The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-05-16
9ashriIIe alniun.
P'DE'soa Sy an .As,oalasion o, Prn,eys
0rfiCo on Printers Alley, between
Uuion aud DeadorIck streets.
Gen. DurnsIds's Answer to the psti

the privilege Of the writ of habeas cor.
pus, Gen. BURNSIDE made the following
reply: a.
HrAHQuAnrEEs nspARrMrNr os 1un Quo
CINCINNATI, ONO, May1i, 1859 !
To he Honorable he Circuit Court of he
United States ,0iilia and for the .Soutle,7,
District Of Ohio.
The undersigned commanding the De L.
partment Of the Ohio having received
notice from the Clerk of said Court tha,
an application for the allowance of a writ
of habea3 corpus will be made this morn.
ing before Your Honors on behalf of
Clement L. Nallandigham, now pris.
oner Ia my custody, asks leave TO sub
mt0to the COur. the following
STATEMENT.
If were TO indulge in wholesale criti-
cisms Of the policy of tho Government
it would demoralize the army under nv
command, and every friend of his coun-
try would call me a traitor. If the Of
hcers or soldiers were TO indulge in such
criticisms, it would weaken the army to
the extent OF their influence; and if.
this criticism were universal ia the army.
it would cause il to be broken TO pieces
the Government to be divided our homes
to be invaded, and anarchy to reipn.
| My duty to my Government forbids me
TO indulge in such criticisms; officers
and soldiers are not allowed TO so in
] dulge. and this course will be aystsirefi
by all honest men.
Now, will go further We are ia a
state of civil war. 0ne of the States o
this Department is at this moment iava-
ded, and three others have been threat
ened. command the Department, and
it Is my duty TO my country aud to this
army to keep it in the st possible con-
dition; to see that IL is fed, clad, armed,
aud, as far as possible, TO see that il is
encouraged. II it is my duty and the
duty OF the troops to avoid saying any
thing that would weaken the army, by
preventing single recruit from joining
the ranks, by bringing the laws OF Con
gTess Into dispute, or by causing dissat-
islaclion in the ranks, il is equally the
duty Of every citizen in the Depa, tment
TO avoid the same evil. II il is my duty
TO prevent the propagation OF his evil Ia
the army, or in a portion of my Depart
ment, il is equally my duty in all nor
tions of il; and il is my duty to use all
the force in my power TO stop IL.
If / were 20 find a man from the enc
my's country, distributing in my camps
speeches of their public men that tended
to demoralize the troops, or TO destroy
their confidence in the constituted au.
thorities of the Government, would
have them tried aud hung If found guilty,
| aud all the rules of modern warfare
would sustain me. Why should such
speeches from our own public men be
allowed 2
The press and public men in q great
emerg' noy like The present, should avoid
the use Of party epilhets and bitter in
yectives, and discourage IN, organic ,tion
Of secret political societies, which are
always undiguiGed aud disgraceful 10 a
free people, but now they are absolutely
wong aud injurious; they create dissen
sions and di cord, which just now
amount 10 treason. The simple names
Patriot and "Traitor," are comprehen-
siVe enough.
As before said, we are Ia a state of
| civil war, and an emergency is upon us
which requires the operation Of some
power that moves more quickly than the
civil. 500
There never was war carried on sue
cessiully without the exercise Of that
power.
1t is said that the speeches which are
condemned, have been in the presence Of
large bodies of citizens, who, il they
thought them wrong, would have then
A..
argument. These citizens do not realize
the effect upon the army of our country,
who are its defenders. They have never
been in tie field never faced the enc
mics Of their country; never undergone
the privations of our soldiers in the field;
aud besides they have been in the habit
of hearing their public men speak, and
as a general thing of approving Of what
they say; therefore, the greater respon
eibility rests upon the public men and
upon the public press, and 10 behooves
them 10 be careful as TO what they say.
They must nOtuse license aud plead that
they are exercising liberty. Ia this De.
pariment il cannot be done. shall use
an the power have TO break down such
license, and | am sure / will be sustained
ga thAe CouthS ny All huhbet men, At al
events | will have the consciousness,
before God, Of having done my duty 20
my country, and when ! am sWerved
from the performance Of that duty by
any pressure, public or private, or by
auy prejudice, will no longer bo a man
or patriot,
l again assert, that every power pos
sess on earth, or that is given me from
above, will be used in defense Of my
Government on all occasions, at all times,
and In all places within this Depart
ment There is no party--no community
mo State Goyernment-nO State legis-
latiye body-no corporation, or body Of
men that have the power 10 inauguraie
a war policy that has the validity OF Law
aud power, but the constituted au hori-
ties of the Government OF the United
5tatesi and am determined 10 support
their policy, III the people do nos Ap-
prove that policy hey can change the
constitutional Authorities OF that Coy
ernment, az the proper time aud by tho
proper method Let them freely discuss
the policy in s proper tone but nv du.
" requirss me stop license and inteln-
perat6 discussion, which tends 10 weaken
the authority Of the Government aud