Detroit For Free Speech

i lie Democrncy of Detroit turncd out en masse on Monday evening lost, a.nd put tbemsclves on record agaiast tho rebellion, íor maintaining tho ]ibertios of the peop!e, and agninst the dangerous system oí arbitrary arresta. The City Hall was crowded to its ut most, and a large gatberingoutside was addressed by speakers of their own. Hon, Roiíert McClella.d presided, assisled by eighteen Vice PresidoDts, metí of that inleüigence and position which give woight to their action. and patriotic speeches wcro made by Mossrs. McClelland, Q-. V. N. LoTHRoPj. L. Bisnoi', and the iollowing resolutions whicli ruflect the opinions of the entine Demoeracv of the State wers unanimously adopted : Whereas, 'je Hon. Clement L. Vallandigham, a cftizan of'öhio, has been reeently arrestad by military authonty tritíd bofore a military commission, and sent into exile, upon no otlier charga and lor no other reason thun worda spoken in a public address before a lawful and public assemblagu oi'hisfollow eitizens: therefore, Resolved, That we, citizsns of Detroit, assernbled in no partisun or factious spirit, but dcolaring our loyulty to the unuse of the Uuion, and our 1 termination to Buatain the govornment ! in all oonstitutional and lawful mcasures for the suppression of the rebeliion, denour.ee the trial of Mr, Vxallundjgham by a military tiibunul as an arbitrary and unwarrantable, ioterference with the freedom of speech, and as an Ilegal assertion ot the supremacy of the military over the civil power in a State vvhere the courts of laiv both State and Federal, are in the uu in tur rupted esercise oí all their funeüohs, their process unimpeded and their powere etïeotual for the administratien of j'jstico. llesofvcd, That thia assumption of power by a military tribunal, ifsuouess iully asserted, uut only abrogates the right of the people to assemble and discuks the affairs o) the government, the liberty of speech and of the press, the right of trial by jury, tho law of evidence and the privilege of habeas corpus, but it strikes a fatal blow to the supremacy of law and the authority of the State and Federal constitutions, Resolved That ,11)6 constitution of the United States- the supremo law of the land - has defined the Crime of treason againsfthe United States to consist "only in levying war against them or in adheting to their enemies. giving them aid and comfort;" and haá provided.that no person shal! be convicted of.treason uulesa.on the testimony of two. witnesseft to the same overt act, or on coufesoion in open court. And it further próvidos tLat "no person shall be held to answer for a capital or otherwise infamous crime unless on a -presentment or indictment of a grand jury, exoept in cases ansing in the lanc and naval forces or in the militia, vhen in actual eervice, in time oí war or public danger," and furtber, that " in all criminal prosecutions the accused shal] enjoy the right to speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury, ol the State and district whurein the crime shall have been cominitted." Resolved, That these safeguards of the rights oí the citizen agaiost the encroachraents oí arbïlrary power were intonded raore especially lor his protection in times oí civil commotion. - They were secured subsiantially to the English people afteryears of protracted civil war, and veré adopted into our own consiitution at the close of the revolution. Thcy have s'ood the test of soventy-six years of trial under our republican system, under circumstances which show that while they constituto the foundation of all iree government they are tho elemento of the enduring utability of the llepublic. Resolved, That, adopting the language of Daniel Webster, we declare, " It ia the anc.ient and undoubted prerogiitive of this people to canvass public measures and the merits of publia men. It is a 'home-brcd right' - a firesido privilege. It las been eDJnved in j every housa, cottage atid cabin in the nation. It is as undoubted as the rig'ht of breathing the air ar wulking on the earth. Belonging to privii) life ns a right, it bolong.sto' public li] as a duty, learning at all timos to b courteous and .températe in its use, ex cept wieo the right itself is questionec we shat] plant ourgelvos on tho est rem boundary of our own right, and bid de fiance to any arm that would movo u from our ground. This high oonstitu tional privilege wo shall defund and exercise in all places; in time of war, in time of peaco, and it all times. Living we shall assert it; and should we leave no other mhentanee to ourchildron, by the blessingof ü-od ve will leave them the inheritance of froe principies, and the exatnple of a mnnly, independent, and constitutional defensa of thom," Resolved. That tho revival of tho system of arbitrary arresta can have but one result - to divide and distract tbe North and destroy its confidencia in the purpose of the administraron ; that we deprécate it as an element of confusión at home, of weakneas to our armies in tho field, and as calculated to lovver the estímate oí American charaeter and magniíy the apparent peril of our canso abroad. And thut, regardingtbe blow struok at a citizen of 6hio as aimed at the righta oí every oitizen oí tho North, wo donounct! it as aguinst tho spirit of our laws and constitution, and roost earnestly cali upon the President oí .ho United States to reverso the aution ofthe military tribunal which has passod a "cruel and unueual punisliment " upon the citizen arrated, prohibited in erras by the contitiíution, to restore )im to the libcrty by which ho has een depi'ived, aud leave to the civil ribnnals, where.ha mav be tricd by thejndgment of tais peers, tho cognizanoe of any ifenues of wliioh Iiü raav bo aooused. llesolvtd, That while wo tima earnestly reraoüstrate :igait those viola lionsoí personal liherty and froo spoecli we aro not now o illed upon to endorse or oondemn the peculiar views of 3Ir. i VaDaiidigljum, but we ïnoac lo aaeortj the nght of personal seoiiritv, and the Bupremacy of the civil over "the military authonty, irrespective of persons or partías. Jiesohed, That in our earnest deeire for the suppression of the rebellion, we rojoice at the inteUigence received today, of the conquest of Vieksburg, and the consequent opening of the Mississippi by the army under" General Gfant, and that the gratitude of the country is due to him and the brave soldiers under his commaud.