The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-06-19
PRESS,
PORTLAND
MONDAY, JUNE 10, 1871.
Death OfNIr. VaIlandighaln.

Death OfMr. ValIand1 gham.
The announcement of the singular accident |
Ia Mr.. Vallandigham Friday evening at Leb-
aron, GA is followed by his death which oc-
Cured i. 3.45 Saturday morning. The cir
eumstances of the accident are well known
Mr. ValIandigham was one of the counsel Tor
Mcclellan, on trial for the murder OF Myers.Mr. |
Valaudigham was proposing the theory that |
Myers had shot himself, TO which his assoc-
ale, ex-Leut Gov. Burney, expressed some
doubt of its possibility. Mr.. Vallandigham in
his eagerness to show its practicabiity seized
one of two pistols on the table and inserted il
into his right pocket and in the act of with
drawing it with the muzzle toward his body
il was discharged, and it is said at nearly the
same point where Myers was shot. The mo-
ment of the discharge, he exclaimed that he
had made mistake, taking the loaded for the
unloaded weapon.
Mr. Vallandigham gets his name from
Huguenot family and was born in New Lis
bon, Columbia county, Ohio, in 1922. Upon
leaving college he was principal of an acade-
my in Maryland two years. He returned to
Ohio in 1910, studied law and was admitted
to the bar in 1912. He first appeared in poll
tics in 1915 as a member of the Ohio Legisla-
ture. He was next editor of Democratic
paper at Dayton two years, but in 1S49 he re-
turned to his profession and continued to give
his attention to that and politics until 1856,
when he ran against L. D. Campbell for the
35th Congress and was admitted on contest
u. no al ~.
36th and 37th Congresses, but was defeated in
1852 by Gen. Schenck. His course in Congress
Is TOO conspicuous and too fresh in the minds
OF every intelligent person in the country to
require recital here. 1t is enough to say
that he stood in the foremost rank of the OBJ
siractionists to the war policy on the floor Of
Congress, and the most violent and bold Of its
enemies in the North. 90 .He.
He next appeared as candidate before the
people for Governor of Ohio. In his speeches
while seeking the nomination he gave utter
ance to sentiments so seditious and treasona-
BILE that he could not be tolerated without in
curing the danger of local instructions and
armed resistance to the draft. He was ac-
cordingly arrested on the 5th of May, 1868,
and tried before a military court and sentenc-
ed to imprisonment until the end of the war.
President Lincoln changed the sentence to
removal beyond the Federal lines, which was
carried into effect and he was put across the
lines at Murfreesboro', Tenn, May oath. He
made his way to Canada and remained until
after the Ohio election, where the people en-
dorsed his punishment by defeating him for
Governor by majority of over 100000. He
then returned home and was unmolested.
He next appeared in the Convention that
nominated Gen. Mcclellan, as violently CD.
posed to the war measures of the administra-
ton as ever. Since the war there have been
frequent indications that he proposed to
change his tactics by taking the lead of the
progressive democracy. In 1858 he had power
enough in the Democratic National Co,iven.
ton to defeat Mr.. Pendleton and secure the
success of Seymour, though it was his
plan to place Judge Chase in nomination.
His course the past two years rendered the
"new DEPARTURE announced by him, no sur
prise.
Mr.. Vallandigham was man of I'M
doubted ability, impsiuous In his action, posi-
Tive in his positions, but not logical or orig
inal thinker. He aimed to lead the Demo
cratic party and was never content to follow.
Impartial history will consign him a place
with those Northern politicians, who, had
they represented Southern States, would have
Withdrawn from Congress when their States
seeded and become the compatriots of Davis
TOombs and Breckenridge.