VOL. 49. AMERICAN VOLUNTEER. JPDBLISnED EVERY THURSDAY MORNING BY 'ieiJiSl B. BRATTON. TEEMS; Subscription. —Two Dollars if paid within tbo jjonr; and Two Dollars and Fifty Cents, if not paid vjrithin the year. These terras, will bo rigidly ad-, 'horod to in every instance. No subscription dis continued until all arrearages are paid unless at ‘bo option of tbo Editor.' | Advertisements — Accompanied by the cash, and pot exceeding one square, will bo inserted three ’*imos for Ono-Dollar, and twenty-five cents for each ;riMHion«l insertion.- Those of a greater length in umpoißion. 1 Job-Printing —Such as Hand-hills, Posting-bills, •?iunphlets, Blanks, Labels; «fcc. «tc., executed with \couracy and at tbo shortest notice. THE FIRST FLOWER. ' BY JOBS 0. WHITTIER. For ages on oiir river borders, Tbosu tassels in'their tawny bloom, And willowy studs of downy silver Have prophesied of Spring to come. For ages have tbo unbound-wators Smiled on them, from tboir pebbly helm, ■And ,tbo clear carol of .tbo robin; And song 'of blue bird welcomed them. But never yet from smiling river, • Or song of parly bird, havo they ■ Been greeted with a gladder-welcome, ■ Thau whispers from joy heart to-day. TTioy break the spelbof-cold and darkness, ■ Tbo weary watch' of sleepless pain ; .And from my heart, as from tho'rivor, ■ The ic i of winter melts again. . '•Thanks', Mary! for this wilil-wood token Of Froya’s foot-steps drawing near ; .Almost, ns in the rune of Asgoad, •The gv.orrfcg of the grass I bear. It is’.ns if the pine ti;ccs called mo From coiled - room and silent books, To see' tho danco of woodland shadows, And'hour the song of April brooks ! .'As, in the old Teutonic, ballad . Of Odcnxyald live bird and tree, •’ HForovor live \v goiig and beauty, . So link my thought these flowers and thee. The small bird's track, the tiny rain drop. Forever mark the primal rock j , Wbd knows .bat’-that’these idle verses May,leave some traces by Artichoke? •And maidens in the far-off twilights Repeat niy words to breeze and stream, Anri wonder if the old-time,'Mary, ‘ Were real, or' dream I SSWInuMM. -TiiV outbreiik,'into beauty which Nature, makes -at the;‘e'nd of, April and beginning of May excites so'joyful and admiring a .feel ing in ttie hufAhn breast, that there is tie won dor the event should have, at all times,-boon -celebrated in smno way. The first emotion is a desire to seize sonicpart of that profusion of flower and blossom which spreads around us, to.sot it up in decorative fashion, pay it a sort of homage, and let the - pleasure it excites And expression in dance and song; A mad happiness goes; abroad over the earth, ■fhat Nature, 'long dead and cold, lives and smiles again. Doubtless there is mingled with this, too, in bosoms of any reflection, a grateful sense of the Divine goodness, vvhich makes the 'promise of seasons so stable and so sure. Amongst the Romans,- the feeling of the time found vent in their Floralia, or Floral Games', which began on the 28th of April, and lasted a.few days. Nations'taking more or less their origin from Rome have settled upon the first of May as the special time tor fetes of the samo kind. With ancients and moderns alike it was one instinctive rush to'the fields, to revel in the bloom which was newly pre sented on the meadows and the trees ; the niurc city.-pentthe population, the more eager, apparently the desire to get among the flow ers, arid bring away samples of them ; the more sordidly drudging the life, the.more hearty the relish for. this one day of commu nion with things pure and beautiful. Among the barbarous Celtic populations of Europe, there was a heathen festival on the same ■day, -but it-does not seem to have been connect ed.’with iflowcrs. It was called Beltein, and found,-expression in the kindling of fires on hill-tops, by night. Amongst the peasantry of Ireland, of the Isle Of Mari, .and of the, Scottish Highlands, such doings wore kept up' •till within the recollection of living people. We can see no identity, of character in the two festivals ; hot tho subject is an obscure one, and wo mnst.not speak on this point with too much confidence. •' In England we have to go hack several generations to find the observance of May day in thoir fullest development. In tho sixteenth century it was still customary for tho middle and humbler classes to go forth at an early hour in the morning,, in order to gather flowers and hawthorn branches, which’ they brought home about sunrise, ivith,(accom paniments of horn p.n(l tabor, -and ill pos sible signs of ;joy anti merriment. With those spoils they would decorate every door and window in the village. By a natural transition of ideas, they gave to the hawthorn bloom tho name of tho May; they called ithisceromony “ the bringing home the May they spoke of tho expedition to the woods as 11 going a-Maying”* -The fairest maid of the was crowned with flowers, us tho •dm ".Queen of the Maythe Ift'ls and lass ies met, danced and snug together, with a freedom which we would fain think of as be speaking comparative .innocence as well as .simplicity. In asomewhat earlier ago, ladies end gentleman were accustomed -to join in .the Maying festivities. Even -the ‘king And, .queen condescended to mingle on this oeoa ■sion with thoir subjects. In Chaucer's Court of Love,” we rend that early on May day “ Forth gbeth nil the. court, both most and least, to fetch tho flowers fresh.” , And wo. know, ns one illustrative fact, that, jin the reign of Henry VIII, the heads of the corporation of. London went out into the high grounds -of Rent to gather the May, tho Hing ri,nd. his queen, Catharine of Arragon.,' coming froiu thoir palace of Greenwich, and meeting these respected dignitaries on Shoot er’s Hill. Such fostel doings wo cannot look hack upon.without a regret that they are no inure. They give ua tho notion that our an cestors, while wanting .many advantages which an advanced civilization has given to us. wore freer from monotonous drudgeries end more open to pleasurable impressions from outward nature. They seem somehow have been more ready than (wo to allow themselves to bo happy, and to have often been merrier uponTittlp than wo can bo upon much.