The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1867-05-24
A RetrOspect--The Arrest of Mr..
Vallandigham.

The Hamilton True Telegraph, of last
week, had an article on this indelibly-
branded infamous affair, which contained
several unintentional errors. The follow
ing signed Dayton" which, we infer, was
prepared in this city. corrects the errors,
and, in doing so, brings up, in vivid force,
but briefly, the leading features of that
great crime against all the vital principles
and rights of civil liberty in America. 1t
will not fail to commend itselfto the atten
ton of our readers:
"A RETRosPECr."-In your editorial uu-
der this title. in the last number of the
True Telegraph, are several errors worth
correction.
The arrest of Mr.. Vallandigham was not
upon order of Lincoln or Seward, or any
one of the Cabinet, probably; nor even
with their knowledge; but by Burnside
alone. at the instance of several persons
(well known) in Dayton and Cincinnati.
Lincoln endorsed and sustained the act,
and in his correspondence with the New
| York and Ohio committees, deliberately
lied about the reasons for the arrest, and the
charges against Mr.. Vallandigham.
| The arrest was not made because Mr.. V.
was the "chief" of any political organiza-
tion, as alleged. 1t was made solely for
party reasons, and founded upon an ordi-
nary speech made by him at Mt. Vernon,
| to a Democratic meeting, and made May b,
| 1863 whereas the Sons of Liberty" were
not organized till February, 1864, and even
the American Knights" had scarce sim
gle Council in Ohio, in the spring of 1868.
Mr.. V. never belonged to the "Order" till
February, 1854, and then only two or three
days before it was changed to the "Sons of
Liberty"
Mr.. Vallandigham was "Supreme Com
mander of the "SOns of Liberty" in 1864,
when he returned home, and no attempt to
arrest him was ventured upon. There are
those who know that it would not have
succeeded
Up to the time of Mr.. VS. arrest, scarce
the slightest spirit of actual resistance to
| arbitrary power, had been exhibited, anC
he could not have known and did MOI
know that the people were ready and will
ing to rise and resist the tyrants. The ar
, rest developed and called forth that spirit
and it ragged with fury, crushing every
thing before it, until Jefferson Davis eX
: traordinary invasion of Pennsylvania anC
J Ohio, reversed the popular current, anC
set the war party again upon its legs. L
was u. d." and not 3" A. L." who bea
Vallandigham, Woodward and the Demo
cratic party, In 1863; and their defeat fol
: lowed by the forcible overthrow of tn
Southern government, dragged down tin
" Farmer Republic" " to the ground. Hat
: they been successful in the elections tina
: year, the Confederacy would soon hav
been resolved again into "the Union as
was, under the Constitution as 1t was"
If any secret Democratic organization
, existed in Cincinnati, or any where in Ohio
I at that time, Mr.. Vallandigham was ignor
ant of it.
"Several members of the organization
could not have gotten access TO Mr.. ", am
l therefore could not have "notitied" an,
{ did not notify him for the plan of his re
lease. And besides, on the night suggeste'
for it he was not at the Burnet House, no
in Cincinnati, having been hastily removes
J by the cowardly and badly frightene
r Burnside to Newport Barracks, in Ken
lucky.
He did, day or two afterwards, learn q
= the proposed rescue "by oyerpowering til
guard, - &c, and disapproved of 1t becaus
: : Of its palpable impracticability, and tn
/ consequences of failure. But of another,
? bolder and surer project, of which he ,oOul
5 haze approved, he never learned til man
fl months afterwards. The aforesaid mod
he would have readily given, the NOV
j would have succeeded, and very probabl
Q the consequences you cnumerate, Nigh
a also have ensued. But the Sons of LibeI
ty, " not being in existence, could have ha
no part in the matter.
As Mr.. Vallandigham was not the ''chief
n nor even a member, in 1868, of any secrC
political organization, and as the Sons G
Liberty" organized solely to protect on
= own constitutional rights and liberties
{ were not in existence till nearly year al
!, terward, it is somewhat difficult to perceiy
how that organization could, in consequenc
> of its refusal to give that mod" becom
thenceforward dangerous only to tn
Milligans, Bowleses and Horseys VIII
lacked the rascally virtue of prudence
Your informant has made a most me
q ancholy confusion of dates and facts
: correct some OF them; but the time for
J J full history of the event has not yet arrived
DAYTON.