Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1840-09-03
From the Globe.
THE PEOPLES JUSTICE SLOW,
BUT SURE!

4k1G 4 EOI LIZ y JI'O lSL OAOWs
BUT SURE!
ONE of the characteristics of Federal
ism, from the moment of its birth, was
the inveterate hatred which it bore to a
free press. This feeling was avowed by
the party, until, by the establishment of
a great national bank, :he arbitrary and
untrammelled use of the public revenue,
day after day, pouring into The bottom
less deep of the vaults of that giant in,
stitution, together with that of an enor-
nous fctive capital, represented by a
never be-redeemed paper currency,
they became possessed of the means of
purchasing that great lever ofmodern civ
iiization, mah.ng it the instrument Of
their sinister designs. This deadly hos
tilty to free press, "the most precious
of those institutions which our ancestors
brought with them the household gods
of the British race"-the Federalists
manifested, early in the administration of
the elder Adams, in bitter vituperation,
infuriate denunciations against William
Duane, the uncompromising editor Of
the "Aurora," through the "Porcupine,"
published by Goblet, an avowed mon
archist-through their daily papers and
monthly reviews, edited by Fenno, Den
mis-, Relf, and others, some subsidized,
and all patrOnized by the Federalists.-
But when fercely lashed by Duane's un-
tiring arm, the leaders of tine faction, no
longer able to endure this merited chas-
tisement, vented their rage against free
press, on the very floor Of Congress !
Made bolder, at length, by the patience
with which the nation had hitherto borne
their misdeeds, in the year l79S, on the
4th of July!-( Americans mark the day!)
in insulting derision of that birthday Of
Independent America, in guilty violation
of that holy Sabbath of freedom, and as
to "seeth the lamb in its mothers milk"
the Federal majority in the Senate pass
ed bill, since commonly called the Sc
dition law--an act, intended by its au-
thors TO stife truth itself, lest it should
proclaim their turptude. 1t passed in
spite of the persevering efforts of Gallat-
in, Livingston, Nicholas, Nathaniel, Ma
con, Matthew Lyon, Samuel Smith, Th.
Sumpter, Venable Brent, sustained by
that Phalanx of patriots, whose names
will ever live in the gratitude Of their
fellow Democrats. Defeated by num-
bers in the Federal councils, those faith
full representatives victoriously succeed
ed, however, in the opinion of the nation.
in proving, by unrefuted argument, that
the provisions of the new law violated the
charest enactments of the Constitution,
while at the same time the very title Of
the law itself contradcts all the prnci-
ples proclaimed by the founders of our
Independence, and maintained at the
price of a seven years war, of the blood
.. patriots and the expenditure Of count
less millions We insert the second
section of that law that the young Demo-
Gratis of the day may understand what
were the tenets of the adversaries, whom
their fathers have vanquished in the bat
tie for constitutional rights.
"Be 1t further enacted, That if any
person shall write, print, utter or publish,
or shall cause or procure to be written,
printed, uttered, or published, or shall
knowingly and wlfully assist or aid in
writing, printing, uttering, or publishing,
any false, scandalous, and malicious wrl-
ting or writings against the Government
of the United States, or either House
of the Congress of the United States, OF
of the President of the Uni States
with an intent to defame the sad Gov
eminent, or either House Of SAID Gov
ernment, or the President, or to bring
them, or either Of them into contempt O.
disrespect, or to excite against them, o
either or any Of them, the hatred OF tn
good people Of the United States, etc
then such person, being thereof convict
ed before any court of the United State
having jurisdiction thereof, shall be Pur
ished by fine not exceeding two thou
sand dollars, and by imprisonment not e1
ceeding two years."
In the month OF October of the sam
year, (l79s) just ninety days after tn
passage of the act, allowing no time ft
the good sword of the law to rust in til
scabbord, the Adams's administration, q
if impatient to try the keehness of th
edge, waved vengeful over the head I