The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1840-07-03


he may publish 10 the world "
We DO so, we repeat it, that the Democracy
of our day may understand what were the bear
ings of that odious law and over what fearful en-
tent of debasing repression, it could be made to
stretch, by inorous or packed jurymen. Here
you have ii all, Americans read and mediate
GAS to the Executive, when shall see the ci-
(ects of that power bent on the promotion Of the
| comfort, the happiness, and accommodation OF the
people, that Executive shall have my Jealous and
uniform support. But whenever SHALL on the
part Of our Executive, see every consideration Of
public welfare swallowed up in central grasI
for power, in an unabounded thirst for ridcuiou.
ponp, foolish adulation, and selfish avarlce-wher
| shall behold men ofreal merit daily turned out Of
Office for no other cause than independently OF SEN
limcnt-when shall see men of hrnness, merit,
years, abilities, and experience discarded in then
applications for office, for fear they possess that
independence, and men fmcunncss preferred fol
the ease with which they can take up and advocate
opinions the consequence Of which they know
but little oi-when | shall see the sacred name OF
religion employed as State engine to make man
kind hate and prosecute each other, | shall not be
their hubble advocate" The second count in the
indictment, on which the said Matthew Lyon was
convicted, charged him with printing and publish
nlg a seditous writing or libel, entitled 'tOpy of
a letter from an American diplomatic character in
France, CIR Joel BarIow) to member of Con-
gress in Philadelphia which was in the following
words, to wit 1.-The misunderstanding between
the two Governments has become extremely alarm
ing confidence is completely destroyed mistrusts,
jeaousics, and disposition TO wrong atlribution
ofnoives, so apparent as to require the utmost
caution in every word and action that are to cone
from your ENeculiye-l mean if your object is to
avoid hosililits. Lad the truth been understood
with YOU before the recall of NOMENCLATURE the
coming and second coming of fnckncy had it
guided the pens that wrote the bullying speech of
your President, and the stupid answer Of your Sen
alc at the opening Of Congress, III November last,
should probably have had no occasian to address
YOU this letter. But when we found him borrow
Ing the language of Edmund Burke, and tel ing
the world that, although he should succeed in treat
ing with the FRENCH there was no dependence to
be placed i'll any Of THEN engagements that their
religion and morality were AT an end, and they had
turned pirates and p'undcrcrs, and that it would
he necessary 10 be perpeiualy armed against them,
though You are at peace, we wondered that the am
swcr Of both Houses had not been an order to Send
him to the mad house. Instead of this, the Senate
have echoed the speech with more seryiiiiy than
ever George the Third experienced from either
House Of Parliament"
"Upon this Indictment" to use the words of a
late committee, "l'atthew Lyon was convicted,
and sentenced by the corr TO be Imprisoned for four
months to pay fine of one thousand dollars, and
the costs Of the prosecution, taxed at sixty dollars
and uinet, siX cents, and to stand committed until
the fine and costs were paid, which were paid as
appears by the cXcmpicatiOn Of the record of the
SAID trial and proceedings, now in the archleves Of
this House"
Here we pause in establishment, that the mad
ness of infatuated zeal should have driven party
into a measure of so uncxanpcd AN imprudcnce as
the institution of criminal prosecution for language
which when we compare it 10 the rubd illusions of
the wing presses of the duy,scens so tame and so
guarded, that, did we not know the unsubducd en-
crgy of the bod ard homes, Democrat by whom il
was used, we would be ten pied to infer that, in
dread Of the vengeance Of his enemies he had care
fully avoided any expression that might, even by
The most stretched and forced construction of that
odlouS law, bring HIM within the iron grasp of amy
OF i!S penal cnaclments' Indeed such an iniatua-
,'@n wn"'h "rr""" 'I:,"r bud ''s m"'""ry been
'''' cn''u''co' III '""'''o' "!' W '"o He,P'hso o,
co'r'Potu,'cs, we "PPAntn witness " 'hc WY
o's'cS " '''e ''oc' 81 "P''. 'c'lcu ''c ,c'gn v,
'''oi' n9't"" VI pci's P'''r'Neo' ''oo'"e" ,n anu
u"u! NY III .'o !o"hI a'n''S ~ o". country. lnc
c"c'n''''s' 'ch "o"''''"''I "n" 'o''s III III, eHc'
use o' 'nc power Wtc''cu iron" "'c people,: hou
oc'""' ha,"r"'a'cu ny .pc 'ruc",c"' nope o' per-
P''"a',ns 'heF s"af u! tue s""'uS VI " ''e'ceno-
y 'o,0,e'E' S'""o'ns n''hy u i"'"oo h'en' 10 De
''Sco o"ri"s pc''oa VI P'o''"'u pc"ce coh'il!ah-
't' u! n''''cIS' c"it'' rs ''eT 'cf'icu II, IRON
'h!ohs me s'ae" of'''orfacy OIL me iold-by the
support oi ho' +" low l'W!crS' Dooy OF men, OIL
'n 100 ready 10 cn'i'' uhoef me banner OF higi
l,nu'' power ana 'S,'y' ny inc sanction obtain
ri 'oi 'her ac's' III 'ne aiius Oh willing Judirl-
n.y.
hach day was marked WIN some violence, acted
NNh me schD'once ana 'hc iorns Oh justice, IN
'onr'so oil law bul not the less, on That account,
n VOCATION ol 'he supreme law oil The land-lhe
hmerI'ah Constitution. frirs, an industrious
pennsylvania lailhcr German hy birth, we believe
'o' no'nra.l"td cI'l@en--ict the Hrrhhns, too,
emr"her ms al Inc baHot COX, IN November next
was tlled ana al me rules protective OF lille and
ibrrty were so openly daregarded and troddcn up
IN ny icd"Fai Judge, mat son OF President Ad-
ans, youth OF unsopllisllcatcd judgment, and I'M
ised to Judl'lli srb'le'lcs, (not q. Adams) re-
ported TO his father that the German farmer had
iot been allowed full hearing, nor had the benefit
" lar trial pardon was the consequence of
ms disclosure ms act OF mercy, which spared