The National tribune., 1908-06-11

the County exerted themselves to avoid
collision, but everywhere the tenn
perature was surcharged with cleo
| tricity, and an outbreak was possible
at any moment.
The Arrest of yaIlandlghnm.
Riding on the crest of this wave of
rebellion was Clement L. Vallandigham,
! a Representative from Ohio. and a
man of force and eloquence. who had
been hotly opposed to the war from
/ the start. In the first ebullition of pa
triotism, after the firing upon Fort
Sumter, he had become more measured
| in his antagonism to the Union cause,
| but as the Union arms met with re-
peated defeats and disappointments he
became holder and more unsparing in
his criticisms of the ''unhofy crusade
against the constitutional rights of our
Southern brethren" He was regarded
by the anti-war men of all shades of
political complexion AS their ablest man
and leader Tho the more moderate
disclaimed any sympathy with his in
fiammatOry Trades, yet he represented
them more fully than any other man
| in public life, and they followed his
lead.
In the earlier part of the war the
| President and his subordnates had
| carefully avoided anything that looked
| like a violation of the freedom of
speech or of the press. The habeas
| corpus act was suspended. and the
President was bitterly attacked for this
by Vallandigham and his ilk. but little
| advantage was taken of this further
than TO arrest deserters. spies and 9TH
ers of whose criminality there could
be no doubt. As the war feeling grew
| more intense the heart of Congress
hardened. and March 3. 1863, that body
conveyed its wishes to the President TO
act more sternly in REFRESHING disloyal
| uttcrances and acts by passing an in
! demnity act indorsing all that the Pres
ident had hitherto done under the sus-
pension of the habeas corpus, clothing
l him with unusual powers i'm providing
4 for the National safety, and holding
him and his subordinates blameless for
any acts committed under these pow
/ ers. Acting upon this, and feeling that
4 the needs Of the country demanded IT,
i the President became much more re-
| pressiye than had been dreamed pos
sible at the beginning of the war. While
4 Mr.. Valiandigham was still a member
] of the House of Representatives he had
! the audacity to offer a set of resolu-
tons looking TO the recognition of the
/ Southern Confederacy. For this he was
not molested, altho there were numer-
4 Gus petitions and urgings from all
sources that he be expelled. He was
! defeated for reelection by Gen. Robert
| {. Schenck. then an officer i'm the Army.
4 Vallandighe.m claimed that his defeat
was due 10 the unlawful interference in
| the election of President Lincoln and
| his uniformed minions." and became
more Incorporate in his utterances
than ever. The misfortunes of the
| Union army furnished him with album
dant material with which to denounce
the incompetcncy of the Administra-
| ton, the senselessness and criminality
of further prosecution of the war
and the hopelessness of any successful
issue. The loyal people of the country,
\ whose sons were at the front fighting
for the Union. were naturally hotIy in
censed against the demagog, and de-
manded that something should be done
to stop his mouth. Gen. Burnside, who