Year: 1864

1864.


of law to reach the right. It is for thi


that laws are made and courts created


to correct the acts of wrong-doers, and t,


redress the wrongs they do. And as al


example in the future, these #rong-doeri


must be punished, no matter how much


time it may take. 1 have told you thai
you must not in the slightest degree at-
tempt to resist the law, void as it is, No
man las made the proposition of 7eSist-
anoehere, but it has been made elsewhere
and meetings have been held upon the
subject.


In the month of July, 1851, at the
first session Of the Congress called by
Mr.. Lincoln in consequence of the Insur-
rection, they passed An act to define and
punish certain conspiracies.' Until some
recent indictments were preferred in the
circuit court of the United States for
Southern Ohio, as a substitute for some
indictments for treason where no treason
could exist, very few people knew that
this law existed. The authors of the
law had the Insurection in their mind,
aud it was made as intense as possible,
and contains more than would have been
agreed to at any other time, This Act
is very short, and I viii read it to you
thus:


CHAP. xXXIH-AR Act to detsne ai,a punish certain
CJ'5spjTacts8.


Be It enacted By the Senate and House of
Representatives. Of the United States Of Ameyica
IN Congress assembled, That if two or more
persons within any State or Territory of the
United States shall conspire together to over
throw, or to put down, or to destroy by force
the Government of the United States, or to
levy war against the United States, or to op-
pose by force the authority of the Govern
ment of the United States; or by force to
prevent hinder, or delay the execution Of
any law of the United States; or by force to
| seize, take, or possess any property of the
United States against the will or contrary to
the authority Of the United States; or by
force, or intimidation, or threat to prevent
| any person from accepting or holding any Of
! fee, or trust, or place Of confidence, under
the United States; each and every. person so
offending shall be guilty of a high crime, and
upon conviction thereof in any district or cir
cult court Of the United States, having iuris-
uicton thereof, or district or supreme court
of anv Territory OF the [ nited States having
jurisdiction thereof, shall be punished by a
liue not less than five hundred dollars and
not more than five thousand dollars; or by
imprisonment, with or without hard labor, as
the court shall determine, for a period not
less than six months nor greater than six
years, or by both such fine and Imprisonment.


On the 5tH Of November, 1864, in
voting for Electors Of President Of the
United States, yod will have it ia your
power to rescue tho Government and
bring it back to its true career. In tka
meantime, talk With one. another, consider
and resolve; if the question is not deci
ded then, no man can tell what the issue
will be. You are told by a person Of
learning and ability in this District, that
there can be only two sides in this con
test-to be for or against the country
That is an artful proposition, but do not
be misled. All sides claim to be for the
country, which it IS every mans duty to
be; but opposition to men who rule with
arbitrary violence, and who persevere in
the assumption Of unlawful power, is a
higher duty still. He who obeys the
laws always, and upholds the laws every
where-the lawful power-he only is the
true man. The usurper may be tolera-
ted while he has the ascendant power,
but the people, if they are true to them
selves, will punish every man who has
used unIaBf1l power. But that is fur
ther along, You must first get the pow
er of punishing: the people must right
themsolyos-they must put By the abuse
that is yet to be done. You must elect a
new President Of the United States
Under Mr.. Lincoln, you cannot hope for
any change of purpose now, He has SO
widely changed from his first profession,
that you can hope for no return, and il
he did return you could not trust Eilu
He has now proclaimed to You, that
measures otherwise unconstitutional be-
come lawful if he thinks them necessary.
That Slavery must be abandoned as the
sire qpa aob Of peace No matter il
the rebels lay down their arms-ccase
utterly to fght-oboy all the laws and
render themselves obedient and good cit.
izens, that will not suffice. Slavery must
be abandOn5dE Ifthey will not agree tc
that, the war must go on, and on; and
the men of these States, under the power
of conscript tion, driven to maintain it,
That is th5 issue you are to try ia the
next ninety days.


Now in this state Of affairs we some
times hear contests among the people
about Peace Party and War Party. We
are in the midst of war now. 1t must
end some day. If we do not agree on
some mode Of ending the war, it will end
itself, by the people wearing out each
other. Some day it must end, and it