Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1863-05-27
The Case of c. L. Vallandigham.

is u pOlnV Deyonn Wnlch "torbearance
ceases to be virtue?"
The Case of G.. L. Vallandigham.
If The Administration permits this man,
V~allandigham, to be conveyed to Fort
Warren and imprisoned there, for o long
or short term, under the author ity Of the
military court by whom he was tried, con
victed and sentenced, they will be guilty
of a wrong against the personal freedom of
every citizen, which can never be forgiven
TO them or their descendants. They will
by tacitly, or otherwise, permitting that
military court to carry out its sentence.
against a citizen not amenable to their
jurisdiction, and guilty ofno crime against
the law-have committed a crime against
liberty that no citizen, worthy of the name,
can overlook, al d which must, sooner or
later, involve them all in irretrievable
ruin.
What ! are we, American citizens, to be
seized at The pleasure of every military
district despot-seized in defiance of the
fundamental and statute laws-seized at
the hour of midnight, by armed men,
carried before an armed military Aourt,
constituted in defiance OF the civil law,
tried and convicted of imaginary offenses,
and sentenced to imprisonment exile or
death
Is this to be so, and no voice raised a.
gainst it?
Forbid it Heaven! Forbid il men Of
America, il ye yet are men!
What cravens must we be what COW.
ards, dastards, to witness so gross an in,
] (,aaN,o, - a., 1,Ln,,;o, ,,,Il..1 .a..,,u
our voices in earnest and solemn protest
against tho actf
An act which, if patiently tolerated,
consigns US to an eternity of infany
which none could earn who were not cree
ated to be slaves.
Think of it, fellow>citizens, look at the
enormity of the act
A citizen ofOhio. one who stood, like
Saul, o head and shoulders taller than his
fellows, one who had been honored by his
fellow citizens, and occupied a place in
the National Government only lower than
the President himself, is seized by a mere
military oficer-a man of little or no
significance and consigned to q military
prison for an indefinite term, when the
record of the court shows that he had
been guilty Of no offence known to the
civil law.
That ancient philosopher and law. giver
was wise, indeed, when he said that was
the best form Of government, where an
injustice committed against the msanest
citizen vas considered IN Injury to the
whole people.
What are we then, whohave been edu-
Gated in the law Of liberty-what are we,
whose instincts should, at least, be all OF
freedom, if we iorbear to express our dis
3 appreciation os this military ~usurpation,
ana hold the civil administration Of the
country responsible for its actual fulfil
ment?
A fellow citizen of the United States
has been wrongfully seized, tried, convict
ed aud sentenced by amilitaiy court, hav.
ing no legal jurisdiction of the case, and,
/, we are told by telegraph, is now 90 his
way TO Fort Warren, 10 suffer the i'm
prisonment to which he was sentenced.
Fellow citizens of PENNSYLVANIA, mark
| what we say, and mark it well-if this
, thing is e~ndured-if this gross outrageu up
, on civil liberty is permitted, without your
solemn protest and earnest remonstrance
you nor we are longer fit TO call ourselves
B citizens OF q free Countrywide. d Union.
4, WASHINGTON RUNoRs AND SPEcULATIoNs
The Washington correspondent of the
Philadelphia Ledger writes
a | learn that the President has accepted
an offer OF Gov. Curtin TO raise a force oil
$4,000 men for the defense of Washington
: in the event of its present seasoned de
g tenders joining Hooker in the next on,
4 ward to Richmond move of The al my. Al
o. present, however, there are very few indi
cations OF a movement for at least two
: months to come.
: That the late reports with reference tc
0 the restoration of Mcclellan to the army
a had some foundation in fact is we'll know
, but the project is believed now to hayc
! bees abandoned. Gen. Hooker will
therefore, again cad the army in its mex,
: attack, and this time efforts will be mad,
/. doubly sure.
There is positively no truth in the re
vengeful rumoar of a split in the Cabinet
and the probable resignation OF some ol
its members on the contrary, appearan'
: ces indicate that Mr.. Lincoln will retair
all bis adviser about him until the clos,
ofhis official term.