Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1863-07-02

damaging the political prospects Of
the administration, or the personal
interests of the commanding General,
but because he was damaging the ar.
my upon the existence and vigor OF
which the life of the nation depends
He was warning upon the military
and this gave the military constitu.
tional jurisdiction to lay hands upon
him. II Mr.. Vallandigham was not
damaging the military power Of the
country, then his arrest was made on
mistake Of fact, which l would he glad
to correct on reasonable satisfac tory
evidence.
/ understand the meeting whose
resolutions l am considering, to be in
favor Of suppressing the rebellion by
military force-by armies. Long ex-
perience has shown that armies can.
not be maintained unless desertion
shall be punished by the severe penal
ty Of death. The case requires, and
the law and the constitution sanction
this punishment. Must shoot sim.
ple.minded soldier boy who deserts,
while must not touch hair of q wi
ly agitator who induces him to desert ?
This is none the less injurious when
effected by getting father, q broth
err, or friend into public meeting, and
there working upon his feelings till
he is persuaded to write the soldierboy
that he is fighting in q Dad cause, for
a wicked administration Of q con-
temptible government, too weak to
arrest and punish him if he shall dc.
sert. think that in such case, to
silence the agitstor and save the boy
is not only constitutional, but withal y
great mercy.
In giving the resolutions the earn.
est consideration which you request
of me, l cannot overlook tie fact that
the meeting speaks as democrats.
Nor can /, with full respect for their
known Intelligence, and tho fairly
presumed deliberation with which
they prepare their resolutions, be per-
mitted to suppose that this occurred
by accident, or in any way other than
that they preferred to designate them
selves democrats rather than
{" American citizens" In this time of
national peril l would have preferred
to meet you upon q level one step
higher than any party platform be.
cause / am sure that. from such ele-
waited position, we could do better bat.
tic for the country we all love than we
possibly can from those lower ones
where, from the force of habit, the
prejudices Of the past, and selfish
hopes Of the future, we arc sure to ex-
pend much Of our ingenuity and
strength in finding fault with, and
aiming blows at each other. But
since you have denied me this, will
yet be thankful for the country's sake,
that not democrat has done SO. He
on whose discretionary judgment
Vallandigham was arrested and tried
is democrat, having no old party
affinity with me and the Judge who
rejected the constitutional view ex.
pressed in these resolutions, by refu.
sing to discharge Mr.. Vallandigham
on habeas corpus, is democrat Of
better days than these, having receiv-
ed his judicial mantle at the hands of
President jackson"
After reviewing the suspension Of
the habeas corpus by General jackson,
the President saws:
"And yet, in my own discretion, i
do not know whether I would have
ordered the arrest of Vallandigham.
While cannot shift the responsibility
from myself, hold that, as q general
rule, the commander in the field is the
better judge of the necessity in any
particular case. OF course must
practice general directory and revi-
sorry power in the matter. One of the
resolutions expresses the opinion of
the meeting that arbitrary arrests
will have the effect to divide and dis
tract those who should be united in
suppressing the rebellion, and I am
specifically called on to discharge Mr.. |
Vallandigham. regard this act as
at least u fair appeal to me on the ex.
pediency Of exercising constitution
al power which / think exists. In re-
Spouse to such appeal l have to say
that it gave me great pain when /
learned that Mr.. Vallandigham had
been arrested-that is, | was panied
that there should have seemed to be
a necessity for arresting him-and
that it will afford me great pleasure
to discharge him SO soon as can by
any means believe the public safety
will not suffer by it. A. LINCOLN"