— Chambers; Hay-day Festivities of France! When I was quite a child, I went with my mother to visit her relatives pt a small town in.tic South of Francs. Wo arrived about the end of April, when the spring had fully burst forth, witli its deep blue sky, its balmy air, its grassy meadows, its flowering hedges and trees already green. One morning I went out with my mother to call ripon a friend ; when wo had taken a few steps, she said : “ To day is the first of May ; if the cus toms of my childhood tiro still preserved here, we shall sec some " Mays’ on our road.” "Mays,” I .said, repeating a word I heard for the ’first tiaie. What are they ?” My mother replied by .pointing to tbo op posite side of the place wo were crossing t , “ Stop, look there,” she said “ that is. a May.” Under'the Gothic arch of an old church .porch, a harrow step was raised,, covered with palms. A living being, nr a statue—l could not discern at the distance—dressed in a white robe, crowned with flowers, was seated upon it ; in her right hand she held a leafy branch ; a canopy abovo her head was formed ol.garlands of box, and ample draper ies which fell oh each.side encircled her in their snowy folds. No doubt the novelty of the .sight caused my childist imagination much surprise ; my eyes were. captivated, and I scarcely listened to my mother, who gave me her.ideas on this local custom : ideas; the simple and sweet poetry of which I pre fer to aecept instead of discussing their origi nal value. ■ ■ ■ “ Because the month of. May is the month' of spring," said she, “ tho month of flowers, the month consecrated to tho Virgin - , the young girls of caelt qiiarlier unite to celebrate its return. ' They choose,a pretty child, and dross her ns you see;-they seat her on a throne of foliage, they crown her and make her a sort of. goddess ; she is May, the Vir gin of May, the Virgin of lovely days, flow ers, and green branches. See, they beg of the passers by, saying, “ For tho May.’ Poo. pie give, and their offerings will bo used some of these days for a joyous festival.” When we oamo near, I recognized in the May a lovely little girl I had played With on tho previous day.. At a distance.l thought she was a statue. Even close at hand the il lusion was still possible ; she seemed to me like a'goddess on her pedestal, who .neither distinguished nor recognized the profane crowd passing beneath tier feet.. Her Only caro was to wear a serene aspect under her crown of periwinkle and narcissus, laying her hand on her olive sceptre. She had, it is true, a gracious smile on 'hov lips, a sweet ex pression in her eyes ; but these, though charming all, did not seem to,,sbek or speak to any in particular ; they served ns an adornment to her motionless physiognomy, lending life to. the statue, hut. neither voice nor directions.' Was it coqnetery in so young a child, thus studying to gain admiration ? I know- not,, hut to'.this day l ean only think of .tho enchantment f felt in •* May.” ,My mot her atnpf.oil, a rot drawing eiimo money 'frmn'lier'purso', livid it dh 'the'‘china saucer that, was presented ; as for myself; -I ■ took a handful of sons, all that I could find in my .pocket, arid gave them with transport: I was too young to appreciate the value of my gift, hut I felt the exquisite pleasure of.giving. . In passing through tho town we met with several other “Mays,” pretty little girls, perhaps, but not understanding- their, part ; always restless, arranging-their veils, touch ing their crowns,.talking, eating sweetmeats, or weary, stiff, half asleep,'wijh an awkward,, unpleasing attitude; None was the May, the representative of the joyous season of. sweet and lovely flowers, hut my first little friend. Birds’Sense op Danger. —The power of judging of actual danger and the free and ea sy-boldness which' results from it, are by no means uncommon. Many birds seem-to.have a most correct notion of a gun’s range, and, while scrupulously careful to keep beyond it, con fine their care to this caution, though the mp|t obvious resource would bo to fly right away out of sight and hearing, which they do not choose to do. And they sometimes appear to make even an , ostentatious use of their power, fairly putting their wit and cleverness in antagonism to that of man, for the benefit of their fellows. I lately read an account, by a naturalist in Brazil, of an ex pedition ho niado to one of the islands of the .Amazon to shoot spoonbills, ibises, and other of the magnificent grallatoriul birds which, wore most abundant tbei e. Ilia design was completely baffled,’however, by a wretched little sandpiper that preceded him, continu ally uttering his tell-tale cry, which aroused , all the birds within hearing.. Throughout rt.be day did this individual continue its self imposed duty of sentinel of others, effectually preventing tho approach of the fowler-to tho game, and yet managing to keep out of tho range of his gun.— Cossets Romance of Na tural History. „ ' . Louis Napoleon, itho -Rinpress, .and the young Princo Imperial, have -been.making a great and politic ado about opening : ji .new. race-coprso mc.'