The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1839-02-27
From the Providence Herald.
CRITTENDEN'S GAG LAW.

BY reference to the record Of Congress
ional proceedings, it will be seen that ef-
forts are making, To force Criuendeu's Gag
Law through Congress. This law is in-
tended to prohibit every citizen of the Uni-
ted States, who is either so unfortunate,
a. the case n1y he, as to hold an office un-
der the government, from expressing an
honest political opinion, or persuading 9th
ers of its correctness, and using any efforts
10 secure the election of his favorte candi-
dates. Ii is hardly necessary to say that
such bare-faced attempt to deprive free
citizens of the exercise Of their consttu-
tisnal rights, To favor the cause, and pro-
mote The ambitions views of reckless band
of unprincipled demagosues, cannot sue
ceed. Ii is only desired, to aid the fedcr-
al nspiranis in their efforts for power and
office, and the moment they should come
into power, they would repeal such law,
for their own benefit.
Any man, whether an officer or not, who
woald use bribery aud corruption, and cx-
er, al undue influence, either by threats or
promises, all very common am"ng the fed
eraiisis, 10 secure votes, ought To be despls-
ed and punished. But 10 gag any man, to
prevent him from speaking and acting,
openly aud abnvs board, is Il measure which
no one but federal iyrant would ever
have dreamed of, and one which no one
with a drop of truly American blood in his
veins, or a spark of honest patrotism in
his breast, would ever have had the bnre-
faced impndrnce 10 prapose or advocate.
The following; OIL the subject, is an ex-
tract from the n. Y. Evening Post. 1t
is expressly calculated for the meridian of
New York but will answer equally well
for Rhode Island, or any other State ours
ed with a federal administration.
1--WE had thought that Mr.. Crittenden's
bill praviding that n, man who holds an
office under the federal government should
thereafter say any thing on the subject OF
politics-condcmning the poor office holder
tn as profound silence rs mute IN the
tragedy, while it allows the office seeker,
his natural antagonist, To make as much
noise as he plcases-we had thought that
this bill had died d natural death IN the
Senate, where il first saw The light. We
had thought it had died Of the disease of
congenial absurdiiy. When we saw MIR.
Wallis able and conclusive report against
the bill, we were reminded not only that IL
was vet alive, but that the whig mcmbers
were determined to support ii. Nothing
else would have justified the bringing OF
such an array of argument agains'it. The
bill is yet debated from day TO day IN Con-
gress, and it's friends are determined that IL
shall die hard. ....
In the mean time 1t is very curious that
the whig members Of our own legislature
are taking no steps to cause this excellent
measure Of muzzling the mouths Of the Of
flee holders 10 be adopted in this State,
where they have the majority, and are al
ready filling the offices with their own par
,isans. II the rule be jus; and saluiary,
that an Office holder under the federal gov
eminent ought no, to speak his mind on
political questions, it must be equally just
and salutary when applied to office holders
under the State Government.
OF all political parties that VIC ever heard
Of, the one which now has the ascendancy
in the State of New York, is tlie most un-
willing TO apply to its own conduct the
rules by which it insists that is advcrsaries
shav be guided.