The mountain Democrat., 1863-08-22

tutional and legal safeguards which pro
tect the rights of the citizen. 1t is q
power not inaPtly described in the Ian
guAge Of one Of your Secretaries. Said
Mr.. Seward to the British Minister in
Washington 81 can touch bell on my
right hand and order the arrest Of a citi-
zen Of Ohio; | can touch the bell again
ard order the Imprisonment Of a citizen
of New York, and no power on earth but
the President can release them. Can the
Queen of England in her domnions do as
much ?" This is the very language of a
perfect deSpotism, and we learn from you
with pTOfoUDh emotion that this j. Noidie
boast. 1t is despotism unlimited in
principle, because the same arbitrary and
unrestrained will or discretion which can
place men under illegal restraint or Danish
them can apply the rack or the thumb
screw, can put to torture or to DEATH
Not thus have the people of this country
hitherto understood their Constitution. -
No argument can commend to their judg-
mcnt such interpretations Of the great
charter Of their liberties. Quick as the
lightning'S flash, the intuitivc sense OF
freenen perceives the sophistry and re-
jects the conclusion.
Some other matters which your Excel
lency has presented demand our notice.
In justification of your course as to Mr..
Vallandigham, you have referred to the
arrest OF Judge Hall at New Orleans, by
order of General jackson; but that case
differs widely from the case Of Mr.. Nallan.
digham. New Orleans was then, as you
truly state, under martial or military
law" This was not so in Ohio, where Mr..
Nallandigham was arrested. The admin
istration Of the civil law had not been
disturbed in that commonwealth. The
courts were open, and justice was dispens-
ed with its accustomed promptitude. In
the case of Judge Hall, General jackson
in few days sent him outside the line Of
his encampments and set him at liberty /;
but you have undertaken to Danish Mr..
Vallandigham from his home. You seem
also to have forgotten that General Jack
son submitted implicitly to the judgment
Of the court which imposed the fine upon
him; that he promptly paid it; that he en-
Joined his friends to assent, "as he most
freely did, to the decision which had just
been pronounced against him."
More than this, you overlook the fact
that the then administration lin the Ian
guage Of a we'll known author,) mildly
but decidedly rebukcd the proceedings of
General Jackson" and that the President
viewed the subject with surprise and
soicitude." Unlike President Madison,
il, V,,itot, oil
4" prove the proceedings Of your subordi-
nate officer, and in addition justify your
course by carefully considered argument
in its SUPPORT
1t is rue that after some thirty years,
Congress, in consi icraton Of the devoted
and patriotic services Of General Jackson,
refunded the amount of the fine he had
paid But the long delay in doing this
proved how reluctant the american pco-
pie were to do anything which could be
considered as in any way approving the
disregard shown TO the majesty Of the law,
even by one who SO eminently enjoyed
their confidence and regard.
One subject more, and we shall con-
clude. You express your regret that our
meeting spoke las Democrats y and you
say that lin this time Of national peril
YOU would have preferred to meet us upon
IA level, one step higher than any party
platform" You thus compel Us to allude
to matters which we should have prefer.
rcd to pass by. But We can not omit tC
notice your criticism, as it casts at least al
implied reproach upon our motives ant
our proceedings. We beg to remind you
that when the hour Of our country's peri
had come, when it was evident that a mos
gigantic effort was to be made to subvert
our institutions and to overthrow the gov,
crnmcnt, when it was vitally important
that party feelings should be laid aside,
and that all should be called upon to unite
most cordially and vigorously to maintain
the Union; at the time You were sworn
into office as the President of the United
States, when you should have urged youl
ow-citiZcnS in the most emphatic man
ncr to overlook all the asst differences anC
to rally in defense Of their country and it!
institutions, when you should have en-
Joined respect for the Laws and the Con
stitution, so clearly disregarded by thu
South, you chose, for the first time under
like circumstances in the history of ou
country, to set up party platform, callcC
the Chicago PLATFORM as your creed
to advance it beyond the Constitution, an,
to speak di>paragingly Of that great con
Servativc tribunal OF our country, so high
ly respected by all thinking men wht
have inquired into our institutions
The SUPREME CouET OF TIE CNIrEI
STATES.
Your administration has been true t,
the principles you then laid down. Not
withstanding the fact that several hundre,
thousand Democrats in the loyal State
cheeriul!y responded to the call Of thci
country, filled the ranks Of its armies, an
by "thcir strong hands and willing arms
aided to maintain your cXccllency and til
officers Of government i'll the possession G
our national capital notwithstanding tn
fact that the great body Of the Democrat
of the country have in the most patriot
spirit given their best efforts, their treas
ure, their brothers, and their sons, to sus
tain tine government and put down.thc re
bellion, you, choosing to overlook all thi,
have made your appointments to civil o.
! flee from your cabinet officers and foreig
ministers down to the persons Of loves
official grade among the tens of thousand
engaged in collecting the revenues of tn
country, exclusively from your politics
associates.
Under such circumstances, virtual
prescribed by your administration, an
while most of the leading journals whic
supported it approved the sentence prC
nounced against Mr.. Va!landigham, it wa
our true course-our honest course,
meet as Democrats" that neither you
excelIency nor the country might mistak
our antecedents or our position.
In closing this communication we d.
Giro 70 rao(T;rrn our determination Snd u