Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-06-18
.-.s,6ent Lincoln ON S"ita"uie-
t,pm's Arrest.

the 10Th of May, al which certain Fea0'n-
lions denouucing the arrest Of Valiandig'
ham, were adopted AID the same We're
forwarded, by instruction Of the meeting,
,o President Lincoln, eI,h a request Tor
his earnest consideration o, them, and The
.,,,,ment that ''the meeting was one OF
tho most resnectabIe as 10 numbers md
oO,racter and one of the most oar'hast in
support of the Union ever he'd III that
o;,v 81 The President replies as follows;
MR.. LINCoLN's REPLY,
ExEcUrNE MANSION,
Washington, june IL, 1868. 1
H,. EresiaS Corning aud Others;
Gentlemen :-lo our letter of May 10,
a,e,osiog the resolutions of public meet
inc held at Albany, New York, on the
18th of the same month, was received sew
eral days ago.
The resolutions, as understand them,
are resolved INFO two proposltlons-iirst,
the expression of a purpose to sustain the
cause of the Union, TO secure peace through
victory, and to support the administration
in every constitutional and lawful measure
to suppress the rebellion; and secondly,
declaration of censure upon the admin
istration for supposed unconstitutional ac-
ton, such as the making OF military arrests.
And, from the two propositions third Is
deduced, which is that the gentlemen com
posing the meeting are resolved on dong
their part to maintain our common govern
ment an, country, despite the folly or
wiokedness, as they may conceive, OF any
administration. This position rs eminentiy
patriotic. and as such thank the meeting
and congratulate the nation for it. My
own purpose is the same; 80 that the
meeting and myself have a common OBJ
Zee. and can have no difference, except III
the choice of means or measures Tor elect
ing that object.
And here / ought to close this paper,
and would close ii if there no a prehen-
son that more injurious consequences than
any merely personal to myself might FOL
low the censures Systematically cast upon
me for doing what, in my view of duty,
could not forbear. The resolutions
promise to support me in every constltu-
tional and lawful measure 10 suppress the
rebellion, and have not knowingly en-
ployed. nor shall knowingly employ any
other But the meeting, by their resolu
tions, assert and argue that certain military
arrests and proceedings following them,
for which am responsible, are pnconsti-
tutional. think they are not, The res
outions quote from the constitution the
definition of treason, and also the limit ne
safeguards and guarantees therein provid-
cd for the citizen on trial for treason,
and on bis beng held to answer for cap
ital or otherwise infamous crimes, and in
srmmi prosecutions, the right to speedy
and public trial by an impartial jury.
They proceed to resolve "that these
safeguards of the rights of the citizen
against the pretensions Of arbitrary power
were intended more especially for his pro-
lection in times of civil commoton." And
apparently to demonstrate the proposition
the resolutions proceed :-"fhey were Sc
cured substantially to the English people
aEsr years of protracted civil war, and
were adopted into our constitution at the
ckfb OF Jlt EtkOIullOu. "uuiu hot INK
demonstration have been better, if it could
have been truly said that these safeguard.
had been adopted and applied during tht
civil wars and during our revolution In
stead of after the one and at the close o
the other? |, too, am devotedly for then
otter civil war, and before civil war, ant
at all times, except when in cases of re
bellon or invasion, the public safety may
require" their suspension, These resolu
tons proceed to tell us that these safe
guards have stood the test of seventy
SIX years Of trial, under our republican
system, under circumstances which SHOW
that while they constitute the foundation
OF ell free government, they are the ele
ments of the en- turing stability of the re
pubic No one denies that they hav
stood the test up to the beginning Of til
present rebellion, if we except "a certa
occurrence at New Orleans nor does an
one question that they will stand tho sam
test much longer after the rebellion close;
But these provisions of the Constltutio
bave no application to the case we hav
in hand, because The arrests complained
were llOL lldut iui ltodSoH--bhe's wv ~
tie treason defined IN the constitution, an
upon the conviction of which the punish
ment is death--nor vet were they made
hold persons TO answer for any capital {
otherwise infamous crimes nor were Il
proceedings following, in any constitution
al or legal sense, ''crmlnal prosecutions
The arrests We're made on totally dIfferei
grounds, and the proceedings following a
corded with the grounds of the arrest
Let us consider the real case with viii,
we are dealing, and apply 1t to the par
of the constitution plainly made for SUI
cases.
Prior to my installation here it hi
been inculcated that any state had LAY
ful right to secede from the national U
ion, and that it would be expedIent to e
ercase the right whenever the devotees
the doctrine should fail to elect Preside
to their own liking. was elected CONT
ny TO their own liking and, accordlngl
80 far as it was legally possible, they h
taken seven States out of the Union, HI