Year: 1863

The arrest of the notorious Vallandig-
ham is spoken of by the Copperhead
press as a violation of one of the great
rights of American citizens-freedom OF
speech. But it seems to us that men VIII
or will not take this view of the arrest
accordingly as they are loyal or disloyal.
II they are heartily for sustaining the
Government, and crushing out treason,
they cannot be in favor of tolerating the


loud-mouthed apologists of treason, in


making pleas for disloyalty and phillip
les against the Government. 1t does not
follow, because the Government secures


the right of freedom of speech, that a
man therefore has freedom to denounce
the Government in its efforts to subdue
most dangerous rebellion. According to
the Copprehead view of this subject, J ohm
c.. Breckinride had as good q right to
make his infamous farewell harangue, be-
fore leaving the Capitol TO take command
of division in the Southern army, as
the lamented Colonel Baker had to make
his noble and thrilling rejoinder to the
reasonable words of the Kentucky Sena-
tor, who covered and fed from the with
ering gaze of the Californian, as Cataline
covered and fed from the imperial pres
ence of Cicero in the Roman Senate
Chamber. Unless such incendiaries as
Vallandighnam can be silenced we will
soon have no Government to secure us
freedom of speech, or freedom of any
other right, privilege, franchise or immu-
nifty. The tendency is so strongly to
corruption, that we must be forever on


the watch to protect ourselves, and our
civil and religious institutions from con-
tamination. The soundest and healthi-
est physical organization is. almost in as
much peril as. disloyal one from the
presence of the pestilence. 1t appears
like idle mockery for a man to laud the
Government for securing to him the priv
ilege of free speech, and then complain
if we deny him the right to encourage
and aid the armed rebellious faction that
is making every effort to destroy the Gov
ernment. Vallandigham's speeches man
ifest cordial sympathy with the South
ern rebels. If it be objected that he says
he is 'for the Constitution" we reply, so
so does Jefferson Davis. If it be object


ed that he says he is ''for the Union as it
was" we again reply so does Jefferson
Davis The worst traitors in the social
ed Southern Confederaoy were remarka-
BILE for their professions of devotion to
the Constitution. They boast even now
that they never violated that instrument,
and their friend Vallandigham says that
they never did, and is read to confirm
the audacious, stupendous and astound-
falsehood with an oath. Every loyal man
now deeply regrets that John c. Breck-
ridge, and the seeding rebsllious Sena-
tors were not arrested, tried and hung be-
fore they left the national capitol. 1t
would have saved US a vast amount of
bloodshed. We see no reason why the
same reasoning should not apply TO the
case of a Northern traitor as to a South
ener. We are in the midst of an actual,
bloody war, whose duration no man can
predict with any certainty, and which
will end only with our everlasting and in
famous ruin, unless we recognize it in all
its magnitude, and treat it accordingly.
Freedom of discussion was well enough
while it was recognized as the proper
means of adjusting our difficulties, but
now, when the rebels have appealed to
the sword, we must let them have the
sword, for we cannot answer sabre
thrust with logical argument. Traitors
must be silenced. and if they must be ST.
fenced the quicker the better.