Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-06-17

coins letter upon this subject, of which the
telegraph gave meagre sketch -
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON,
June Is, 1868
Hon. ETaStuS Corning and others:
GENTLEMEN-You letter of Nav 10Th, in
closing the resolutions of public meeting
held at Albany, N. Y, on the sixteenth of the
same month, was received several days ago.
The resolutions, as | understand them, are
receivable into two propositions first, the ex-
preston OF purpose to sustain the cause of
the Union, to secure peace through victory,
ana to support the 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 proposi-
tions third is deduced, which is that the gen-
tlemen composing the meeting are resolved
on doing their part to maintain our common
government and country, despite the folly or
wlcketnesS, as they may conceive, of any adj
mlnlstraton This position is emnently pat.
rlouc. and as such thank the meeting and
congratulate the nation for it. My own pur-
pose is the same; SO that the meeting and
myself have a common object and can have
no difference, except in the choice of means
or measures for etfecting that object.
And here | ought to close this paper, and
would close it, if there were no apprehension
that more injurious consequences than any
merely personal to myself might follow the
censureS systematically cast upon me for do
ing what, in my view of duty, l could not for
bear. The resolutions promise to support me
in every constitutional and lawful measure to
it, eso Iie "''u nave MOI KNOW
o'' T'"Pio'HN ioi '""ii Nio" ilSiy eihPloy'
"'''0'' Dut '''e 'ie1'i"s' W '"eir lesolu-
siO"s' "'0eis ""u Argue tha' certain u''iltary
ileI''' anu P'VCceui"ss iol'o"liS 'leii' lor
Which, am ultimately Responsible are I'M
O""H'i'u''o''"l' tlihA tney are NOT. Inc
Lesolu!lohS quote from the constitution the
MINIMUM vi treasoh' anu also the hmltlng
i"'us anu guarantees therelh proFldeu
~ 10 '''c Ii'iIGH VI" tfl"ls ior treasoH' anu on
-n' rs "eiu " ""'"oi lol capHai OF oIner-
VS. lnlanious criileS' anu III criminal pros
IU'ious' HIS Iisii' 10 Il speedy ana pubhc trlal
W az niPaItial jury 1hey proceed TO re-
eoiNV V""t theSe safeguards OF the rights OF
tiie citizeh against the pretenslons OF arbitrary
power were liltehueu more e$pecaGfy Tor his
Plo'ecHon III tillieS Oh civil commotlon. AND,
"PP%ienNy u ueinons'rate Inc proposluoh' lhe
ie1"i .'ilE Pioc1eu Ahey were secured
0o''""'"J W 'i,e Hnslls'l people oytef years
"a Pioti "oteu civil war, anu were auopIeu IN
" Jul CUro'nu'iou o' t''e CLOSE Oh the heVolu-
tioh Wouiuno tHiS demonstration nave been
DEXTER II 1t couIu nave oeeh truly sald That these
o"'ea u"' uS "u oeeh "uopteu anu appi'eu o"T-
t"3 TIE civil wars ana @"'ang our heVolutlon,
llSteau u W'SF 'he oHe ana tle 0oSe OF inc
otiGi l. too, am ueFoteuly Ior them aver
CIVIL war, and before civil war, and at all
tl'i'eS, eAeePt Wmeh' Ill cases OF reoeliioh or
lu'aSion' the puoilc safety may require their
suspension. L he resolutions proceed To tell
Us that these safeguards have stood the test
u Ut Se'ehty-SlA years OF trla'' under our rePuD-
man ~ system uhuer circumstances which snow
tli"' "i'iie 'ey constitute Tue iouhdation Oh all
NC So'e!H"'ei's, tney are Tue elemenls OF
tH0 oiuuliuS stdpill'y Vi the repuollc' NO
o"o deiiiee t"at t"ey nave SO Stood the test up
" the oeeinhi'9 Oh Vhe present reDeihon, II
we except II certain occurrence at New Or~
teams; nor dOeS any one question that they
Will stahd the same test much longer after the
fepeliloh Closes Dut these provisions OI tue
constitution nave no application to the case
we. nave IN manu. because The arrests COM
Pidineu ol were not maze Ior treaSoh-that Is
not for the treason defined In the constitution,
ana upon conviction OF which the punishment
Is death-nor yet were they made to hold
persons to answer tor any capital or otherwise
INFAMOUS crimes nor were the proceedings
loilo"ihg, III any constitutional or legal sense
criminal prosecutions Inc arrests were
hi"ue on Iotaiiy uillereht GROUNDS, ana the
proceedings lollo"lhg accorded with the
GROUNDS ol the arrests. Let us consider the
rG'n case WIN "Ihcn we are deallng, and APP
ply u TO the parts OF the constitution plainly
maze lor Such cases.
Irlof 10 my installation mere 1t had been
lnculcated tilat any state mad lawful right to
secede from the national Union, and that 1t
would be eXpedlent to exercise the right when
ever the dev0tees of the doctrine should fail
to elect president to their own liking. l
was elected contrary to their liking; and, ac-
cOrdingly, 50 far as it was legally possible,
they had taken seven states out of the Union,
had seized many of the United States forts,
and bad fired upon the United States flag, all
fore had done any Official act whatever. The
rebellion thus began soon ran into the pres
ent civil war; and in certain respects, it be-
gan on very unequal terms between the par
ties. The insurgents had been preparing for
it more than thirty years, while the government
had taken no steps to resist them. The former
had carefully considered all the means which
could be turned to their account. 1t I'M
doubtcdy was ell-pondered reliance with
them that, in their own unrestricted efforts to
destroy Union, constitution, and law, all to-
gether, the government would, in great de-
gree, be restrained by the same constitution
and law from arresting their progress. Their
sympathizers pervaded all departments of the
government and nearly all communities of the
people. From this material, under cover of