Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1812-09-04

II was confidently pronounced that an anne
HofatIon OF the human character had COM
menced in the forests Of America, and il was
fondly hoped, that that amelioration would
be progressive
Henceforth such hopes viii be regarded but
as the dreams OF philanthropy The massa-
ere of the 18th of July viii be cited with ma
lleious JOY, by the enemies of our republican
institutions, as a proof of their inefiiciency--
as an evidence that the rabble, unrestrained
by the fear of punishment, are in all coun-
trles the same. and that our form of govern
ment Is inefficient TO restrain them. The
world will consider all our boosted constitu-
tlonai barriers against oppression as unavail-
Ing, to prevent the majority from trampling
the minority under foot, by the Intervention
OF lawess rabble, whom they may chuse
to represent as too powerful to be restrained.
such will be the effects of the late outrages
IN Baltimore on the opinions of the world
But evils more immediate, more tangible.
than these, will result-nay, have already
resulted, from those detestable outrages Ii
Is presumed that no iaboured train of reason.
ING is necessary to prove, that the freedom of
the press is absolutely essential to the preser-
Walton of liberty in any country If the free
dom OF the press be destroyed, either by the
tyranny OF the government, or by the tyran-
ny of mob, vital blow is inflicted on lber-
ty. The freedom of discussion once taken
away, and the most rapid strides towards des
potlsm may be made by the government, al
most without the knowledge of the people
A crowd of venal writers will be ready To
explain away, or to give the colour OF expe
diency to every new eucroachment on the H.
berries of the people-the constitution ITSELF
IN their plastic hands, will be made to mean
every thin which despotisin itselfc could wish
In Balu.I.ore the liberty of the press is at
an end. A vigilant sentinel ON the ramparts
oil liberty, has been slain at his post, by the
garrison over whose safety he watched That
a public journal has been pat down in Mary
land by lawless rabble, and that the govern
ment OF that commonwealth looks on with
indifference, and makes no effort TO reinstate
it, although abundantly able to do SO, are
facts which sho uld create alarm in the bosom
of every friend of liberty. This meeting
pefceives, in these facts, evidence but too
convincing, that the government &C Maryland
is IN the hands Of a faction inimical to liberty,
and determined to prevail ovee its political
opponents, regardless by what means the vic
tory is Effected
~oieSAAbuo eiiS pIoplf0tN ouU vi
the steps which were taken by the editors OF
the Federal Republican, to re establish their
press in Baltimore, the meutbers of this meet
ing have no hesitation in expressing decided
opinion. They cannot fairly be accused OF
presumption in doing So nasmuch as the,
have had submitted to them the opinion O
eminent counsel on the subject, as well as the
legal authorities on which that opinion was
funded .la;r 70 bau al, ~ l..
OF intellect, at least, which enables the pos
SCISSOR to understand plain reasoning, founded
on indisputable facts They do not there
fore, hesitate to pronounce the conduct of Mr.
Hanson, in assembling his friends for the de-
fence of his house, his life, and his property
against rutfian violence, to have been strictly
conformable to law. They consider that he
had perfect right-a right conferred on him
by the law of nature, as well as by the law
of the land, to kill the rufiians who, in the
obscurity of night, not only assailed his house,
but attempted to take away his life. The en-
terprize in which he and his friends engaged,
was not only legal, but praise-worthy They
have deserved well of their country-they
have immortalized their names by a gallant,
but unavailing attempt to stem the torrent of
anarchy, which threatens to PROSTATE all that
is venerable, all that is sacred, all that is
holy among human institutions. Posterity
will dojustice to the noble zeal which prompt
ed them to risque their lives in defending the
freedom of the presto rally round the ark
of our political salvation, assailed and threat
ened with destruction by polluted hands.
The members of this meeting do most fer.
vently deplore the death Of the virtuous, the
brave, the unfortunate Lingan. Ills bereaved
family have at least this consolation-that, as
he long lived in honour and usefulness, so he
died lamented by all the good-that, as in the
morning of existence he evinced a patriotic
devotion to his country, so, in the evening of
his days, in the last act of his life, he de-
monstrated, that time, which had silvered
DER his locks" had no power to chill his ge-