the writings-6-第52节
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A。 LINCOLN。
TELEGRAM TO GENERAL SCHENCK。
WAR DEPARTMENT; WASHINGTON; D。 C。;
June 28; 1863。
MAJOR GENERAL SCHENCK; Baltimore; Md。:
Every place in the Naval school subject to my appointment is full;
and I have one unredeemed promise of more than half a year's
standing。
A。 LINCOLN。
FURTHER DEMOCRATIC PARTY CRITICISM
TO M。 BIRCHARD AND OTHERS。
WASHINGTON; D。 C。;
June 29;1863。
MESSRS。 M。 BIRCHARD; DAVID A。 HOUK; et al:
GENTLEMEN:The resolutions of the Ohio Democratic State convention;
which you present me; together with your introductory and closing
remarks; being in position and argument mainly the same as the
resolutions of the Democratic meeting at Albany; New York; I refer
you to my response to the latter as meeting most of the points in the
former。
This response you evidently used in preparing your remarks; and I
desire no more than that it be used with accuracy。 In a single
reading of your remarks; I only discovered one inaccuracy in matter;
which I suppose you took from that paper。 It is where you say: 〃The
undersigned are unable to agree with you in the opinion you have
expressed that the Constitution is different in time of insurrection
or invasion from what it is in time of peace and public security。〃
A recurrence to the paper will show you that I have not expressed the
opinion you suppose。 I expressed the opinion that the Constitution
is different in its application in cases of rebellion or invasion;
involving the public safety; from what it is in times of profound
peace and public security; and this opinion I adhere to; simply
because; by the Constitution itself; things may be done in the one
case which may not be done in the other。
I dislike to waste a word on a merely personal point; but I must
respectfully assure you that you will find yourselves at fault should
you ever seek for evidence to prove your assumption that I 〃opposed
in discussions before the people the policy of the Mexican war。〃
You say: 〃Expunge from the Constitution this limitation upon the
power of Congress to suspend the writ of habeas corpus; and yet the
other guarantees of personal liberty would remain unchanged。〃
Doubtless; if this clause of the Constitution; improperly called; as
I think; a limitation upon the power of Congress; were expunged; the
other guarantees would remain the same; but the question is not how
those guarantees would stand with that clause out of the
Constitution; but how they stand with that clause remaining in it; in
case of rebellion or invasion involving the public safety。 If the
liberty could be indulged of expunging that clause; letter and
spirit; I really think the constitutional argument would be with you。
My general view on this question was stated in the Albany response;
and hence I do not state it now。 I only add that; as seems to me;
the benefit of the writ of habeas corpus is the great means through
which the guarantees of personal liberty are conserved and made
available in the last resort; and corroborative of this view is the
fact that Mr。 Vallandigham; in the very case in question; under the
advice of able lawyers; saw not where else to go but to the habeas
corpus。 But by the Constitution the benefit of the writ of habeas
corpus itself may be suspended when; in case of rebellion or
invasion; the public safety may require it。
You ask; in substance; whether I really claim that I may override all
the guaranteed rights of individuals; on the plea of conserving the
public safety when I may choose to say the public safety requires it。
This question; divested of the phraseology calculated to represent me
as struggling for an arbitrary personal prerogative; is either simply
a question who shall decide; or an affirmation that nobody shall
decide; what the public safety does require in cases of rebellion or
invasion。
The Constitution contemplates the question as likely to occur for
decision; but it does not expressly declare who is to decide it。 By
necessary implication; when rebellion or invasion comes; the decision
is to be made from time to time; and I think the man whom; for the
time; the people have; under the Constitution; made the
commander…in…chief of their army and navy; is the man who holds the
power and bears the responsibility of making it。 If he uses the
power justly; the same people will probably justify him; if he abuses
it; he is in their hands to be dealt with by all the modes they have
reserved to themselves in the Constitution。
The earnestness with which you insist that persons can only; in times
of rebellion; be lawfully dealt with in accordance with the rules for
criminal trials and punishments in times of peace; induces me to add
a word to what I said on that point in the Albany response。
You claim that men may; if they choose; embarrass those whose duty it
is to combat a giant rebellion; and then be dealt with in turn only
as if there were no rebellion。 The Constitution itself rejects this
view。 The military arrests and detentions which have been made;
including those of Mr。 Vallandigham; which are not different in
principle from the others; have been for prevention; and not for
punishmentas injunctions to stay injury; as proceedings to keep the
peace; and hence; like proceedings in such cases and for like
reasons; they have not been accompanied with indictments; or trials
by juries; nor in a single case by any punishment whatever; beyond
what is purely incidental to the prevention。 The original sentence
of imprisonment in Mr。 Vallandigham's case was to prevent injury to
the military service only; and the modification of it was made as a
less disagreeable mode to him of securing the same prevention。
I am unable to perceive an insult to Ohio in the case of Mr。
Vallandigham。 Quite surely nothing of the sort was or is intended。
I was wholly unaware that Mr。 Vallandigham was; at the time of his
arrest; a candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor until
so informed by your reading to me the resolutions of the convention。
I am grateful to the State of Ohio for many things; especially for
the brave soldiers and officers she has given in the present national
trial to the armies of the Union。
You claim; as I understand; that according to my own position in the
Albany response; Mr。 Vallandigham should be released; and this
because; as you claim; he has not damaged the military service by
discouraging enlistments; encouraging desertions; or otherwise; and
that if he had; he should have been turned over to the civil
authorities under the recent acts of Congress。 I certainly do not
know that Mr。 Vallandigham has specifically and by direct language
advised against enlistments and in favor of desertion and resistance
to drafting。
We all know that combinations; armed in some instances; to resist the
arrest of deserters began several months ago; that more recently the
like has appeared in resistance to the enrolment preparatory to a
draft; and that quite a number of assassinations have occurred from
the same animus。 These had to be met by military force; and this
again has led to bloodshed and death。 And now; under a sense of
responsibility more weighty and enduring than any which is merely
official; I solemnly declare my belief that this hindrance of the
military; including maiming and murder; is due to the course in which
Mr。 Vallindigham has been engaged in a greater degree than to any
other cause; and it is due to him personally in a greater degree than
to any other one man。
These things have been notorious; known to all; and of course known
to Mr。 Vallandigham。 Perhaps I would not be wrong to say they
originated with his special friends and adherents。 With perfect
knowledge of them; he has frequently if not constantly made speeches
in Congress and before popular assemblies; and if it can be shown
that; with these things staring him in the face he has ever uttered a
word of rebuke or counsel against them; it will be a fact greatly in
his favor with me; and one of which as yet I am totally ignorant。
When it is known that the whole burden of his speeches has been to
stir up men against the prosecution of the war; and that in the midst
of resistance to it he has not been known in any instance to counsel
against such resistance; it is next to impossible to repel the
inference that he has counseled directly in favor of it。
With all this before their eyes; the convention you represent have
nominated Mr。 Vallandigham for governor of Ohio; and both they and
you have declared the purpose to sustain the national Union by all
constitutional means。 But of course they and you in common reserve
to yourselves to decide what are constitutional means; and; unlike
the Albany meeting; you omit to state or intimate that in your
opinion an army is a constitutional