Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-07-10


persorss rights snd iioertfe-of the isizen- ~ t.-
country. has been referred to the undersigned,
the commIttee who pFepged raod reported those
resolutions. The sotjsct viii receive from
Us some further attention. which your answer
seams "a iasisls Il az = Invite We ho2e Or
10 appear wantil ~ ire resrecr due ~ your hrEn
position If We reptg sith heed0a and earnest
ness sugge=tei bv the 1uf--fte gravity ard irBpor
trncs Of tte .asestiohs WON ehi-h Won d sc
thought croper % take issue az ne bar Of pubhc
opinion
Yoa seen 10 be aware that the Constitution o
the United States. vhirh you have sworn - nfo
tect nj defend con, ms he folowing suaran
tee, % which We a. ain ask yopr tientiop
Congress shall mske no law abriiging the
freedom Of speech or OF the press
=. The right OF the people 30 be secure in their
persons az ,inst unwarrsntabie seizures, shall not
be violated. aud no wsrrant shall issue but upon
probable cause supported by Oatn
3. No pei sou, except soldiers and mariners IN
the service Of the Government, shall be held %
answer for capital or infamous crime, unless on
presentmeut or Indictment OF grand jury nor
shall any person be deprived Of life, liberty or
property without due process of hw.i fs8o n
In all criminal Prosecutions, the accused
shall enjoy the right OF speedy ana public trial
bv an IMPARTIAL jury Of the State or district in
which the crime shall hsve been CON mstsd. and
TO be confronted with the witnesses sgsius, him
You are aieo no doubt aware that on the adop
ton OF the Constitution these invaluable provis
ions were proposed by the jealous caution Of the
States. and were inserted a. amendments for a
perpetual assurance Of liberty against the Ell
croachments of power From your earliest read
ing OF history, you aiso know that the great
principles Of liberty and lac which underlie these
provisions were derived by Us from the British
Constitution Va that country they were secured
by magma chGrfa more than SIX hundred wears
ago and they have been confirmed by many and
repeated statutes OF the realm. single palpa
BILE violation ofthem in Eng nd would not only
arouse the public indignation. but would endin
ger the throne itself For a persistent disregard
~ them, Charles the First WAS delhruued aud be
headei by his rebcllious subjects
Tho fact hes alrc tiy passed into history that
the sacred rights aid immunitie' which were lie
signed TO be protected by these constitutional
guarantees have not been preserved "a the people
during Your administration IN violation of The
first Of them. the freedom of The press has been
denied In repeated instances. newspapers have
been suppressed IN the loyal States because the,
criticised. a. constitutioually they might. those
fatal error. Of policy which have characterised che
conduct OF puhlir Affairs since YOUR advent IN
power ~ violation Of tho second Of them
hundreds, and We believe thousands 81 men have
been seized aud mmuted In prisons mud bisillos
hni withoai anS warrant and for nn other cause
thin Constitutional exercise Of the freedom oi
speech Iu vi,lstiou OF all those guarantees, q
distinguished citizen of pelcoul aud oynl
state has been torn from his home ~ midnight
by band OF @oldiefs acting under tho order. ui
ouool tont Generals, tried before u military com
mission. without Judge of luty. convicted anl sen
ten s#i without even the saFrcstun of anv oilensc
kussn 10 the Constitution of avs ofthit country
all
fc.poe-be inthc specid c,-o 81 NJ Vaihn
detAm, the Injustice commenced hy Your suhpr
climate wtA cnnrummated hy a sentence ut exile
from 1T homc pronounced lay YOU That rrca'
wfnlu mare lhin any other which preceded H.
a'.c'ia the psInsiplo. Ola supremc de-po'ism.
These repeated and con,nnej luvasious ~
constitutional liberty and private righ, have ore,.
