Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1863-07-24
what Did vaIIandigham Do :!

= writ of habeas corpus in the Vallandigha
ca Sc, AARON F. PERRY. Esq, counsel for &c
Burnside, thus dispassiopately and forcibly a
swers the question "NVhat did Vallandgha
do ?" so frequently asked by his admirers whe
discussing the question of the arrest:
WHAT vALLANDIGHAM DID.
Let u.s. then, turn 10 the petition Of Glen
ent L. Valla1digham, aud see how its present
him. know nothing, and desire to kno1
nothing, of the man in this case, except wha
is shown by the papers before US. Il is neitt
er my habit nor my pleasure TO iucumber a
argument with personalities. But may say
and viii say that if Mr. ValaDdigham be
public mau. aspiring to lead public opinion il
this great crisis, and be, in fact, disloyal L
the Constitution, or if be be of that bat-lik
nature, which fits and fiickers in the twiligh
between patriotism and treason, so that it new
er can, at given moment, be certainly know
which side he favors, then
MAY shame and dishonor sit
By his grave ever;
| Blessings shall hallow it,
Never No. never !"
The petition exhibits and sets forth copJ
| Of the charge under which he was arrested
| 1t shows us exactly the ground of bis arrest
| By referring to the and specifications, we have
| before US the case. 1t is not a little remarka-
| BILE that no part of the charge or specification
| is denied. 1t stands, for the purpose of this
| inquiry, as admitted.
Mr.. Perry read the charge and specitica-
tions.
1t appears from this that he publicly ad-
dressed large meeting of citizens He was
not expressing in secresy and seclusion his
private feelings or misgivirgs, but seeking pub
Iicily and influence. The occasion and cir
cumstances show the purpose to have been to
produce an effect on the public mind, TO mold
public feeling, to shape public action. In what
direction? The charge says, by expressing his
sympatbies for those in arms against the Gov.
ernment of the United States, by declaring
disloyal sentiments and opinions. He declar.
ed the war to be wicked and cruel, and unnec.
essary, and war not waged for the preserva-
tiOn of the Union; wsr for crushing out lib
erty and erecting despotism. What is this
but saying that those who fight against the
United States are in the right, and that it
would be cowardly and dishonorable not to
fight against the United States? In what
more plain and cogent language could be urge
his audience themselves to take up arms against
their government? If those who heard him
could not be melted to fight against govern
ment by pursnading them it was making an
unjust and cruel war to crush out liberty how
else could he expect to incite themS If he did
not hope to pursuade them 10 join their sym
pathies and efforts with the enemies of the
United States, by convincing them that these
enemies are in the right, fighting and suffering
to prevent the overthrow Of liberty, standing
up against wickedness and cruelty, what must
be have thought of his audience? What else
but the legitimate result of his argument can
we impute fairly as the object of his hopes?-
To whatever extent they believe him. they
must be poor, dumb dogs, not to rally, aud
rally at once, for the overthrow of their own
Government, and for the support of those who
make war upon it. But he did not leave ii 10
be inferred. He declared it to be war FOR
the enslavement of the whites and the freedom
of the blacks. Which Of the two was, in bis
opinion, the greater outrage, he does not ap-
pear to have stated. 1t is one of the unmis-
it can always be identified, that its declara-
tions for liberty are for selfish and brutal
liberty, which includes the liberty of injuring
or disregarding others. If his white audience
were not willing to be enslaved, that is to say
not willing to endure the last and most de-
grading outrage possible to be inflicted on hu-
man nature, they must, so far as they believed
him, resist their own Government If he him
self believed what he said, be must take up
arms to resist his Government, or stand con-
fessed poltroon. A public man, who believes
that his government is guilty of The crimes he
imputed, and will not take up arms against it,
is guilty of unspeakable baseness. If his au
dience believed what he told them, they must
have looked upon advice not to take up arms
as insincere or contemplate. NO,public man,
no private man, can make such charges and
decenty claim not to make war. All insur-
rections have their pretexts. The man who
furnishes these, is more guilty than the man
who believes them and acts on them. If the
statements of Vallandigham were true, the
pretexts were ample, not merely as pretexts
but as justification ofinsurrection. They were
more: they were indictments which it would be
disgraceful to resist, and which human nature
generally has no power to resist. The place
where such things are done, is the place of in
surrection, or there is not and cannot be a
place of insurrection anywhere. If these lab
oratories are to be kept 10 full blast, they will
manufacture traitors faster than our armies
can kill them. This cruel process finds no
shelter under plea of political discussion
Whatever might be said about ballots and E.
lections, the legal inference is that it is intend
ed to produce the results which would natur-
ally flow from it. If the President, with all
the army and navy, and his "minions," is at
work to overthrow liberty and enslave the
whites, every good man must fear TO see that
army victorious, and hail its disasters with
l. Joy. Every good man must strike to save
himself from slavery, now, while he can. The
elections are far off, and may be too late. 1t
can not be claimed that the motive was to in
fuence elections, because the argument does
not fit that motive. 1t fits to insurrection,
and that only. He pronounced General Or
ders No. 80 to be base usurpation, and in
vited his hearers to resist it. How resist il?
! How could they resist it. unless hy doing what
the order forbade to be done?
| What was there to be complained of ex-
cept by persons wishing to do, or to have done
by others, the acts by that order prohibited?
He invited to resist the order. The order
thus to be resisted prohibited the following
acts, viz: Acts for the benefit of the enemies
of our country, such as carrying of secret
mails; writing letters sent by secret mails; re-
cruiting of soldiers for the enemy inside our
lines; entering into agreements to pass our
lines for tie purpose of joining the enemy;
their being concealed within our lines while in
the service of the enemy; being improperly
within our lines by persons who could give