.t .Paris. Tho Emperor ‘held, bis dittle-son by the hand, .and diad -not a little to do-to satisly the boy’s .curiosity and eager.questions, as bo bopped, about restless ly atiliis father’s side. The.Princedmporial, now-seven years old, is said to be atino boy, bearing a marked resemblance to bis mother about tho lower part of bis face, of which the upper portion, However, is broad, and oast nmre in tbo Napoleonic type. Ho was dressed in a black suit of Knickerbockers, of rather a sombre aspect, with n small straw hat, edged with blue, and a knot of tbo same col ored ribbon. Tho Empress, whose toilotts are universally allowed to be unrivalled for good taste and elegance, was as richly al tired os she always is in public. jjgy- When Lieutenant Berryman was sounding tho ocean, preparatory to laying tho Atlantic telegraph, the quill at tho end of tho sounding lino brought up mud, which, on being dried, became a powder so -fine that on rubbing it between the thumb ■and fingovit disappears in tho crevices of the skin. -On placing tho dust under ri miorn roscope it was discovered to consist of mill ions of perfect shells, in each of which there was a living animal. Uncle Abe’s Very Latest Joke.— During tho past week a gentlemen called upon the President and solicited a pass for Richmond. “ Well,” said tho President, “I would bo very happy to oblige you, if passes were respect ed -, but tho fact ;is sir, I have, within tho past two years, given passes to two hundred and fifty thousand men to go to Richmond, and not one lias got there yet.” Tho appli cant quietly aud respectfully withdrew on his tip toes. \O~ A down oust editor says ho hna Boon tho contrivance that lawyers uso to “ warm up the subject.” Ho says it is a glass con cern, and holds about a I)int. “OUR COUNTRY—MAY IT ALWAYS BE RIGHT-BUi EIGHT OR WRONG OUR COUNTRY.” . The Auctioneer, There .is no man who spends so much breath, talks’so fast, and who is so lavish of words, as the auctioneer. He repeats the same thing over and over again, and begrudg es not his labor. Ho is fond of smart sayings and sudden turns in the sense ; and he is wit ty at the expense of his goods, or the expense ty : of customers. (Ho can talk af several differ ent things at once without confusion. But he sometimes very ludicrously mixes up diff erent subjects.iu the same sentence. For instance, lately dropping into a hook nuotion, there happened to he a man who an noyed the company with a segar. The book was twenty-seven and a hall, and the auc tioneer dwelling upon it, cried—“ And a half, and a-half—when, smelling the annoy ance, ho at once shouted out, “your segar ! and a-lmlf, and a-half, twenty-seven and a hal.f, —thirty,—thirty-two and a-half—kick out that man with a segar, and a-half, and a-half, —going,going—thirty-five, thirty-five —thirty-seven and a—half—curse that segar smoko a-half, and a-half—l’d.rattier have the devil about me—and n-half, and a half, and a-half—it gives mo. the phthisic— and a-half and a-half—going, going—forty, forty ctints —forty, forty- cents—forty-two and a-half —who’s putting that brimstone bn the stove? —and.a-half, and a-half, and a half—l wish f had hold of that boy—and a hnlf, and a-half— going, going—who says forty-five—not half the price of the book— , and a-lfnlf, and a-half,- forty-two and a-lmlf forty-five—now forty-seven and a-half, and a-half—aitreatise on the tooth-ache ; gentle men—who’ll give fifty cents for the tooth ache ?■ and a-lmlf, and a-rlmlf— look at that boy- there—and a-half—pocketing pne of those, penknives—arid a-lmlf—l can’t have my eyes everywhere—and a-lmlf, and n-half —kick all the boys oat of the room—ami a lmlf,.and a-half—kick’em out I'Say—and a- Imlf, and a-half—going, gone.” Who would envy such a position ? O 7 It is related That one day last week a large, rod-faced woman, with a porter’s load of expensive finery upon her person, .entered tho largest jewelry store in Now- York, and inquiring for diamonds, a magnificent assort ment of rings, broaches, ear-rings, necklaces, oct., were spread before her. From these she selected three thousand five hundred dol lars worth, and which sho requested might ho sent, to her.housewith the hill. The clerk would find her husband at home, she said, and he,would pay for thorn. A-peo and card were, handed to her, and sho was requested to write, her. address. She. hesitated, her broad face turned from red to crimson, and finally, in great confusion, she made her mark (a big cross) on the card, and tossing it to tho salesman, said; “Thar; I hav’rik time to write, but I guess lie'll know that.’’, The illiterate .queen of diamonds was a con tractor's wife. “ Wo onoo had u very awkward horse to'.hlioc,” a Bmltli., 11 i\u«V I wUr ing it-severely, to make it stand .still. My shop was just before tho; kitchen window,, and iuy wife, who is a kind hearted woman, came out and’'reproved mo for my-con duct to the animal, • She went up to',it; patted it, and it , stood as quiet ns a'himh,, and we could have di.nd anything with it.” 0, that, peo ple would try kiuduoss! I,t is a mighty cure'. ■ • O” It is thought that triensures will bo ta ken by tbo executive to rid'Washington of a surplus of the negrmpopuhitiou. It is esti mated that .there avmuuw in tins district koine 25,000 negroes, being aii increase*of 15(000 since the war broke out. A large number arc idle, and the appeal which has been made to Northern humanitarians to aid in support ing them has been very feobly responded to. O’An elegantly, dressed young lady re cently entered a railway carriage in Pans, where there wore three or four, gentlemen, one of whom was lighting a cigar. Observ ing her, the-Frenchman asked her if smoking would incommode her? She replied:; “Ido not know, sir,; no gentleman ever sirioked in my presence.” O’A Frencby tragedy occurred in New York last week. , A deserter from, tbo U. S. Army poisoned himself and bis sweetheart. The poison worked violently upon him, but bad. less effect upon the girl. He tried to strangle her, but his death struggles weak ened him, and he died, while she recovered. KIT* This is truly a groat country. Al ready some portion of the press is beginning to talk of Hooker’s defeat, or retreat, or whatever it may be called, ns the man did o( tbo flood, when Noah would not let him get into his ark ! “Itisof no consequence —It is not niuoh of a shower after all.” —Boston Courier. “ You