Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1863-06-23
Alisfellallp.
President Lincoln to the New York Democ.
raCy.


i racy.
A recent Democratic Meeting at Albany hav-
4 ing passed 3 series of resolutions coudemning
the arrest Of Vallandigham, sent them to the
! President Of the United States, asking bis earn
est consideration Of them. This AIR. Lincoln
gave, and has replied to the resolutions in
4 very clear and forcible letter on the subject Of
Martial Law and the suspension Of the writ OF
Habess Corpus, and though we think il is not
conclusive in the particular ease Of Valan-
. digham, is yet by far the st ongost argument we
. have seen.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON,
III June IL, 1868.
GENTLEMEN Your letter Of May 10, inclosing
VI theresolutions Of public meeting held at Albany
IN. Y, on the 10th ofthe same month wasrecsly-
Il cd several dayssg
n The resolutions, AZ understand them, are re-
solvsbls into Two propositions the expression
n Of purpose to sustain the cause Of the Union, TO
III secure pesce through victory, and to support the
Il Administration in every constitutional and lawful
measure to suppress the rebellion and secondly,
declaration Of censure upon the Administration
for supposed unconstitutional action, such as the
making OF military arrests. And, from the two
! propositions third is deduced, which Is that the
! gentlemen composing the meeting are resolved
q on doing their part to maintain our common Gov
ernment and country, despite the folly or wicked
ness, as they may conceive, OF any AdmInlstra-
i ton. This position is smbently patriotic, and as
such, thsnk the nesting and congratulate the
nation for it. My own purpose is the same 10
1t IL a - IL.
4 lsct, and can have no difference, except in the
choice Of means or measure for efeciing that OBJ.
sct
And bers ought to close this paper, and would
= close 1t, If there we're no apprehension that more
injurious consequences than any merely persons
i TO myself might follow the csnsares systematically
cast upon me Tor doing what, in my view Of duty,
s could not forbssr. The resolution promise TO
support me in every constitutional and lawful
measure TO suppress the rebellion and | haze
mot knowingly employed, nor shall knowingly
8employ, any other. But the mssting, by their
re,olutions assert and argue that certain military
4arrssts, and proceedings following them, for which
AN ultimately responsible, are unconstitutional
3 think thsy are not. The resolutions quote from
1.-The Constitution .he d.haion Of treason, and the
limiting safeguards and guarantee. therein proyi-
his beng held TO answer for capital or otherwise
Infamous crimes, and, 10 criminal prosecutions,
IBIS right to a speedy and pubic trial by an in
partial jury. They proceed TO resolve that
these safeguards OF the rights OF the citizen agsInst
1.-THE preten.ous Of arbitrary power we're indeed
more especially Tor hls PROJECTION in times OF siyl
Hccmmoiion. Add apparently 10 demoastraIs
THE proposition, the resolutions proceed "Ihsy
w,rs secured susstsnlisilv to the Enghsh people
sffsr years Of protpcisd civil w.r,a d we're ADOPT
ed into our Constitution al the close OF the srevolu'
ton
Would not the demonstration have bess bet
ter, il It could have been truly said that these
safeguard, bad been adopted and spilled during
the civil vars and during our rsvolutlon, instead
Noi after one and al the close Of the other : /,
boo, am devoledy for them qt7~ civil war, and
before civil war, asd at all times, sxsspl when,
Do easss Of rebellion or invssisn, ths public sifsty
may require their suspension" The resolutions
proceed to tell Us that the safeguards shave stsod
xihs test Of seventy six years OF trial, usdsr our
Republican system, under circumstances whsh
4show that while they constitute the foundaisa OF
al tree government, they are the elsmsnts Of the
zsndurlnE stability u the republic" No one de-
zniss that they have 90 stood the tsst up 10 the
Beginning OF the present rebellion, il We except
sa certain occurrence al Nsw Oflesns nor does
8sny one question that they will stand ,hs tes,
much longer sfter the rebellion olosM But
tlhese proysions Of the Constitutlon have no sp.
Eplicslion TO the case We have Ia hand, because
The arrests eomplsnsd Of we're not made for ,rea-
8ssn-that 10, not for he treason defined Ia the
4Constitution, and upon the esnyIeton Of which
1.-The punishment is des,h-nor yet sere,hey made
to hold persons 10 answer for any ospial or 9th.
tGwise infamous crimes nor we're the proceed
ing. following, in any constitutional or legal sense,
Il" criminal prosecution" The arrests we're made
len totally different grounds, and the proceedings
Following accorded with the grounds Of the az
res,s. Let us consider the real case with which
4 We are dealing. and apply 10 il the para Of the
,Consttution plainly made for such ea,es
Prior to my ins all,tion here, Il had been Incul-
ioated that any State had lawful right to seeeds
sftom ,hs National Union, and that !, would be ex'
psdiens to exercise the rgh whenever the devo,ses
of the doctrine should fail TO elect Prssdeot 10
their own liking. was elected contrary 10 ,heir
liking and, accordingly, so far m it was legally
possible, they had taken States out Of the Union
4had seized many Of the United States forts, and
had fred upon the United States Aag, s before
vas insugunted, and, efeourse, before bad done
any official &C, whatever. Tbs rebellion thus be-
gun soon run into the present civil wari and, 10
certain respects it began on very unequal terms
l between the parties. The insurgents had been pre-
sp,ring for il more than thirty years, while the
i Government had taken no steps to resist them
The former had carefully considered all the means
which could be turned TO their account. 1t un
doubtedly wasa well-pondered reliance with them
that 10 their own unresricied efforts to destroy
Urion, Constitution aud law all together, the
Government would, 10 great degree, be restrained
by the same constitution and law from rres,irg
their progress Their sympathizers perwded al
departments Of the Government, and nearly al
Communities of the people. From this material
under cover Of liberty OF speech "libTly o.
the Press" aud "hateas corpus" they hoped tc
keep on loot among US most efficient corps o
spies nformsrs, suprliers, and aidsn and abes,or'
Of their cause 10 q thousand ways. They knew
ths, in times such as they were nsugunllng, By
the Constitution itself, the "habsas corpus might
be suspended but ,hsy slso knew they had
friends who would make question as 10 isho wA'
to suspend it meanwhile their spies and other
might remain at large to help on their cause. u
!, as has happened, the Executive shoulo suspend
shs writ, without ruinous waste Of time, inslanee
oil aresting innocent persons might occur, ss ar
alvays likely 10 occur in such oases and then
'hnor could be raised in regard TO thin, whicl
1 might be, al least, Of some service 10 the Insur
gent CAUSE. Ii needed no very keen psrcsptlo
10 discover this part oi the enemys programme
90 suou an by open hostill,ies their machinery va