STONED profound ani isty Ia the public mind The
appfsohtipu anll alarm which they are caieunted
o. pfoduec have been greatly enhanced hy ,out
attempt 10 Justify them. becsusc Ia that attempt
,eu aasamc "a yoilfsel flghlul authority pos
fessel hy no cnnatiuntipual monarch 90 earth
Wesecep, the declaration that ,ou prefer ~ 81
efeife this authority with moderation not hllh
erfn exhibited But believing, az We do, thli
Your tnfbeifinec u not the tenure hy which Ia
ctt, "a eaip,ed Va this country We propose lo
challenge the gtounda on which tnuf claim ~
supreme power y based While Welding to van
hs constitutions, magistrate th deicfeuee a.
which you atc entitled, We cannot accord 90 YOU
the lespotic plwef you claim, however lndulgenf
nnd gracious YOU may promise 10 be IN WELD
Ing u
We have carefully considered the grounds on
which N0uf ptelrns ona a. more than regal ~
thofly are claimed b. festi nnd " We do not mis-
interpret the 10 pN nnd couied forms of exnies
slpn IA ehcl, th' so pietensInu' ne set loflh
YOUR meaning ", that while the rights OF the
citizen arc Protected hy the Constitution ~ time
OF peace, they are suspended 90 lost Ia time ul
WIZ, when invasion 90 rebellion eNisis, You do
not. like mtuy Others VA whose minds leisau and
the love ct regulated liberty seem IA he over
thrown nv the excitements ct the hour, attempt
TO bAse this conclusion upon a supposed military
necessity existing outside OF and rrsnscensiinp
the Constitution, military necessity behind
which the Constitution it,elt disappears in = total
eclipse We la not hni thi, gigantic aul mon
sifons heresy put forth IN your pleas for absolute
power. hat We do ind another equally subversivt
oi liberty AMI law, aud quite NJ certainly tending
"a the establishment oi despOtism Your claim
- have found. not outside but within the Cnnst
tuition, principle ar germ OF arbitrary power.
which ~ time ot war expands NJ once into nm
absolute Sovereignty. welded by one man. 80
TINT liberty perishes, or j. dependent On his vii
HE discretion. cor his caprice I his cxiraordmar,
ductiiu you claim Ia derive wholly from thit
clause Of the Constitution which. IN case IT ia
,aslon Or rebellion. permit. the writ OF hahet.
corpus To he Suspended, Upon this ground your
whole argument j. based
gu must permlt Us Ia say 10 YOU With all due
respect but With the earuesfnts~ demanded b.,
the occasion. that the American pcople ~ n never
acquiesce IA tlis doctrine la their opinion. the
guarantees OF the Constitution which secure o.
them freedom OF speech and of the press. immu
niY from arrest for otlenses unk nown 10 the law.
OF the land. and the right Of trial bv Jury before
the tribunals provided hy those laws instead OF
miiitnf, commissions and drum head court mar
tat. are living and vital principles in peace AMI
var. II al times and under all circumst.nce-
W sophi-trv or argument can shake this couvic
ton, nor will the peorle require its confirmation
by logical sequences and deductions Its a con.
vctinn deeply interwoVen with the instincts the
habits and the education Of our country men
The right to form opinions uTon public measure.
and men AID 10 dec re those opinions hv - eech
o. writing. with the utmost latttude OF exnre.
sion. tie r.ht ct personal liberty unless forfeited
according 20 the established laws md for ot-u
scs previously defined hv law. The rich' when nc
cu~ed ot crimes u be tried where law i mini.
tered. and punishment = pronounced only when
Tie erlme Is legally asrertaiued All these nre
Instantly perceect wuhou; argument or proof.
N refinement Of logic en- un~ette them IN me
minds OF ireemen 10 power can anuihilte
them. ana no force al the cammsnd Oh any Chief
M sirtte can compel then surrender.
~ far asst possible for rs 10 uniersiat6 frs m
your language. the mental process which IN. lcd
NOn 10 the alarming cancuSions Indicated Ia