should never let tho young men kiss you,” said a venerable uncle to his pret ty uieeo. “ I know it, uncle,” returned she, penitently, “ and yet I try to cultivate a spir ■lt of forgiveness, seeing that ope has been ■ kissed there is no.umloipg it.” greatest men are men of simple manners. Parade, show, and a profusion of coniplimentsnro the artifices of little minds, made use of to swell them into an appear anco of consequence, which nature has de nied to them. BSfThe opposition in New York are fal ling out among themselves. Two sots of “ Union Leagues” are being orgainized —one by the radicals and the other by the modera tes. It is thought that “greenbacks’ can hardly bring them together. Small loss to ths country I O’ A Kansas paper (making a joke of a grave matter) mentions a report that a man recently died a natural death in Jackson 'county, Missouri. It adds that tho report needs confirmation. O’ “ Look here, my boy, you re annoying me very much,” said a nervous old gentle man to’an urchin who was munching sugar candy at tho theatre. “NoI am t neither, -returned tho little urchin, I’m knamny this f ore candy.” • __ B®*A man named Oatstwas IjtvH_up re cently for beating his wife and children.— On being sentenced to imprisonment, the brute -remarked that it was very hard a man was not allowed to 'thrash'his own oats. O' The London Times office employs throe hundred and seventy persons, and has a dai ly circulation of sixty-five thousand copies, requiring eleven tons of paper per day. Boy It is stated that there is hut one Irish Mormon at Salt Lake, but he is a Mormon all over—has 9 wives and 47 children. SLE, PA., THURSDAY, MAY % CARL THE PEOPLE AND fTHEIR RIGHTS. GREAT MASS MEETING IN UNION SQUARE, NEW YORK. . Vindiclion of Law, Free .Speech, end ■Conati iulional Guarantees. [From tbo New- York World, of May 19.] The great mass meeting held iu Union Square, New York, on' Monday evening, in behalf of free speech, a.free press, and per sonal rights, and having special reference’to the vindication of these as violated in the arrest of Mr. Vallaridlglinm, proved a mag nificent success, both in fj'uinljcrs and enthu siasm. The arrangements were under the auspices of the l)etnoorafs[! Union Association, and though necessarily ni'ndo somewhat hur riedly, owing to the urgency of immediate action, were most excellent. It was estima ted by the most candid persons, experienced in the moasurment of audiences, that tlifire wore present between twenty-live arid thirty thousand people. FOur-st'amls ‘were erected —one in front of the .monument, of Wash ington, one facing it, olitT on the south side ot Fourteenth street, and a fourth in frpntof Ur. Cheevor’s ohurcl) " One of these . was devoted entirely, to Gorman, speakers. All the stands were surrounded by a perfect mass of human beings paekeiijn the closest space, and extending as far outf.ds the voice of the loudest speaker could reach. The stands were hung with American flags arid wore furnished with several well arranged lamps each, which' shed, sufficient light to render the stands entirely conspicuous ; and in ad dition to these,'.UrumniinVd‘lights were placed; in differen,.locations, ifghting up the whole -scene'around,. . ’ 'The meeting was) quietly collecting on .the east side of the .'square fit half-past seven.— The German Legiuii pressed up from the east side of the town iindpafiked closely around t#e stands, and .at a .'quarter to eight they began to call fur the lights and music; Their numbers were at the etid not less than eight thousand. Besides the people collected at the stands, there were hundreds of tethers who could And no place to listen at thqse-regular places, and for that reason there were as many as a dozen extemporized-platforms,about the sides of the square,- on wagons, fr6m which speakers of various calibre spoke to audiences of two or throe hundred; At one place there was an eloquent young ninnfin.suldier’s uni form, telling a-simple and evidently truthful story, not as gleaned, from newspapers, but from his own exporieneq of the campaigns of the Army of the Potomac lUmlcr McClellan,' and expressing a ,patriotic regret that the army : now ,w.as not .under ,a'.leadership in which the,soldiers lin'd.,the confidence that they had Been wont tod fool in, their own commander. Occasioileßy, there passed by a H-n-ly--1 tiri'l vHn'.-in t.Un fact -flint the, lauV-cofcii-rT whether . right or .wrong,, was at least ticiiiondouslyformidable, .wShld txpress,the regret, as one was heard to do, that New Yoflc Was not.yet sufficiently under martiiil law' to prevent Such demon strations of the.people. ; •The. meeting was called. to order at 71- o’clock, by Hon. Luke F. Cozan.s, Chairman of. tlio -Democratic Union Assuqiatin, who nominated for. president of the meeting, 0. Godfrey, Esq., who. on,taking the chair;’de livered a neat and telling speech. Letters were then read from. Hon. A. Oakey Hall, Richard O’Gorniah, Fisq.;-Judge Aittasa J.; Parker, Hon Washington Hunt, linn. N. .J. Waterhury, Hon.