Indignation Meetings

His arrest inspired indignation

On May 5, 1863 Clement Vallandigham was arrested in Ohio for expressing disloyal opinions for the purpose of weakening the Union war effort. It is written that after his trial on May 6th and 7th Vallandigham “was sentenced to confinement in a military prison “during the continuance of the war” at Fort Warren.” Democrats throughout the North were riled up.

From a Seneca County, New York newspaper in 1863:

The illegal arrest of VALLANDIGHAM has thoroughly aroused the Northern States. Public meetings are being held in almost every town and county in New York, and the action of the people indicates that they do not regard this as an individual affair, but as a question involving the dearest and most sacred rights of American freemen. The people of Seneca county should not be less patriotic and determined than their conservative friends elsewhere. Let them rally then to the Mass Meeting at Waterloo to-morrow.

I don’t know the date of the Waterloo rally, but 150 years ago today a protest meeting was held in the state capital in Albany. Soldiers tried to break up the meeting.

Albany on the Hudson, ca.1853

From The New-York Times May 17, 1863:

Vallandigham Indignation Meeting at Albany.; LETTER FROM GOV. SEYMOUR AN ATTEMPT MADE TO BREAK UP THE MEETING.

ALBANY, Saturday, May 16.

The meeting to protest against the arbitrary arrest and sentence of Hon. CLEMENT L. VALLANDIGHAM, at the Capitol to-night, was largely attended. Strong speeches were made by Hon. AMASA J. PARKER, Hon. FRANCIS KEDNAN, JOHN MURPHY, Esq., of Buffalo, and others.

Resolutions were moved denouncing the arrest of Mr. VALLANDIGHAM as an unwarrantable assumption of military power. The resolutions were adopted.

NY governor: law and justice have been violated

A letter was then read from Gov. SEYMOUR, characterizing the arrest of Mr. VALLANDIGHAM as “an act which has brought dishonor upon our country, which is full of danger to our persons and our homes, and which bears upon its front co[n]scious violation of law and justice.”

An attempt was made to disturb the meeting, but it failed, and the police succeeded in making several arrests of the guilty parties.

ANOTHER DISPATCH.

There was some disturbance at the Vallandigham indignation meeting to-night.

During the day a feeling of opposition to the object of the meeting among some of the returned soldiers was clearly manifest, and soon after the organization of the meeting this evening, evidences of dissatisfaction were shown among the soldiers present. The speakers were interrupted by their noisy demonstrations, and finally they made a rush for the stage.

Great excitement prevailed for a short time, and the proceedings were brought to a stand still.

The chairs on the stage were broken in pieces and thrown in the crowd, and for a few minutes it seemed as if the the soldiers would gain possession of the stage and drive the civilians off. The soldiers were in small force, however, and finally retired, when order was once more restored, and the proceeding resumed, although not without occasional interruptions.

Eventually quiet was fully restored, and the meeting carried on peacefully.

The image of Clement Vallandigham was published in the June 6, 1863 issue of Harper’s Weekly. We can all view it today thanks to Son of the South.