Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1844-09-17
NEW sERIEs.-voL. v. No. 8.

Il
conscious rectiIude would be satisfied
WIN moral iriumpb-with the cOAyics
,'on, ana q ,nese nominal Imprisonment; /;
Out tne "Alger'ne," as they are Justly
called, are trembling in their shoes,snd
are endeavoring TO terrfy and 10 in,jni-
daie by nncalled for seysri,ies Thcv
seek plainlV enough to break down their
victim in mind and body; 10 destroy him
NOT upon the scaflold-lhat ould he loo
direct an admission of their purpose--but /
by such degrading annoyances as torture
a man TO death. We are bold. however
that Mr.. Dorr may at any moment obtain
MS liberty by acknowledgment OF the
usuTPlng government and by asking for
pardon! Or, in other words, that he nay
he admitted TO mercy, BY granting that
TO be true which be believes 10 be false,
and by disgracIng himself forever, both
in his own eyes, and in those Of bis coun.
try. These conditions are even more dis.
honorable 10 those who propose them,
than the manner Of GOVeTnOr Doris i'm.
prisonment. They are such as no hon.
orable man could accept, though death
be the alternative, and are worIhey Of the
spirit Of lDquisition in its worst days.
The spectacle thus presented 10 as, is
that Of the leader OF great party, em-
bodying, as it were, the principles and
opinions Of a majority Ofthe people, com
fined for life in a noisome prison, cut off
from communication with his family aud
friends, and denied all those indulgen-
ces which with US are actually aceeeded
10 the convicted murderer. And The
purpose TO deter from revolution! We
cannot pretend 10 determine what are the
"AIgerinn ideas Of human nature. but it
appears 10 MS that il popular outbreak is
10 be dreaded, it is much more likely 10
arise from OF the thought Of the prisoner
Ianguishing in his cell, than from any
Otbe: cause, and lhst precisely such a
courae has been pursued in regard 10
Mr.. DOH as is most likely TO lead 10 con.
vulsions. Were his imprisonmt mt mere
fOrmalty like O'Connell's-were every
indulgence granted TO him consistent with
BUS safe keeping il would be sufficiently
Irritating but such expressions as we now
hear of are calculated 10 maintain con-
slant fever of excitement and 10 bring a.
bout tho worst results.
One can scarsely determine which is
the most cons ,oicuous in This maiter-the
tyranny of the whole proceeding or The
stupidity which marks tits want of
magnanimiIy or deficiency in foresight
Dorr might perhaps have been 10 some
extent dsarmed of his influence. Now
he has the moral force martyr. He
is made pre>eminenlIy the representative
of equal rights Should he perish in The
Baslle, his memory will be replete with
power But should public opinion com
pei bis release as it doubtless must he
will be endowed with strength against
which resistance will be useless. The
"Algerines' may date their downfall
from the moment that the prison doors
closed upon Thomas Wilson Dorr; anJ
the time will come when every one of
them will be as eager 10 disclaim all
agency in the persecution, as lift were
crime so black as to be past the limits Of
forgiveness. There IS nothing unresson
able in this anticipation. II belongs TO
The ordinary course of things. The re.
suit is never otherwise, and we would
much rather be with Door 10 his dungeon,
than share the authority Of his oppres
sOrs.