- Charles Ingersoll, ami others, regretting their'inability to. bo-pres ent on the occasion. After the reading of the letters, the fol lowing resolutions were .presented to. the meeting, and adopted amid the wildest en thusiasm; ' Whereas, Within a State where the courts of law are open, ami their process unimpe ded, soldiers under the command of officers of the United Scales army have broken into the residence, and forcibly abducted from his homo the Horn Clement Vallandirham ; and Whereas, A body of men styled a milita ry commission, have, arraigned before them and tried the said lion. 0. L. Yallandigbam, a civilian, and.emineht public man, for words spoken in the discussion of public questions, before an assemblage pf his fellow' citizens; and Whereas, The said military commission have sentenced him to a punishment as yet unknown, but which is to bo announced in some military, order to bo promulgated here after ; thereloro, licsiilvcd, That we, the citizens of the city of Newt York, herb assembled, denounce the arrest ofllohtiCloment.L. Yallandigbam, a id his trial and sentence by a military commiss ion, ns a startling outrage upon the hitherto sacred rights of American citizenship. Jiesolved, That the-oc:igencios of.civil war require the, fullest and freest discussion of public questions by the American people, to the end that their temporary public servants may not forgot that they are the creatures of the public will, and must respect the obliga tions and duties imposed upon them by the Constitution.of their country, which is the authentic, solemn expression of that will ; and that whenever,,upon the orders of mili tary commanders and from fear of their spies and informers, American citizens not in the military service shall fail to approve or dis approve measures of public policy, to de nounce or applaud the oom:nander-in chioff and to advocate peace of war, as their judge ments may dictate, they have ceased to bo freemen, and have already become slaves. Resolved, Tlint wo reverently cherish that great body of constitutions, laws, precedents, and traditions which constitute us a free peo ple, and'that wo hold those who designedly and persistently violate them as public.ene mies. Resolved, That we are devotedly attached to the Union of those States, and can see nothing hut calamity and weakness in its disruption, and shall continue to advocate whatever policy wo believe will result in the restoration of that dinion. Resolved ,' That at a time when o ir follow citizens are falling by thousands upon the battle-field, and human carnage has become familiar, wo implore the Federal authorities not to adopt the fatal error that the system of imprisonment and terrorism will sujugato the minds and stifle the voices.of the Ameri can people. Resolved , That wo call upon the Governor of the State of New York, and all others in authority, ns they value organized -society and stable institutions, to save .us from rthe humiliation and peril of the arrest and trial before military commissions of- citizens whose only crime shall bo the exorcise- ot a right, without which life is intolerable and repub lican citizenship a false name and a false That the refusal of the judge of the district within which the Hon. 0. L. |Mtlral. 8,1863. Yallandighara is incarcerated to grant a writ of habeas corpus is, in itself a nullification of the Constitution and an infamous outrage upon the clearly defined rights of the citi zens. Ucsolued, That we fully and heartily en dorse the language of our noble and truly patriotic Governor, addressed to the meeting assembled at Albany on Saturday, the IGth inst., that the arbitrary arrest and imprison ment of Mr.'Vallandigham is " an act which has brought dishonor upon our country, which is full of danger to our persons arid homes, and which' bears upon its front a conscious violation of law and justice.’f . ,- Unsolved, That 'while fully and heartily endorsing the manly and outspoken senti ments of the Governor of New York, wo. shall.do all in our power to sustain him. in his determination to preserve inviolate . the sovereignty of our State and the rights of its people against Federal encroachments and usurpations. After the passage of the resolutions, Hon. Eli P. Norton was introduced to tho meeting, amid groat applause, and spoke as fyllows: Fellow-Citizens *. — Every citizen of the .United Elates, every citizen of Now York, every man who- has a just the nature, of republican .institutions ana the : value of republican citizenship, muit feel a profound interest in the event which nsem bles you Itoro to-hight. My follow-citizens, ■it is not material here to discuss the question whether or nut the opinions of Mr; Vallan digham wore correct; wo are, simply to ex press our. opinions whether, or nut a public nth it, addressing an assemblage of. his fellow citizens,'three hundred miles from the scene of military operations, who .by a band of soldiers lias been .arrested, his home broken in uppn—that castle consecrated by ,English' law, within which the King of England dare not enter—without process of law, dragged from his homo, and tried by a military oom : mission and sentenced by a military com mission—an anomaly in the jurisprudence of tills republic. (Great applause.) I say the time lias come then for American citizens to assert their rights. .(Great applause.) My fellow-citizens, I stand on the platform that the'-Democratic . party occupied when they elected Horatio Seymour.. (Tremendous ap plause.-) I 'stand upon the platform that they occupied before and alter the proclama tion of, the President. (Great cheering.) I stand upon the same doctrines announced by tbe Governor of tho State of Now York in, ■his message. (Tremendous cheering.— “ Three cheers fur Horatio Seymour.”) Up on the question of my duty ns a citizen of thoße public, npen the question of my duty as-a citi zen ot tlio S'.nto if Now York, I stand where HoratiuSey mour stands. (Cheers.) In tills cri sis wo -must have full care and absolute regard -fur our-duties ; for by any tumult, by any . recklessness,. by any demonstration outside of law) or by any issue made with tlio offi cials of tlio national Government, we arc put •iu the --wrong. - Fur one, -when -that issue cmucs, I wish to stand un the aida nt the law, (Or’eal ebeeWtig:)''' I 'wish to stand where the Governor of the State of New York stands, who is my pommander.-in-cliiof (Tremendous, and continued cheering.) -The 'commander-, in-ehiof of every citizen of-New York outside of the military service. (Great applause.). My commander-in-chief will give, mo tlio •oruer by which I may not only defend my own rights, hut the rights ,of my foliow oitizons. 