The Ohio Democrat. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1840-1900, 1844-07-11
noRR.

,robale le state Of Rhode Island and this patriot and
rue man has been sentenced by malignant judges 10 i'm
risOnment for life and hard labor In the state pri-
,on-for what? For no act that be did to violate any
law, but for upholng the doctrines of the declaration
Of independence, and avowng the sane principles that
jefferson, Adams and Hancock held in their struggle
with Great Britain, to maintain the right ot the people
self government and for which they would have sui
reIed on the scaffod had they failed.
Governor Dorr gave to the people of Rhode Island
free constitution twas adopted by majority Of the
people, and under it, by majority of the votes of that
people, he was elected governor and for lawfully exer-
cisng that Office he has been tried for high treason a
gainst the charter government by judges who had them
selves been guilty of the same treason they charge Mr.
Dorr WITH viz putting down this same charter govern
ment!
This is the monsrous precedent set up in this land o
freedom, that citizenmay be tried and condemned to
Imprisonment ior life, upon pretended :harge of trea
son against dead and deiunet government and have
sentence passed on him by judges under new gov
government, which has succeeded the old charter dy
nasty! .,
Judicial history, in its toulest and boodest pages.
presents parallel to this outrage upon the doctrines Of
American liberty, since the judicial murders OF Sir
Thomas Moore, John Hampden, William Russell and
Algernon Sydney, by the legal butchers that disgraeed
the bench III friday
The Judges of Rhode Island like their predecessors,
Jeferies, Withins and Holloway, (names handed down
10 infamy for their murder OF the patriot Agernon Sgd
ney) have rampled every principle of law and JUS
lice, aud by packed jury compassed the CONJUNCTION
ofheir noble victim, denying to him every right which
The constitution and laws Of every free state guaranty TO
the citizen.
When they came 10 the sentence for which they had
onged, they would have proceeded TO it, as Chancellor
Audley was about to do when he sentenced Sir Thomas
Moore for denying that the leeherous Henry VIII. was
the spiritual head of the church. But in imitation OF
their model they gracousy asked the prisoner what he
had to say why sentence should not be passed upon
him.
The reply of Mr. Dorr was as noble and bold, in the
face ofhis yrannical judges, and as worhya place in
the history Of patriotism was the bearing OF Ager-
non Sydney, when the like question asked him by
/ The infamous Jeferies.
81 had rather" said the noble Dorr "be the prisoner
at the bar as to receive your sentence, than to
have seat on the bench beside your honors to pro-
|
neunce that sentence"
"Ipray God" said Lord Chief Justice Jeferies to sy
dney, "work in you temper fit to go into the other
world, for l see you are not fit for this"
"My lord feel my pulse, (reped the prisoner, hold
ing out bis hand and see If am disordered, bless
God was never in better temper than am now."
And in this spirit he received the accursed sentence
pronounced upon him for writing the nobest essay on
free government that man ever penned: "That you be
carried hence to- the place from whence you came, and
from thence you shall be drawn upon an hurdle to the
place OF execution where you shall be hanged by the
neck, and being alive, cut down, your ---- members
shall be cut off and burned before your face your head
severed from body and your body divided into four
quarters and they be disposed of at the pleasure Of the
king. And God have mercy on your soul."
The modern Algerine Judges did not pronounce like
sentence upon the patriot Dor solely because even in
Rhode Island the law would not allow it but they did
all the law would allow and they sentenced him to I'M
EPRISONMENT FOR LIFE AT HARD LABOR
{AMONG FELONsr
| The infamous sentence upon Sydney, pronounced ii
1858, reversed in parliament the first year of Viii
liam and Mary by the revolution in Great Britain, ant
we trust in God that we shall live TO see the equally in
famous sentence upon Thomas W. Dorr in 1874, re
versed by political revolution in Rhode Island tha
shall take the power from the tyrants who now reigr
and place the government in the hands OF the people.
The Jury was packed to convict DER, just as it wa
packed to convict Sydney in England, and OConnel il
Ireland and in all OF these parallel oudcial des
potsm new trial was refused against the plainest die
taes of law and the most conclusive evidence Of frau
in empannelling the jury.
The parallel between the trial of Dorr and Sydne
might be carried ont almost literally. Mr.. Don wa
tried by an illegalury and his exceptions were ovel
ruled almost with insult When Sydney was called u
for judgment, he said, "My lord, humbly conceive
have had no trial. L was to be tried by my country;
did not find my country in the jury thattred me; ther
were some of them that were not ireehoEders. Thus
huaby conceive that have had no trial at all, and
have had no trial there can be no judgment"
"We must not hear such dscourses, says the Judge
latter you have been tried here and the jury have give
their verdict" ~ think twas very fair trial." adde
Justice Holloway-and so says Mr. Chief Justice Du
fee OF Rhode Island; but poserity will say the same
this trial of Dorr that it now saysin impershable SCI
ence Of intamy has passed upon the trial Of Algerno
Sydney.
The tories of that day denounced the bold speech
Sydney as an insult to the dignity Of the bench, and
we perceive that the tories OF to-day in the whig pre-:
denounce in like strain the manly bearing Of the patr
Dor. But the right judgment will be passed on th