The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1863-05-29
Resolutions.

Whereas, Within A state where the courts of
law are open and their process unmpeded, SOL
diers under the command of officers of the u
nited States army have broken into the residence
and forcibly abducted from his home the Hon.
Clement L. Vallandigham and
Whereas, A body of men styled military
commission have arraigned before them and
tried the said Hon. Clement l.. Vallandigharn,
a civilian and an eminent public man, for
words snoken in the discussion of public ques-
tions, before an assemblage of his fellowcitizens
and
Witreas, The said military commission have
sentenced him to punishment as yet unknown,
but which is to be announced in some militia
ry order to be promulgated hereafter; there
fore,
Resolre1, That we, the citizens Of the city OF
New York here assembled, denounoe the arrest
of Hon. C., l.. Vallandigham and his trial and
sentence by military commission as a startling
outrage upon the hitherto sacred rights Of A..
merican citizenship.
Resoiyed, That the exigGncies of civil w,,r
require the fullest and fre.st discussion of pub
lie questions by the American people, to the end
that their temporary public servants my not
forget that they are the creatures of tie pub
lie will and must respect the obligations and
duties imposed upon them by the Constitution
Of their country, which is the authentic, SOL
emn expression of that will; aud that whenev-
Ter, upon the orders Of military commanders and
from fear of their spies and inforuaers, Ameri-
can citizens not in the military service shall
fail to approve or disapprove measures of pub.
lilo policy, to denounce or applaud the com.
mAnder.in-chief, and to advocate peace or war,
as their judgments ms.y dictate, they have
| ceased to be freemen, aad have already become
slaves.
Resotrcd, That we reverently cherish that
great body of constitutions, laws, precedents,
and traditions which constitute us a free peo-
pie, and that we hold those who designedly and
persistently violate them ms public enemies.
Reso9ved, That we are devotedly attached to
the Union of the states, and can see nothing
but calamity ard weakness in its disruption,
and shall contrme to advocate whatever policy
we believe wilt result in the restoration of that
| Union.
Resolved, That at time when our fellov-cit-
liens are falling by thousands upon the battle
| fielu, and human carnage has become familiar,
we implore the federal authorities not to adopt
the fatal error that tho system Of Imprisonment
and terrorism will subjugate the minds and sti-
fie the voices of American people.
Reso'red, That we call upon the governor of
The State of New-York and all others in au-
thority, as they value organized society and sta
BILE institutions, to save us from the humiliation
and peril of the arrest and trial before military
commissions of citizens whose only crime shall
be the exercise of right, without which life is
intolcrable and republican citizenship false
name and false pretense.
Resoived, That the refusal of the judge OF the
district within which the Hon. G. l.. Vallandi-
CHAM is incarcerated to grant writ of habeas
corpus is, in itself, notification of the Con-
stitution ana an infamous outrage upon the
clearly defined rights Of the citizen.
| Rssolced, That we fully and heartily indorse
the language Of our nobSs and truly patriotic
re~<g1ce addressed Sc ths usecsias esssui bssd q.