Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1871-06-24
Death of Hon. G. L. vaIIandigham,

The telegraph ON Saturday morning last
announced the accidental shooting of Hon. .
G. L. Vallandigham by his own hands.
We present to our readers an obituary of !,
the deceased, and how the accident occur
red
"He was absent at Lebanon, defending
one McGehah, charged with the murder of
one Meyers, at Hamilton some weeks ago.
Governor McBurney, his associate counsel,
had expressed doubt rs to the possibility
of Meyers having shot himself in the way
described by Mr.. Vallandigham, when the
latter remarked :-'I will show you in half
a second"
He picked up the revolver, and, putting
| it in his right-hand pocket, drew it out far
enough only to keep the muzzle touching
his body, and snapped the hammer. The
weapon exploded, and sent its deadly mis-
sile into the abdomen, at a point almost
corresponding with that in which Meyers
was shot.
Mr.. Vallandigham Immediately exclaim-
ed that he had taken up the wrong pistol.
The flash and report were alarm enough |
for Mr.. McBurney, who Immediately sum-
moned assistance and despatched messen-
gers for physicians.
Two revolvers were on the table, one
loaded and the other unloaded. Unfortu-
| MI. SGlLSu thC lOi-
mer, and in his eagerness to impress his
idea upon the mind of his friend. cooked
and discharged the weapon. Mr.. Valan-
digham shot himself with his own pistol,
an improved Smith & Wesson, of thirty
two calibre.
''Mr. Valandigham was in his 10th year
at the time OF his death, having been born
in New Lisbon, Columbianna county,
Ohio, in 1922. lie received a liberal edu-
t;1,, nj Jofl o,,1
months in Maryland as teacher. In 1910
he began the study of law, and in 1912 he
was admitted to the bar in Ohio. He en-
tered public life in 1916, being elected q
member of the Ohio Legislature. From
) 1S47 to 1849 he edited Democratic jour-
nal at Dayton, and from that time until his
death he was n prominent, though rather
i, erratic leader of the democratic party.
From State politics he passed in 1856 to Il
! more extended field, being in that memora-
BILE year, when Buchanan was elected Pre-
!, sident, sert to Washington as q member of
the House of Representatives from his dis
: trict and he served on the Standing Com
y mittee on Territories during the Thirty
v fifth and Thirty sixth Congresses. He was
reelected to the Thirty-seventh Congress,
and became prominent as well as notorious
: because of his eager and bold defense of the
y rebels and utter defiance of the Govern
o ment of the United States. His utterances
@ were caught up by the Confederates as a
! sign of hope to them, which led Vallandig-
ham to further eXcesses. In 1868 he pass
l. ed the limits of prudence, and was arrested
e by order Of Generel Ambrose E. Burnside
v for sedtious utterances inside of the Union
= lines, by publicly expressing sympathy fol
." those in arms against the Government o.
3 the United States, and declaring disloya
W sentiments and opinions, with the object
,e and purpose of weakening the power of tho
10 government in its efforts to suppress an un
~ lawful rebellion. Mr.. Vallandigham was
D. tried by court-martial, General Il. b. Pot
re ter presiding, and sentenced to close con
q. iinement at Fort Warren during the con
,, tinuance of the war. This sentence wa
~ changed by President Lincoln to one o
D. transportation across the rebel lines, whicl
SC was executed by General Rosccrans. Th,
ne arrest was made in pursuance of an orde
~ from General Burnside, issued ON the 13tl
of April 1868, announcing that thereafte
at all persons found within the Union line
q who committed acts for the benefit of tn
st enemy should be tried as spies, and if con
- victed, suffer death. All persons who wer
~ in the habit of declaring sympathy for tn
ar enemy were to be arrested, tried, and,
We found guilty, sent beyond the lines into tn
o., lines of their friends. Nallandigham was
q however, determined to be martyr, and
-, therefore, insisted on the Confederates con
no sidering and treating him as prisoner c
war, he not perceiying the absurdity of tn
proposition. The arrest of Vallandighar
at caused great excitement among the Demo
~. Gratis, and numerous protests were fol
wardcd to President Lincoln, who in al
Oh swer to the Albany protest, thus define
Ito the position of the government.
"a ''Mr. Vallandigham avows his hostilit
of to the war on the part OF the Union, an
~ his arrest was made because he was labo
he ing, with some effect, to prevent the raj
las ing of troops, to encourage desertions frol
er- the army and TO leave the rebellion withol
,rn an adequate force to suppress it. He W;
- not arrested because he was damaging IL
eh political prospects Of the administration,
nc the personal interests of the commandir
IS. general, but because he was damaging Il
ire army, upon the existence and vgor
% which the life of the nation depends.
'" was warning upon the military, and til,
me gave the military constitutional iurisdi
raj tion to lay hands upon him. If Mr.. Va
nc landigham was not damaging the mlital
nor power of the country, then his arrest WI
made on mistake of fact, which / wou
his be glad to correct on reasonably satisiact
lch ry evidence. The case reunircs, and Il
ON law and the Constitution sanctions til
punishment. Must shoot simple min
ed soldier-boy who deserts, while l mu
otv not touch a hair of the willy agitator wi
~ induces him to desert This is none d
Dr' less injurious when effected by getting
on, ther, or brother, or friend, Into q pub
Law meeting, and there working upon his fe
ety ings till he is persuaded to write the S,
~ dier-boy that he is fighting in bad caus
On for q wicked administration of n contem,
nen ible government, too weak to arrest al
sui punish him If he shall desert think tn,
inc. in such q case, TO silence the agitator a
,a, save the boy is not only constitutional, bl
'ny withal, n great mercy,n
the A few months after his entrance into
this Confederate lines, he managed to make
Fri escape by running the blockade, and arr
ed safely Mt Bermuda. From thence
proceeded TO Canada, and remained th,
,io,, in discontented frame of mind until me-
''o" ly the close of the war, when he return
Ill To Ohio. During his absence he was no
en- mated for Governor of Ohio, but he was
ding ieated by an overwhelming majority for
49, opponent, John Trough. lie returned
'1N' 'n the autumn OF 1864, and was made d,
ely, gate TO the Chicago Convention. l
n,.a ri A. fnur Naa - IA. b..,,.,, 4