotic and generous people; but when they
assume the form Of O Wanton settled policy Of
total revolution in the form OF our government,
they are intolerable.
The gentleman from Muskingum says that
Jefferson Davis has divided the Northern peo.
pie. Is this so, sir2 Jefferson Davis NAV
have divided the Charleston Convention; but
does any one believe that o people who, in
their devotion to principle, would suffer dis.
ruptcn of party ties, are subjeCts to be inhu-
enced by the author OF their division, especial
ly when he ia In armed rebellion against them I
No, sir. Jefferson Davis has not divided the
northern people. Whom he insugurated seces
eion and bis war against the Union, the Demo-
crats OF the North, recognizing their dutS to
the government which they adore, with an
unanlmity unparalleled in tho history Of any
nation on earth, gathered around their national
banner. The great catsstrOphe-lhe bloody
drama which they have long and earnestly Ia
bored to avert was opening upon us, and El-
though they felt in their hearts that they who
we're constitptionally invested With the adminie-
tratlye power of the government, were the au-
thors of the provocation to the revolt, and bad
been the stumbling blocks ia the way OF paoifi.
cation, they laid down their armor Of political
controversy, and with patriotic zeal filled up
the ranks of the army and the Golfers Of the
treasury. Weighed down and oppressed by
the common calamity, which they bad long
foreaeen as the natural result of persistent and
malignant meddling with the domestic organ
ization of Southern society, they msgnani.
mously overlooked oil the errors of the past;
they were silent to the faults of their political
adversaries, and joined heart and hand with
them in vigorous efforts to enforce the consti.
ltutional authority of the government. In this
great struggle they have sacrificed the dearest
Jewels of their hearts. They have sundsred
the most sacred ties which bound them 10 earth,
They have offered up their very household gods
upon the altar of their country. Yet all this
did not protect them, for q single hour, from
the remorseless fangs of slsnder and misrepre-
aentRton, and invocatiens Of mob violence up
on their persons and property. The vocabulary
of Billingsgate has been exhausted on their
devoted heads, That foul spirit Of discord and
blind fansticism, which had alieusted she con-