abraham lincoln and the union-第22节

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cide　on　the　constitutionality　of　the　Conscription　Act。　　Lincoln　refused。　　With　ten　thousand　troops　now　assembled　in　New　York；　the　draft　was　resumed；　and　there　was　no　further　trouble。

The　resistance　to　the　Government　in　New　York　was　but　the　most　terrible　episode　in　a　protracted　contention　which　involves；　as　Americans　are　beginning　to　see；　one　of　the　most　fundamental　and　permanent　questions　of　Lincoln's　rule：　how　can　the　exercise　of　necessary　war　powers　by　the　President　be　reconciled　with　the　guarantees　of　liberty　in　the　Constitution？　　It　is　unfortunate　that　Lincoln　did　not　draw　up　a　fully　rounded　statement　of　his　own　theory　regarding　this　problem；　instead　of　leaving　it　to　be　inferred　from　detached　observations　and　from　his　actions。　Apparently；　he　felt　there　was　nothing　to　do　but　to　follow　the　Roman　precedent　and；　in　a　case　of　emergency；　frankly　permit　the　use　of　extraordinary　power。　　We　may　attribute　to　him　that　point　of　view　expressed　by　a　distinguished　Democrat　of　our　own　day：　〃Democracy　has　to　learn　how　to　use　the　dictator　as　a　necessary　war　tool。〃*　Whether　Lincoln　set　a　good　model　for　democracy　in　this　perilous　business　is　still　to　be　determined。　　His　actions　have　been　freely　labeled　usurpation。　　The　first　notorious　instance　occurred　in　1861；　during　the　troubles　in　Maryland；　when　he　authorized　military　arrests　of　suspected　persons。　　For　the　release　of　one　of　these；　a　certain　Merryman；　Chief　Justice　Taney　issued　a　writ　of　habeas　corpus**。　　Lincoln　authorized　his　military　representatives　to　disregard　the　writ。　　In　1862　he　issued　a　proclamation　suspending　the　privileges　of　the　writ　of　habeas　corpus　in　cases　of　persons　charged　with　〃discouraging　volunteer　enlistments；　resisting　military　drafts；　or　guilty　of　any　disloyal　practice。。。。〃　　Such　persons　were　to　be　tried　by　military　commissions。

*President　Edwin　A。　Alderman；　of　the　University　of　Virginia。

**　The　Constitution　permits　the　suspension　of　the　privileges　of　the　writ　of　habeas　corpus　〃when　in　cases　of　rebellion　or　invasion　the　public　safety　may　require　it；〃　but　fails　to　provide　a　method　of　suspension。　　Taney　held　that　the　power　to　suspend　lay　with　Congress。　　Five　years　afterward；　when　Chase　was　Chief　Justice；　the　Supreme　Court；　in　ex　parte　Milligan；　took　the　same　view　and　further　declared　that　even　Congress　could　not　deprive　a　citizen　of　his　right　to　trial　by　jury　so　long　as　the　local　civil　courts　are　in　operation。　　The　Confederate　experience　differed　from　the　Federal　inasmuch　as　Congress　kept　control　of　the　power　to　suspend　the　writ。　　But　both　governments　made　use　of　such　suspension　to　set　up　martial　law　in　districts　where　the　local　courts　were　open　but　where；　from　one　cause　or　another；　the　Administration　had　not　confidence　in　their　effectiveness。　　　Under　ex　parte　Milligan；　both　Presidents　and　both　Congresses　were　guilty　of　usurpation。　　The　mere　layman　waits　for　the　next　great　hour　of　trial　to　learn　whether　this　interpretation　will　stand。　　In　the　Milligan　case　the　Chief　Justice　and　three　others　dissented。


There　can　be　little　doubt　that　this　proclamation　caused　something　like　a　panic　in　many　minds；　filled　them　with　the　dread　of　military　despotism；　and　contributed　to　the　reaction　against　Lincoln　in　the　autumn　of　1862。　　Under　this　proclamation　many　arrests　were　made　and　many　victims　were　sent　to　prison。　　So　violent　was　the　opposition　that　on　March　3；　1863；　Congress　passed　an　act　which　attempted　to　bring　the　military　and　civil　courts　into　cooperation；　though　it　did　not　take　away　from　the　President　all　the　dictatorial　power　which　he　had　assumed。　　The　act　seems；　however；　to　have　had　little　general　effect；　and　it　was　disregarded　in　the　most　celebrated　of　the　cases　of　military　arrest；　that　of　Clement　L。　Vallandigham。

A　representative　from　Ohio　and　one　of　the　most　vituperative　anti…Lincoln　men　in　Congress；　Vallandigham　in　a　sensational　speech　applied　to　the　existing　situation　Chatham's　words；　〃My　lords；　you　cannot　conquer　America。〃　　He　professed　to　see　before　him　in　the　future　nothing　〃but　universal　political　and　social　revolution；　anarchy；　and　bloodshed；　compared　with　which　the　Reign　of　Terror　in　France　was　a　merciful　visitation。〃　　To　escape　such　a　future；　he　demanded　an　armistice；　to　be　followed　by　a　friendly　peace　established　through　foreign　mediation。

