The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1863-05-21

Headquarters Department of the Ohiod
C'ncinnsti. Ohio, May IL, 1863.
To the Honorable the Circuit Court o.
the United States within and for the South
ern District of Ohio:
The undersigned. commanding the De
partment of The Ohio. having received no.
tice from the Clerk of said court that an
application for the allowance of a writ OF
ho6eas c0rpxs will be made this morning
before your Honors on behalf Of Clement
L. Vallandigham, now prisoner in my
custody AXIS leave TO submit 10 the court
The following.
STATEMENT:
If | were to indulge in wholesale criti-
cisms Of The policy of the government, it
would demoralize the army under my COM
mand, and every friend of his country
would call me a traitor. Ii the officers or
soldiers We're TO dulge in such criticism.
1t would weaken the army to the extent of
their influence; and If this criticism were
universal III the army. it would cause 1t 10
be broken TO pieces, the government to be
divided, our homes 10 be invaded, and an
srcay TO reign. Ny duty to my govern
ment torbids me 10 indulge In such crlt-
cisms; officers and soldiers are not allowed
10 so indulge, and this course will be sus-
lained by all honest men.
Now, | will 90 further We are 10 a
state OF civil war. One of the States of
this department is at this moment invaded,
and three others have been threatened. -
command the department, and it is my
duty to my country and TO this army to
keep 1t in The best possible condition; TO
see that ii is fed, armed, and, As far as
possible, To sec that il is encouraged Ii
it Is my duty and the duty of the troops
70 avoid saying any thing that would
weaken the army. BY preventing a single
recruit from joining The ranks, by bring
ing the laws Of Congress into disreputc, or
by causing dissatisfaction in the ranks, it
is equally the duty Of every citizen id the
department TO :.yoid the same evil. iii
is my duty to prevent the propagation of
this evil in the army. or in a portion of
my department.. it is equally my duty in
all portions OF it; and ii is my duty to use
all the force in my power TO stop it.
Ii we're to find man from the enc
mys country distributing in my camp
speeches Of their public men that tended
to demora!ize the saoops, or to destroy
their confidence in the constituted authori-
ties of the Government, would have him
tried and hung if found guilty, and all the
rules of modern wsiiare would sustain
ME. Why should such speeches from our
own public men be allowed7
The press and public mea. in great
like the present. should avoid
Iha use of party epilhets and bitter inveo-
,ivcs, and discourage the organization of
secret political societies, which are always
nndis niied and disgraceful to free peo-
pie, but now are absolutely wrong and in.
i'ious; they create dlssensions and dis
cord which jnst now amount to treason.
rhs simple names Patriot" and "Trsi-
.or" are comprehensive enough.
As before SAID. we are in a state Of
civil war, aud an emergency is upon us
which requires the operations of some
power that moves more quickly than the
civil.
There never was war carried on sue
nessfully without the exercise of that pow
Or.
Ii 10 said that the speeches which are
We made 10 tie presence Of
largo bodies of citizens, who. if they
thought item wrong, would lave then and
there condemned them That is no argu
mcpt These cilizens do not realize the
effect upon the army of our country, who
are its defenders. They have never been
in the field; never faced the enemies of
their country; never undergone the priva-
li.'ns Of our soldiers in the field; and. be-
sides. they have been in the habit of hear
my their public men speak. and as a gen !
sral thing, of approving Of what they say;
therefore the greater responsibility rests
upon the public men and upon the public
press, aud it behooves them to be careful
as to what they say. They must not use
license and plead that they are exercising
liberty. In this department it cannot be
done. shall use all the power l have to
break down such liosnce. and am sure !
will be sustained in this course by all hon
,st men At all events, will have the
before God, of having done
ny duty to my country. and, when | am
'werved from the performance of that duty
by any pressure. public or private, or BY |