1 have ono word to say of the in terference which exists riotonly on the partof the Administration, hut within tlio ranks of the opposition itself. We should have no crimi nations against.each' other we should have no organizations against each other. - If we imagine that by this- we are performing the duty of citizens at this perilous. hour, wo. commit a great mistake, if not a.'great crime. ■All who.are in favor of bringing-the policy qf this Republic to that basis which will make restoration possible, must combine fur the purpose qf removing from power every official, state national or municipal against us. I am, convinced that so long as. the lie publican party remains'in power, the war is eternal. They have adopted a theory of this war that will forever.arouse the people of the South to resistance. JUe who, imagines that any people, especially tlio people of the South', will submit to having three millions of slaves set loose upon them, submit to be robbed of their property and turned out ns beggars upon the world, cannot understand their-character. (Cries of" Never.! Never 1”) The only mode'by which this Union can he restored, and by which the .authority of tlio ilepuhl.io is maintained at the same moment, is to use nil mentis of conciliation. I de nounce, in qomnian with the .majority of the people'of tlio North, the theory of the proc lamation of emancipation by tlio Executive. (Voice. “ It's a humbug.”) As, a military measure it is hut futile. How Ims the South Icon weakened by that proclamation? (Voice —“ She Ims been strengthened by it.”) — There have been no more fugitives escaping from tlio South than' there wore before. It is not only a wrong upon the people of the South, hiit a gross military blunder.* Now, -onliemen, the general coiii’manding has an nounced that that public speaker who de nounces the policy of emancipation is sub ject to arrest. (“ Let them try it on you.” Laughter.) lie has also said that the order in which lio-promulgntes that theory was the subject of consultation, and that it. is an nounced to the public by virtue of that con sultation. If the President of the United States intends to make that the subject of arrest, why, then, ho will have a very large number of tlio citizens of New York to ar rest. (Laughter and applause. “Lot hint, try it.") That distinguished and erudite military commander also says that if a pub lic speaker discuss the question of revenue, that that will bo hostile to the Government. (Groans and laughter.) I wonder what will become of those wiseacres of Wall street and William street; the moneyed men of Mr. Chase’s financial scheme cannot be commen ted on. General Burnside also says (loud groans and hisses) in his letter to the Judge of the State of Ohio, that he cannot see if men, and officers and soldiers of the army are prevented from discussing the policy ol the Administration why oitizsns also must' not bo prevented. (Voice —“Ho must earn his wages.” Laughter.) I have taken tlio trouble to look into this subject of martial law, and find that the fifth article contains the provision that officers and soldiers shall not speak disrespectfully of. the President of the United States, Vico President, of Congress,.of the Governors of States, where they may ho from time to .time, elected. Now I warn the offioera : and soldiers,of the United States, as they wish to save themselves the penalty of a court martial, how they speak of Horatio Seymour, Governor of the State of Now York. (Tremendous applause.— Three cheers for Seymour.) I demand, as a citizen of the great Commonwealth, that the officials of the Republic may comprehend the fact that the Governor of the Slate of New York is commander-in-chief of the for-1 oes of the State (great cheering) ; that, they I dare not, without violating the martial law— which is law to them, but, thank God, not law to us—apeak anything disiespectful of the Governor of the State of New York.— (Cheers.) Mr. A : allandigham believes, and he lias a right to his opinion, that the only mode of restoring, this Union is by stopping the clash of arms. The only difference be tween him, myself, Horatio Seymour and men like him, is, that wo cannot see that at this moment there are either in the North or Smith men capable of meeting on terms of amity. The President of the United States nor his'Cabinet (great groaning) will .not he trusted; the people of the S.uth will not trust them. There, is not within the Admin istration the materials of negotiation.— (“ That’s adj" “you are right.”) Oh these matters the people of: the United States have a right to'apeak.lreel.y. There are two spe cies of cowards which I despise. There lire cowards Who are afraid. of the people', apd the cowards who are afraid of Executive power. Thank God, I ain not afraid ot the people of of theExeoutive power. (Applause.) I shall,speak my opinions to my fellow-citi zens as I believe them ; I shall perform my duty whenever, 1 address the people of the United , Slates. Those are perilous' times ; these are times .when men who, have the slightest regard for' their, obligations will weigh their words, and ! have to say . to .the mettwho will not, I suspect them in the hour of trial. (Cheering.) There may be a time when Ihe pcoulo of the State of New York will have to maintain .their rights. (“ We are ready.” Cheers.) When that time .c zincs, all men who are in faro* of freed an' of speech and freedom of the press, will stand together, (“ That’s so.”. Great cheer: iug. “-We are ready. 1 ’) You are now un der the most solemn obligation tii study pro foundly the character uf our institutions.