Year: 1863




II we would conceive the earnest longing of
the Northern people after their lost Union, we
must consider the outrages and indignities to
winch they will submit from these who promise
to restore it, Although the government of Mr.
Lincoln confessedly has the respect of no body of
men in the country; though he himself is per
son of neither ability nor dignity; though some
among his chief advisers are known to have mis-
behaved themselves in manner which any
other country would punish BY expulsion not only
from Office. but also from society; though the
military commanders are incapable, and the war
langnishes, and the men desert through want of
confidence in their leaders, yet the majority
at the North shrinks so much from the prospect
of divided Republic. that it will allow people
whom It looks upon ard talks about as Imbeciles
and jobbers and braggarts to commit any act of
tyranny under the pretense of maintaining the
Union 1t does not believe in them: il would be
glad 10 get rid of them and replace them by bet
ter men: but they are in power; they stand as the
representatives, however unworthy, of the United
States, and hoping against hope, the people of
the North obey them because opposition might
seem like an abandonment of cherished design


We do not think that in the dayso of England's
iercest struggle with the French Republic the
Government of Pitt would have ventured on such
act the trial by court martial of private
person for making a speech against the war, ani
recommending his hearers to agitate constitution
ally for the overthrow of the Ministry Yet it
was for an offense precisely similar that Mr.. VAL
landigham. one of the most prominent politicians
of the West. has been Sentenced to two years
banishment TO miserable little islet--a sentence
graciously commuted by the President into ex-
pulsion from his home and from the limits of the
Northern States - .


The expressions we're proved aud, Indeed,
were for the most part not denied by the speaker.
4. = Il = Il
speech contemplated simply constitutional oppo-
stion to the Government, and that. moreover, he
had previously declared in favor of maintaining
the Union in all events. All resistance to Mr.
Lincoln was to be made Gin the courts and by
the ballot box" In short, any one who reads
the trial must admit that Mr.. Vallandigham,
whether right or wrong, only used such legitimate
"strong language" has been used by Anglo
Saxon politicians on both sides of the ocean at
any time for a century past.


To call such a speech seiitions and a comfort
to the enemy is to say that under circumstan-
ces is national war to be opposed at all. The
chiefs OF the Wing party sixty years ago, and the
Peace Society during the Russian war might
have been seized ard transported with Just as
much justice as Mr.. Valandigham In spite of
an able protest, in which the accused declared
that not being in the military service Of the
United States, a court martial could have no iu-
rsdiction over him, he was condemned to two
years Imprisonment at Dry Tortugas-a sentence
so scandalously severe as to show the spirit OF
the court which tried him He has appealed to
the United States Court at Cincinnati; but this
tribunal hesitated to grant a writ of habeas cor
pus and Gen. Burnside attempts to forbid it to
act. In the meantime. though it is said that the
press condemns the conduct of the General there
is so much apathy that We cannot doubt that Mr..
Lincoln may Danish or imprison his critic at his
pleasure. Government with such power ought
to do something great; vet il appears every day
more plain that the Cabinet of Washington is
formidable TO its own helpless citizens.