Returning　to　Ohio　after　the　adjournment　of　Congress；　Vallandigham　spoke　to　a　mass…meeting　in　a　way　that　was　construed　as　rank　treason　by　General　Burnside　who　was　in　command　at　Cincinnati。　Vallandigham　was　arrested；　tried　by　court　martial；　and　condemned　to　imprisonment。　　There　was　an　immediate　hue　and　cry；　in　consequence　of　which　Burnside；　who　reported　the　affair；　felt　called　upon　also　to　offer　to　resign。　　Lincoln's　reply　was　characteristic：　〃When　I　shall　wish　to　supersede　you　I　shall　let　you　know。　　All　the　Cabinet　regretted　the　necessity　for　arresting；　for　instance；　Vallandigham；　some　perhaps　doubting　there　was　a　real　necessity　for　it；　but　being　done；　all　were　for　seeing　you　through　with　it。〃　　Lincoln；　however；　commuted　the　sentence　to　banishment　and　had　Vallandigham　sent　through　the　lines　into　the　Confederacy。

It　seems　quite　plain　that　the　condemnation　of　Lincoln　on　this　issue　of　usurpation　was　not　confined　to　the　friends　of　the　Confederacy；　nor　has　it　been　confined　to　his　enemies　in　later　days。　One　of　Lincoln's　most　ardent　admirers；　the　historian　Rhodes；　condemns　his　course　unqualifiedly。　　〃There　can　be　no　question；〃　he　writes；　〃that　from　the　legal　point　of　view　the　President　should　have　rescinded　the　sentence　and　released　Vallandigham。〃　　Lincoln；　he　adds；　〃stands　responsible　for　the　casting　into　prison　of　citizens　of　the　United　States　on　orders　as　arbitrary　as　the　lettres…de…cachet　of　Louis　XIV。〃　　Since　Mr。　Rhodes；　uncompromising　Unionist；　can　write　as　he　does　upon　this　issue；　it　is　plain　that　the　opposition　party　cannot　be　dismissed　as　through　and　through　disunionist。

The　trial　of　Vallandigham　made　him　a　martyr　and　brought　him　the　Democratic　nomination　for　Governor　of　Ohio*。　　His　followers　sought　to　make　the　issue　of　the　campaign　the　acceptance　or　rejection　of　military　despotism。　　In　defense　of　his　course　Lincoln　wrote　two　public　letters　in　which　he　gave　evidence　of　the　skill　which　he　had　acquired　as　a　lawyer　before　a　jury　by　the　way　in　which　he　played　upon　the　emotions　of　his　readers。

*　Edward　Everett　Hale's　famous　story　〃The　Man　Without　a　Country〃；　though　it　got　into　print　too　late　to　affect　the　election；　was　aimed　at　Vallandigham。　　That　quaint　allegory　on　the　lack　of　patriotism　became　a　temporary　classic。


〃Long　experience　＇he　wrote＇　has　shown　that　armies　cannot　be　maintained　unless　desertion　shall　be　punished　by　the　severe　penalty　of　death。　　The　case　requires；　and　the　law　and　the　Constitution　sanction；　this　punishment。　　Must　I　shoot　a　simple…minded　soldier　boy　who　deserts；　while　I　must　not　touch　a　hair　of　a　wily　agitator　who　induces　him　to　desert？　　This　is　none　the　less　injurious　when　effected　by　getting　a　father；　or　brother；　or　friend　into　a　public　meeting；　and　there　working　upon　his　feelings　till　he　is　persuaded　to　write　the　soldier　boy　that　he　is　fighting　in　a　bad　cause　for　a　wicked　administration　and　a　contemptible　government；　too　weak　to　arrest　and　punish　him　if　he　shall　desert。　　I　think　that　in　such　a　case　to　silence　the　agitator　and　save　the　boy　is　not　only　constitutional；　but；　withal；　a　great　mercy。〃

His　real　argument　may　be　summed　up　in　these　words　of　his：

〃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　safetywhen　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　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。〃

Lincoln　virtually　appealed　to　the　Northern　people　to　secure　efficiency　by　setting　him　momentarily　above　all　civil　authority。　He　asked　them　in　substance；　to　interpret　their　Constitution　by　a　show　of　hands。　　No　thoughtful　person　can　doubt　the　risks　of　such　a　method；　yet　in　Ohio；　in　1863；　the　great　majorityperhaps　everyone　who　believed　in　the　waraccepted　Lincoln's　position。　　Between　their　traditional　system　of　legal　juries　and　the　new　system　of　military　tribunals　the　Ohio　voters　made　their　choice　without　hesitation。　　They　rejected　Vallandigham　and　sustained　the　Lincoln　candidate　by　a　majority　of　over　a　hundred　thousand。　　That　same　year　in　New　York　the　anti…Lincoln　candidate　for　Secretary　of　State　was　defeated　by　twenty…nine　th