VOL. 49.
AMERICAN VOLUNTEER.
JPDBLISnED EVERY THURSDAY MORNING BY
'ieiJiSl B. BRATTON.
TEEMS;
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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