The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1863-07-02
EBENSBURG, PA, THURSDAY, July 2, 1863
Lincoln ON Arbitrary
Arrests.

Arrests.
The President of the United States, In
answer to memorial of the meeting held
at Albany on the 10th, to protest against
! the seizure and confinement of Mr.. Val
! landighan, has addressed the following
remarkable letter to Hon. Erastus Corning
and other representatives of the meeting.
The resolutions of this meeting declare
that they are determined, in despite of
adverse and disheartening circumstances,
| to devote every energy to sustain the cause
of the Union, and to secure peace through
victory, but demand that the AdmiIistra-
! ton shall be true to the Constitution, and
everywhere outside Of the lines of neces-
sary military occupation, exert all its
| powers to maintain the supremacy of civil
over military law. The Presidents reply,
| characterized BY his well-known sincerity,
answers the question Of the necessity,
constitutionality, and patriotism of his
acts /:
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WAsHINGToY, June II, 1868
Hon. Erosfus Corning end others:
GENTLEMEN: Your letter of May 10,
enclosing the resolutions of public meet
ing held in Albany, New York, on the
18th of the same month"; was received
several days ago.
The resolutions, as / understand them,
are receivable into two propositions, first,
the expression of purpose to sustain the
cause OF the Union, to secure peace thro'
victory, and to support the administration
In every constitutional and lawful measure
70 fbar haIt NJ
declaration of cen sure upon the Admins
tration for supposed military arrests. And,
from the two propositions, a third is de-
duced, which is, that the gentlemen COM
posing the meeting are resolved on doing
their part to maintain our common Gov
crnment and country, despite the folly or
wick edness, as they may conceive, Of my
4 administration. This position is eminent
ly patriotic, and as such, l thank the
meeting, and congratulate the nation for
it. My own purpose 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
efecting that object.
And here I ought to close this paper,
and would close it, if there were 10 appre-
hension that more injurious consequences
than any merely personal to myself might
follow the censures systematically cast
upon me for doing what, in iny view of
duty, | could not forbear. The resolutions
promise to support me in every constitu-
tional and lawful measure to suppress the
rebellion; and | have not knowingly en-
ployed, nor shall knowingly employ, other
But the meeting, by their resolutions,
assert and argue that certain military
arrests, and proceedings following them,
for which [ am ultimately responsible, are
unconstitutional. I think they are not.
The resolutions quote from the Constitu-
ton the definition Of treason, and also the
limiting safeguards and guarantees therein
provided for the citizen on trial for trea-
son, and on his being held to answer for
capital aud otherwise infamous crimes, and
in criminal prosecutions, his right to
speedy ard public trial by an impartial
jury. They proceed to resolve "that these
safeguards OF the rights Of the citizens
against the pretensions Of military power
were intended more especially for his pro-
lection in times Of civil connection" And
apparently to demonstrate the proposition,
the resolutions proceed: "They were Sc
CuI6u eupotdH'idii ~ W oho '1dSiieh pSoPiC
after years of protracted civil war, and
we're adopted into our Constitution at the
close of the Revolution" Would not the
demonstration have been better if it could
have been truly said that these safeguards
had been adopted and applied during the
civil wars and during our Revolution, In
stead of after the one, and at the close of
the other? I, too, am devotedly for them
after civil war, and at all times, "except
when, in cases of rebellion and invasion,
the public safety may require" their sus
pension. The resolutions proceed to tell
us that these safeguards shave stood the
test of seventy-six years of trial under our
republican system, under circumstances
which show that while they constitute the
foundation of all free governments, they
are the elements of the enduring stability
of the Republic" No one denies that
they have SO stood the test up to the be-
ginning of the present rebellion, if we
except certain occurrence at New Or
leans nor docs any one question that they
will stand the same test much longer after
the rebellion closes. But these provisions
of the Constitution have no application to
tho casa wa have in hand because the