The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-06-18
Return of VaIlandigham.
His Appearance at Hamilton
Butler County.
He is q Delegate to the Chicago
Convention.
His Speech at Hamilton.
He Takes the Oars for Dayton.

He Takes the Oars for Dayton.
From the Cincinnati Commercial, Administration.
HAMILTON, OHIO, June is.
The Democratic District Convention, to
elect delegates to the Chicago Convention,
met here to day. There was pretty full
attendance. 1t was circulated about that
Vallandigham would be here, but nobody
credited it. The Convention was in session
and Chris. Hughes and Vallandighsm had
been elected, with alternates, when sud-
denly vallandigham appeared and was es
corted to the platform. Men rubbed their
ewes to be assured they were not dreaming
and then broke out into one universal yell,
indefinitely prolonged. There he was in
deed. and in truth. with the old sardonic
grin and the glistening teeth, but fatter and
6eartisr. than ever, aud looking as though
martyrdom agreed with him. When silence
had been restored, he drew from his pocket
written speech, which he proceeded to
read. 1t is as follows:
vLLANDIGHAM's SPEECH.
MEN OF OHIO TO day am again in
your midst and upon the soil of my native
district which, for ten years, extended to
me the highest confidence and three times
honored me me as its Representative in the
Congress of the United States. was &C.
cused of no crime against the Constitution
or laws, and was guilty of none. But
whenever and wherever thus charged, upon
due process of law, 1 am now here ready to
answer before any civil court of competent
jurisdiction, to jury Of my countrymen,
and meantime to give bail in any sum which
any Judge or court, State or Federal, may
affx and you, the hundred and eighty six
thousand Democrats of Ohio, offer as my
sureties. Never for one hour have | re-
NAMED in exile, because I recognized any
obligation of obedience to the unconstitu
tional and arbitrary edict. Neither did
personal fear restrain me and to day re
turn of my own act and pleasure because
it is my constitutional and legal right to
return.
Only BY an exertion of military power it.
self, against Constitution aud law, and con.
summated by military force, was abduct-
ed from my home and forced into Danish
msnt. The assertion of the President that
was arrested "because laboring with
some effect to prevent the raising of troops
and to encourage desertion from tho army"
and was responsible for numerous other acts
of resistance to the draft and to the arrest
of deserters, causing ASSASSINATION, maim>
ing and MURDER" or that at any time, in
any way I had disobeyed or failed to coun>
sci obedience to lawful authority, or even
to tho semblanc CO of law, is absolutely false.
l appeal to the proof, to every speech I ever
made upon those questions and to the very
record Of the mock military commission, by
the trial and sentence of which, was out.
ragged. No, the sole offence then laid to
my charge was words of criticism of the
public policy of the Administration, adj
dressed to an open and public political
meeting of my fellow citizens of Ohio, law
fully and peaceably assembled. And to.
day my only "crime' is that in the way
which they cali treason, worship the Con,
stitution of my fathers. But for new more
than one year no public man has been ar
rested and no newspaper suppressed within
the States adhering still to the Union, for
the expression of political opinion; while
hundreds in public assembly and through
the press, have with license and violence
in which never INDUCED, criticized and
condemned the acts and policies of the ADJ
ministration, and denounced the war, main
tanning even the proprety and necessity of
the recognition of Southern Independence.
Endorsed by nearly 2O0,0 OO freemen of the
Democratic party of my native State at the
late election, and still with the sympathy
and support of millions more, do not mean
any longer to be the only man in that party
who is to be the victim of arbitrary power.
If Abraham Lincoln seeks my life, let him
so declare; but he shall not again deprive
me Of my personal liberty, except upon
due process OF law" The demonstration
al and monstrous "Order 80" under which
alone was arrested thirteen months ago,
was defed and spit upon at your State Con
vention of 1863 by the gallant gentleman
who bore the standard as your candidate
for Lieutenant Governor, and by every
Democratic press and public speaker ever
since. 1t is dead From the first it was
against the Constitution and laws and with
out validity, and all proceedings under it
were and are utterly null and void and oil
no effect. The indignant voice of condemns
nation long since went forth FROM the vast
majority of the people and presses of Amer.
lea, and from all free countries in Europe
with entire unanimity; and more recently, |
too, the platform of an earnest, unanimous
aud most formidable convention of the sin.
cere Republicans. .-
Still further, the emphatic letter of ac-
ceptance by the candidate of the Convention |
Gen. John C. Fremont, the first candidate
also, of the Republican party for the Preesi
dency eight years ago, upon the rallyine
CRY Of Free Speech and Free Press, give
hope that At least the reign Of ar