South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1835-11-21
SATURDAY. NOVEMBER 2l. 1895.

neither restrained nor abridged it; bu
we owe them no thanks for our posses
sion of rights which God gave Us
And the proofthat he gave them, is il
the fact that he requires US TO exercise
them.
Sir, il you strip the men who com
pose the church Of Christ on earth o
the right offree discussion, you strip
them Of ,Iiair usefulness. In vain doe.
God Tell usnot TO suffer sin upon oul
brother, but 10 any wise rebuke oul
brother-if The right Of free discussion
is taken away. In vain has God said
500 ye into all the world and preach
the gospel TO every creature," if We
concede to any man, men, or body Of
men, the prerogative Of restricting this
right Of free discussion. No, sir, this
right offree discussion is inaIienable,
and therefore God justly requires ME
to speak of sin, of any sin, Of every sin
that comes in my way, to search it out,
to assail it with light and love, with
rebuke aud argument, until il is re-
moved.
When, then, this right Of free dis
cussion is invaded, this home bred
right, which is yours and is mine, and
belongs to every member of the human
family, it is an Invasion of something
which was not obtained by human
concession, something as old as our
own being, part of the original man,
a component portion of our own iden-
tity, something which we cannot be
deprived of without dismembsrment,
something which we never can deprive
ourselves Of without ceasing to be MEN.
This right, so sacred and so essen
tial, is now sought to be tramplsd, and
is ia fact virtually denied. What |
have said was intended as introductory
to my dissent from the language and
manner 10 which this right is comm on.
ly defended. Il ia generally defended
as something which our free govern
ment has given us, as what was earn
ed by the toll & purchased by the blood
of our fathers. Sir, this is an error.
And men in denying this right, are
not only guilty Of violating the consii-
tuition, and destroying the blessings
bought by the blood AID toll of our
fathers, but guilty Of making open war
with God himself. | want 10 see this
right placed on this true, this infinitely
high ground as a DIVINE right.
want to see men defend il, and exer
cise ii with tina, belief. l want TO see
man determined to maintain to their
EXTREMIST boundaries, all the rights
which God, his Governor, has given
him for his enjoyment, bis dignity and
his usefulness,
| must say one word under the
head | have marked in my notes OF
"Utica Mobs." Not that / design to
dwell on the transactions of yesterday
themselves. But a topic which they
suggest is important enough to be no.
ticed. This right OF free discussion,
sir, there is one class Of men who
ought to be particularly tenacious off,
| mean, poor men. These constitute
the mos. numerous class, ia every
country, and therefore, to the trus
philanthropist, they are Of the great
est value. The wording graduates
his interest in men according to their
wealth, or rank, or external show
But the eye of the Christian philan-
thropist regards all with equal interest,
because all souls are equal. When
the rich ere divested OF their rights,
they have still their riches and honors
to rest on for dignity and for defence.
But when the poor man is divesied o.
his right to speak, he ia Invested OF all
his rights. Take from him lhatin which
almost alone, he stands on equal ground
with his rich neighbor, the freedom O.
speech, aud, sir, the man of poverty
will soon find himself wholly nj ihy
mercy Of the man of wealth. Tn,
poor men in Utica, whom we saw lee
on by men Of wealth to violent as
sault against free discussion, will ye
see the sEicidal character Of their pro.
ceedingss The rights, which they
nave attacked in your persons, arr
their own dearest rights, without which
they cannot help being trampled ints
the dust by wealth and title, just a.
wealth and title have always OF ole
trampled into the dust those who havs
not this right to speak.
We are even now threatened witt
legislative restrictions on this right
Let US tell our legislators, ia advance
that We cannot bear it. The man who
attempts TO interpose such restrictions
does grievous wrong 10 God and mar
which We cannnt haar Suhmit fS