— You are.to understand that at this time you are to look at tho'mjdn basis upon which,your rights are founded. You must look to the Constitution of the Republic in which you live. (“ That’s all we want.”) You will odd there your fights carefully guaranteed; you'will.there find that the ..Congress, of the' United States.has no power, so far as the cit izen is concerned, to create any courts but tho Supreme Court, and courts inferior to that, which will bo cpn.rolled by , the oom u on law and the rules of equity. ..In these courts you are entitled-to trial by jury, .to: confront your witnesses, and'to all the for-' inclines incident to jury trials. In the merest matter of property, where no more .than twenty dollars ace involved, you are entitled to trial tyy jury. They nitty create military commissions, hut they have no power to arraign a citizen of the United States be fore a military commission, (Applause.)— It was not merely the arrest of Mr.- Vallan digham, because if taken before a jury of his countrymen and tried, ho would not have coinpb iueil, hut ho was taken before a com mission of officers appointed by the Presi .dent of the United. States'.-. There wore in that, vuilitary commission pone .but instrii -1 menta of the Executive. The, jury silting upon tho fights of American citizens have no right to bo in leaguewith the Executive; authority.' They should bo,-entirely indo 'pendent ; should bo selected.from, among the citizens in the vicinity where tho offence was committed. Whenever the citizen outside of the military service is dragged before a, mili tary commission, an outrage' is perpetrated that-demands the indignant protest of the whole American people. 1 John A. McMaoters, Esq., of the Now York ‘ Freeman’s Journal, next took tho stand, and; was received ..with prolonged applause. ■Mr.- MeMasters said that ho had not come there tb entertain them with a speech. lie. must hold that these times are of that char acter in which.the polU’ca'l argument was well nigh, if.nut entirely', finished. The time for determination and action has come. (CheorS..) Mr. Norton, the gallant son of Ohio, who proceeded him* said lie did not agree in all things with the lion. C. .L.. Val la iTdigh am.- Man-differs from man in his opinions, and has a right to differ. There might he such differences of sentiment be tween Mr. Vallandigham and himself, but ho would say there that so far as he had read him or had personal intercourse with him, he nut Only respected him, but be could say, what could be said of few public men of the present day, he loved him for his .virtues. (Great cheering.) So far as ho' knew his sentiments, there was no other man on this soil with whom ho agreed so completely as with him. Why is he in prison! (Voice —“ We’ll take him'out.”) The Abolitionists the North (hisses), and that section of the South which caused the Southern partol this revolution, answering treason to treason, starting revolution against revolution, break ing the Constitution against broaches of the Constitution that were, first begun at the North ; these two sections of extremists — Benjamin, Slidell, Davis, and others on the one hand—called upon Abraham Lincoln and Seward to imprison him. Conservative Seward—(laughter and hissosj-r-said—" By all means seize Clement L. Vallandigham and look him up.” They said, ho was doing -their cause more injury, making more weak backs and knees in their Cunlederate army and the South than all the ABolitlonists together. (Cheers.) lie ports come loom the federal armies in Louisiana that in certain places where they visited they found Vallan digham’s speech in Congress reprinted and pri vately circulated and they found-Union senti ments in those places largely predominating. The news came hack to Washington, and Se ward (hissing..) guilty ol the- ruin of his country, heard of this, and Seward is respon sible for the arrest, though ho has known how to conceal his trail in the matter. And he is in prison because, with a heroism of hope, ho believed it yet possible the coun try might be reconstituted and yet be one, though he know, as the speaker knew, that there"was hut one way to restore this Union, and that was by stopping this accursed war. (Cheers.) lie called upon them to organize into military companies for the defence of their rights. lie closed by warning them to take care of their liberty, for there was danger. At the close of Mr. McMastor’s speech, John, Mullaly, Esq., addressed the assem blage. Mr. M., in ,his opening remarks, said he (bought he would have to fight the battles of the Revolution over again, for one of the great principles which was contended for then was liberty of speech. That was a God given right, and those men who were afraid to exorcise it wore only one remove from a slave. lie would tell the government at Washington that if they would carry out their despotic decrees in the State of New York, the slavery of South Carolina would be transferred to thn Empire State. Wo would take the place of the black men of Africa. (A voice, “Wo will never do that.”) Are you, said be, prepared to submit to snob degeeda tion as thutl (“No, wo never will.”) If Vallandigham only heard' that reply ho would feel that the spirit of liberty still lived and breathed in the United States; , (Enthu siastic cheers were given for Mr. Vallandig ham.) It seenied to. him that we were forget ting in these daysThelessohs of the Revolu tion, for tho men who& .fhe people had put in power at Washington : fo ( do their bidding were trying to become the!r'tffftstferginnd to put the iron heel of despotism upon (their necks. But while we had suob'.SvQoyofmui ns Horatio Seymour [loud cheers], while wa had such a champion of republican freedom as tho Governor of the groat State of New York, there was not a man there who need be afraid of being.onrried away as.Vollandlg ham had been. Although the Governor of Ohio had seenied to lose the spirit of d free man, there was hot on* State out of which Val landigtiam; could not be taken, except over tho bodies of thousands of armed citizens; [Cheers.] Mr. Mullaiy spoke at length of the, charges brought against Mr. Vnllnndigham, and every mention of his name was greeted with cheers. The gentleman had been charged with declaring that this war was a cruel; wicked, and unnecessary war, and was if not? (“Yes, yes.”) What was the war carried on for ?