The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1863-02-19
GREAT
SPEECH OF Elk GOV. WRIGHT
OF INDIANA,
lsiivered as Ottumwa, Iowa, Feb
1ith, 1862
lReported for the IIawk-Eye]

delivered as Ottum,va, iowa, Feb.
18th, 1862
lReported for the IIawk-Eye]
The Governor, after referring TO the DC.
culiar situation Of the country. and stating
that his object was. not to trace out the
causes Of the present unhappy war, but to
point out to his fellow citizens of Iowa,
gathered there, the duty of every loyal man
at this crisis, referred to the fact that many
are now crying for peace.
Twelve months ago, said the Governor,
you did not talk this way You said then
that the rebellion ought to be crushed-you
said then that the whole power of the coun.
try should be put forth to subdue il. But
now you cry let them go, let hem go =
Let this war stop Let us have a compro,
misc, we are tired ofthe war; But stop
my friend, this will not do. When this
war began, when an assault was made up
on the flag Of this Union, every patriot )
heart was touched. Every loyal man hro'-
out the nstion was struck when TT. Sum
ter vas struck. Every loyal democrat felt
that the honor of this nation had been out
ragged, and that vengeance should fall upon
those who were engaged in the tratorous
work.
But why this CHANGE Why do We
hear of men going all about the country
holding peace meetings, and declaring that
we must have peace ? will tell You why
1t is party, party, party. They do not seem
able TO throw off the snackles of party
They put party above principle, above 10y.
atty to their country, and some OF these ner,
talk about the administration and those who
sustain the administration. They saw
:" ou may call its Union party but il is
nothing afterall but the old Black republican
party !" anG they say this is nothing but a
party war. What do you mean hy calling
this party war ? Every man in Congress
voted for this war, but five. Two thirds Of
your generals are democrats. Suppese [
would ask you who are managing this war
Who has the most power in his hands in
controlling this war; WHY, Abraham
Lincoln. And who next to him WHY
Frederick NJ. Stanton, Secretary Of War
And vino next to him? why General Hall
leck. Now here are three men and if eth.
er of these three men is traitcr, our insti-
tutions may be lost And yet two out of
these three men are Douglas democrats,
dyed in the wool. And yet you are mean
enough to go through the couatry and say
that it is nothing but party war: I"That's
50 hir them again ~ | tell you my friend
IT wont do to Call this party war Your
President says he wants to save tha country
and you are mean enough to go round and
say !? is party war. Well | want to ask
you question. Supposing jeff Davis was
to come here, and stand where | stand to
address you. and supposing some honest
farmer should ask him, "Mr. Davis, how
have you raised your army how do you
keep up this rebellion how do you get sup
plies for your army ~ "You would ask
him these questions. for those men are our
brethren they speak the same language !;
they are the same people We are all tied
together Our railroads stretch away down
through their States. We are inter-married
There are not twenty men in all this crowd
who have not relatives in the South, and
the first question you would ask him would
be, How did you get up that army /? and
by what means do you keep up the rebel
lion ~ What would he say Well,
win tell you one thing he would say, "I
suffer no man to publish paper in the
South against my views" Immense cheer
ing, and cries of, that's SOL
Tell ire, you democrats, did you ever read
OF man running for Congress in the south
against the views Of the JEFF. Davis govern
ment? Cries of no, no.
And yet you have got men who will 90
round the country, and talk about violating
the constitution, and arresting bad men =
Cheers, and cries of, Let them have it.
have not yet heard Of single man who
lived in the South, and dared to talk in IA
vor of the old flag. His property would be
confiscated. his family driven out, and him
self dragged to southern prison, or hanged
by the mob. [Cries of, that's true r'l
Nor would be very nice about the con-
stitution, if a man was about to murder me,
TO bnrn my property, to injure my family !;
and now my country is in danger, I should
not be very nice about the constitution in
dealing with those who are in rebellion
against my government, or giving aid and
comfort to its enemies. prolonged
cheers.
But you ask ''what do you want suspend
the writ Of habeas corpus for well | will
tell you. Thirty years ago, when old Hick-
ory was our President, he said / have a
right to determine what is constitutional. I
have right to manage the army and the
navy, and direct the government Of the
country as understand the Constitution
and the laws" aud that was good enough
democracy for me, but we have modern
Democracy, that says the President has no
such right. That saws he must not suspend
the writ Of habeas corpus. Jackson said Il
will carry out the government as under
stand it." and he did do it, and agreed to
it thirty years ago, and agree to it to-day.
1t is very likely that there may have been
improper arrests in these times Of excite.
.aAnt .s and danger. 1t is very likely that
:, .ueIe may nave been mistakes, but what Of
that But when ought the writ be saspend.
ed !! fon don't want to suspend the writ
in the case Of man who has committed
who has committed crime: You want to
suspend it when you have grounds to be-
lleve that man is about to commi. crime.
You want to suspend il when you have
grounds to believe that man is going to
the slhlsr stlhs rebellion, by opposing cnlistnents in
envy. or by doifIis!n oSiifIi!ns iaiermation to the en-
them in their work Of dsasfGfotsaas daG chat can can help
government that ever existed. I S Win, oest
70 look at this question rs it is You don't
want to nab man for crime he has com.
mitted in this case, but for a crime he is
about to commit.
know the best men differ about the right
to suspend the writ Of habeas corpus. Some
say the President has the right and some
say Congress has the right. Well, we can.
not settle that question here.
But then you will hear men say "These
men ought to be tried at the first court
Ought they, though? No, my friend, not
always. There may be reasons why man
ought not to be tried at the second or third
court. There might be information connect
ed with the ease which II would do injury to