The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1863-07-10

These arc the oficfiaI acts Of the Presi-
dent and congress. They are no after din
neI speeches, not impromptu speeches !;
tNrafe solemn official acts every one Of
q Fin, and they all illustrate the horrible
6guage of the Presi3>pt ofstBe> U nited
Atesi 10 his reply to the Chicago Christian
eomuitteeS " hen he said be hsd no doubt
III bis power to do ANYTHING which in his
saa fpspt MOULD tend sup presssthis re-
bsllion. s1Ia declared he was above the
law rand tie constitution, and the only linn
it to his power was in his own judgment.
Louis the XIV said no more. l repeat
that SAYING of his to the Chicago commit
tee will 90 down t" history aud be remeln:
bered when the extraordinary presentation
of Mr.. Lincoln's person will be forgotten ;
when his rude jokes with be aHmerged in
10. Miller, that horrible saying will g.
down to posterity as a blasphemy against
human right, agans. bis own sworn consti-
tutional duty. And the only defense
which can. be- made for that man is de-
Tense which should never be made Of a
president of the United States. The de.
feace of utter imbecility and Of moral in
capacity and it is the only refuge for
this man thrown into d place he was not
fitted to fill. sr - $3.50 = ,rEJ IT,
49, Have Imade good my charge! have
prosecuted many man in this county on
indictments, and / never produced as con :
elusive evidence in my..Iife to get verdict
Of guilty. "a voice. No. YOU have not
Who is it says no, when every man in civ
il life is subject to military trial before a
military tribunal; when no soldier is sub
ject to civil tribunal, and when the presi-
dents order is above the constitution and
the laws there is no military despo,ism
In the name of God if that is not military
despotism what is military despotisln
The commander-in> Chief placed above
the constitution and the laws and his army
are our judges and the judges Of all those
who commit crime or wrong upon US =
No one government on the face Of the
earth does or~could accomplish any more.
In no country does military despoti>m 90
further no not al France! No not in
Russia! No not ever in poor bleeding Pc
land to-day .-..........--. ., ..,..
/ stand here, then, Mr., Chairman, for
veal or woe for my rights as an American
citizen. | know what say, and SO hel p
me God, if die during this rel en- of terror
and die with my consciousness. | would
a a., ::aring it. l would rather die to-day
than live the serie, he mere creature ofany
man. If this Union dies, if we see it bur
led, | will sorrow for it as every good dem
ocrat will sorrow forit, as i; we had bur
led child out of our own houses. But
ifthe constitution goes, God grant may
not for one day survive it,
l have done, | have made good my
charge, l have said all that have time
or voice to say to night. | have said
these things to you, because have studs
ed them and know them to be true.
for one think it no brave thing to do
1t takes more courage to be silent. for
one have not courage to suppress the truth
that ia in me, even though the gates Of
Fort Lafay cite were still gaping wide. -
While this war is waged upon consttu-
,ional right upon freedom of speech and
freedom of press, will continue to speak
after my poor way, while have the pow
err. Suppress American freedom ofspeech?
1t cannot be done. No power civil or
military can do it. The constitution and
the laws were outraged in the person of
Mr.. Valandigham for his constitutional
freedom of speech. He was banshed by
power unknown to the law A thous-
and men Fill bis place to-day. Danish or
imprison them aud tens Of thousands Wi
take their place. h,;:e, mil;.ns will raise
their voices, and IS 30 now, their hands
and l hos 1t is no treason to say, their
arrr..s, their voice to the nation and their
hands to heaven in the cause of free speech,
defending private right and public liberty.
For one, sought the protection of the
constitution as s,ippliant thirty odd years
ago. found it. I have lived under it,
have been protected By it from that time to
.his. And swear that | will support it
to the best Of my power to the end Of my
life, against oppressive officials and subserv-
liant poiili;ians, come what will Of it.