(A voice—“ To free the ne gro.”) Yes, and what had the Abolitionists done? Not one of them formed a.brigade:. Beecher .was going to Europe, and be would advise him to make a tour through'Africa, for the. American people would give him leave to stay among the niggers all his; life. Miv Yalhtndigham asserted that the war was de signed for the freedom of the blacks' and the enslavement of the whites, ami was not. his own /arrest a convincing proof of that charge against the Administration 1 The jnen in Washington were like the British tyrants in' the time of the Revolution.' (“■Yes, they are' tmies.”) They wanted to make rebels of the freemen of the North, and to subjugate them by tho strong arm of'military power..' Hot look had said if they could subjugate the South by foroo ot arras, the ‘Guvcrmne'nt would turn their arms against the freemen of tho North. (“ Wo will hang them if they try to do it.”) The Governor of Now York was' convinced, when ho wrote the letter to the meeting in Albany a day or two ago,-that the people of the State would stand by him with guns and bayonets in their,hands. . . Mr, M ullaiy reviewed at considerable length life conduct of the Administration. lie want ed. the Union os it was in the days of Wash ington, and ho wanted the Constitution'suoh aO it \yas before it was violated by the men at thonatiomil capital. With such a Union as that'wo might defy the combined cowers of all the despots of the old world. .With such' a Union as that, there, would be ho feat, of a man being deprived of his liberty for ex pressing.his opinion. , They would not then lie ruled by a.minority President ; and as tho jo-lgc saidto tho poor,attorney, bo ho said to tho President: “ You are like necessity, for you know no law.” (laughtgr and cheers.) There was a time comiag when the Union would be brought hack, and he thought it would’be'to' the interests of the South: to unite with the North in beating back /the despots of Europe; who Were seeking to get a, foothold on this.continent. (Ho would like to see the Union restored when ithe .petty des pots of temporary power shall be swept away, and when tho United North and South: will rally for the preservation of their liberties. At Stand No.-2, which was appropriated to the Gofmatr speakers* Dr. Adolph Bergman; presisted, who, on taking the chair, expressed his feeling of shame, at being an American citizen under the present Administration,•' while hitherto it had been his pride to bo called a citizen of the United States; The Constitution bad been trampled under foot by the, military-despots of the day rjjid the laws violated by an armed mob, who* under color of law, rushed info the house of a peacea ble citizen and dragged him away. It will always be a shame in the history of the ■ country to have officers in disguise, visit ,a meeting, and in a court martial procure the conviction of Mr. Vallandigham. The Pre sident had sworn to uphold and defend the . Constitution the same as any other citizen, but lias violated it, and must therefore remain, condemned by, the voice of every citizen. We live in a democratic republic, and must leave it to our children. The country was in dan ger from the acts of those men* who, acted like Ilaynau, Iladotzky, and Gessier, and therefore must the people lisk the despotism of Burnside and.the liberation of Vallaudig ham. ■ Dr. Freeh was the next speaker. He was followed by Dr* Mcrkle, who drew a parallel between this wnrand the war 6flBl2,when the Now England States opposed the war. Now the Constitution is daily violated by these same people, whooall themselves Republicans, but are in fact nothing but monarohspr des pots. They have sent their provosts to the West to suppress the people, and they would even go further in this State were it not for Horatio Seymour. (Loud applause.) But their-time has come now ; they will shortly go down in ignominy and shame. , The peo ple must hold fast to the Democratic'princi ples, which had always proved a safeguard to liberty. Messrs. Carl Michel, F.Wieohcl,.and J’olm Rittig followed in very forcible speeches, de nouneing.the acts of the Administration. Mr. G. N. Herrmann-next spoke. This gathering was .put :for the object of favoring a party or person, but for the sole object of lib.- erty, and liberty alone,. The arrest of. Val- Inndiglmm had boon effected just as a thief or murderer would who commits a crime, in the dead pf the night, for, the sim ple fact of having addressed, a meeting ip which the acts, of the Goveroment bad canvassed. The speaker then reviewed the evidence before the court, and showed that ho crime had been committed ; but still the same Burnside who had slaughtered many soldiers carried out his mandates and had the gentleman convicted. The people must avenge this, and, hurl from power all these despots who had been instrumental in this matter. The various meetings .broke up between half past nine and ten, more from Idbk of voice on the part of speakers than any wa ning interest in the audience O” “ If,” says Thurlow Weed, Republican, “it comes to-be understood that the views and policy,of Messrs. Sumner, Greeley,/Wen dell Phillips', Ward Beecher, etc.,’etc.,,obtain in the conduct of the war, it.will result in the destruction ofour Government and Union, and a triumph for rebellion nnd slavery.” * O” A gentleman observed, upon an indiff erent pleader at the bar, that ho was tbo most effecting orator b.e ever, heard, for ho never attempted to speak but he excited gen eral sympathy. CZ7* Prentipe stiysr—Gen. Price Is at Tittle Rock, and they say He is abbot totfdvsnoe to ward Missouri, We should think the rebels would object to an advance of pruxs* (£7" If slander is a enake, it is' a winged one; it flies as well as creeps. no, so • -j i
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