The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1863-07-03
Arbitrary Arrests.
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT.
Reply to the Protest of Albany Dem
~ 0CratS.


On the 18th ultimo. Erastus Corning
president Of the meeting of"peace . demo
Gratis held in the city Of Albany to remon
strate against the arrest of Clement L. Val
landigham. forwarded to the President a
copy of the resolutions censuring the action
Of the government. Mr.. Lincoln replied az
follows:
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WAsHrNGroN. June 12. 1868.
Hon. Erast&s Corning and others:
Gentlemen Your letter of May 10, ia
closing the resolutions Of q public meeting
held at Albany, N. Y, on the 10th of the
Same month, was received several days
ago.
The resolutions, a. I understand them,
are resolvable into two propositions-frst.
the expression Of purpose to sustain the
cause Of the Union, to secure peace through
victory. and to support the Administration
in every constitutional and lawful measure
to suppress the rebellion and secondly,
declaration of censure upon the Admins
trstion for supposed stitutioual action
such as the making Of military arrests
And from the two propositions a third is
decduced. which is. that the gentlemen com
posing the meeting are resolved on doing
their part TO maintain our common govern
msnt aud country, despite the folly or wick.
edness. as they may conceive, Of any ad-
ministratiou. This position is cminently
patriotic. aud. IS such, thank the meeting
and congratulate the nation for it. My own
purpose is the same 30 that the meeting
and myself have common object, and can
have no difference, except in the choice Of
means or measures for effecting that OBJ
ject. sef
Aud here ought to close this paper. and
would close it. if there we're no apprehen-
sion that more injurious consequences than
any merely personal to myself might follow
she censures. systematically cast upon me
for doing what. In my view Of duty, could
not fogbear, ~ The resolutions promise TO
support me 10 every constitutional and law
full measure to suppress the rebellion; aud
l have not knowingly employed, nor shall |
knowingly employ, any other. But the
meeting. by their resolutions, assert and ar !
que that certain military arrests. and pro.
ceedings following them. for which am
ultimately responsible, are uncon stitutional. /
think thoy are not. The resolutions quote
from the constitution the definition of trea.
sou, and also the limiting safeguards and
guarantees therein provided for the citizen
on trials for treason. aud on his being held
TO answer for capital or otherwise Infamous
crimes. and. 10 criminal prosecutions. his .
right to speedy and public trial by au i'm.
partial jury. They proceed to resolve Z" that
these safeguards Of the rights Of the citizen
against the professions of srbitrary power
were intended more especially for his pro-
lection, in times OF civil commot tion. And
apparently to demonstrate the proposition,
the resolutions proceed: They were Sc
cured substantially to the English people
after years OF protracted civil war. and
were adopted into our constitution at the
close Of the revolution" Would not the
demonstration have been better il it could
have been truly said that these ssfeg guards
had been adopted and applied during the
civil wars aud dHring our rev svolution, instead
Of dEl2S ea,s and at the eiose of tho other I?
I. too, am devotsdly for them aJeer civil
war. and dstore civil war. and at all times,
"excep& when. in cases Of rebeliod or in
vastcu. the public safety my require " their
suspension The resolutions proceed to tell
us that the safeguards have stood the test
OF ssven1y six years Of trial. under our re-
/ >..eaa system, under circumstances which
show that while they constitute the founda-
fion ot ell free government, they are the ei
'n"r's cf the enduring stability of the re-
l-o..~.N No one denies that they have so
stood the test up to the beginning of the
present rebellion. 1t We except a certain o.
currence at New Orleans; nor does anv
one question that they will stand the same
test much longer after the rebellion closes
But these provisions Of the constitution have
no application to the case We have in hand.
because the arrests complained Of were no.
made for treAsou-that is, not for TIE treason
defined in the constitution. and upon the
conviction Of which the punishment Is death
nor yet were they made to hold persons
to answer for any capital or otherwise in
famous crimes; nor were the proceedings
following. In any constitv6oosl o. legal
sense. 4" criminal prosecutions" The arrest.
lEE zEsa1i9