The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1863-07-24

I
oris intended. was wholly unaware
that Mr.. Vallandigham was, at the
time of his arrest, candidate for the
Democratic nomination for Governor,
until so informed by your reading to
me the resolutions of the Convention.
/ aIn grateful to the State of Ohio for
many things, especially for the brave
soldiers and officers she has given in
j the present national trial to the armies
of the Unor.
You claim, rs I understand, that
according to my own position in the
Albany response, Mr. Valandigham
ishould be released; and this because,
% you claim, he has not damaged the
military service by discouraeinp Gu
'listmon,e, encouraging dnsertions. or
otherwise and that he had, he sho'd
have been turned over to the civil
authorities, under recent acts of Con
gress, l certainly do not know that
Mr.. Vallandigham has specially and
by direct language advised against
enlistments, and in favor of desertion
and resistance to drafting.
We all know that combinations,
armed in some instances, to resist the
,grrest Of deserters, began several
months ago; that more recently the
like has appeared in resistance to the
enrolment preparatory to draft
and that quite number of assassna-
tions have occurred from the same
! anip,us. These had to he met by mil
iatry force, and this again has led to
hloodshcd and death. And now, un-
der sense of responsibility more
weighty and enduring than any which
is merely official, / solemnly declare
my belief lat this hindrancc of the
military, inclIdng manning and mur-
dor, 10 due to the course in which Mr.
Vallmdioham has been engaged in n
greater degree than to any other cause;
and is due to him personally in a
greater degree than to any other one
man. These things have been noto-
rious, known to all and OF course
known to Mr.. Val!andigham. Per-
haps | would not be wrong 10 say
they originated with his especial
friends and adhercnts. With perfect
knowledge Of them, he has frequently,
ifnot constantly, made speeches in
Congress and before popular assem-
bliCs: and if it can be shown that with
these things staring him in the face,
he has ever uttered n word of rehuke
, or counsel against them, it will he z
fact greatly to his favor with me, and
one which, rs yet, l am totally i2no-
rant. When II i known that tho
, whole burden of his speeches has
, been to stir up men against the pros,
ccYiion Of tie war, and that in the
, midst of resistance 10 Il, he has not
3 lcen known in any instance, to coun.
, sal against such resistance, it is next
3 to impossible to repel the inference
/ that he has counseled directly in favor
. of It,
2 With all this before their eyes, the
$ Convention you represent h-ve nomi
l mated Mr. Nallandigham for Governor
e of Ohio; q d both they and YOU have
t declared the purpose to sustain tht
5 National Union by all CONSTITUTIONS
@ means. But of course they and you
g in common, reserve to yourselves tC
g decide what are Constitutional means
: and unlike the Albany meeting, yo,
omit 20 state or intimate that in you
= ol inion On army is a Constitutions
e means of saving the Union against
II rebellion, or even TO intimate that yo
= are conscious Of an existing rebellion
Q being in progress with the avowed oil
y ject Of destroying that very Union.-
/ At the same time Your nominee 70
9 Governor, in whose behalfyou appeal
:, is known to you and the world to de
II clare against the use of an army t
V suppress the rebellion. Your own at
y titude, therefore, encourages desert
+ ion, resistance to the draft, and tn
i like, because it teaches those WHO in
7 cline to desert and to escape the drai
). to believe it 10 your purpose to pro
Y tect them, and 10 hope that you vii
n become strong enough to do So Al
o ter short personal intercourse wit
! you, gentlemen of the Committee,
e cannot say I think you desire this ef
]. feet to follow our attitude, but as
If sure You that both friends and enc
Is mies OF the Union look upon it in thi
J. Hight. 1t is q substantial hope, ant
= by consequence, real strength to th
L enemy. 1t is false hope, and on
is which YOU would willingly dispel.
II viii make the way exceedingly easy
L l send you duplicates Of this letter i
order that you, or majority, may,
L you choose, indorse your names upo
Of one OF them, and return it thus in
IN dorsed to me, with the understanding
A. that those signing are thereby com
Of mitted to the following propositions
10 and to nothing else:
l. That there is nov rebellion /
II the United States, the object and ten
Sc dency Of which is to destroy the M
G. tonal Union; and that in y,ur opil
y ion an army and navy are Constitr
H. H. tional means for orsuppressing that rC
Is billion.
.. That>>4o one of you will d
|, anything which, in his own judgmen
10 will tend to hinder the increase, or Fl
= yor the decrease, or lessen the clllt
n iency of the army or navy, while eI
4 gagged in the effort to suppress thu
y rebellion; and,
nd 3. That each of you will, in h
en- sphere, do all he can to have the o
-. lGcorc cnlliarS and caannn,, of tho a