The Woodstock age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1844-1845, 1844-07-25

de,polIsm, tending directly and powerlu
ly To the destruction of liberty. Il he Ieel
ing oflhe duelisls are ungodIy feelings
the hanghtness ofpride and relentless re-
venge. and which, instead ola despensa,
ton for indulgence, deserve the chati>e.
ment OF scorpions. To reduce such IN.
rnly spirits, the law should brandish all It's
thunders.
To elevate duellists to office, the DELHI
crate contemners Of law. is to place their
example IN the most conspicuous point OF
view, and to cloihe it with most woiul eff
ficacy to destroy public virtue.
Select for the rulers men OF prohgale
example, who contemn religion aud despse
the laws of their counlry,and they need not
conspIre to introduce despollSm; you will
yourselves introduce i.
Duelling Restraints Librty of Speech.
The people have right to investigate
the conduct of rulers, and to scrulnlze
the character of candidates for office; and
as the private aud moral character of a
man is the truesl index, it becomes them
to be particular on this point. But who
will speak on this subject, who will punish
when the dnelist stands before him with a
pistol at his breast! And what aggravaleS
the restraint, the more unprIncl pled and
vile the man. the greater need of speaking
the greater danger ofunvelling his enorml-
~ "While bent upon promotion, and
desperate in course, he is prepared to seal
in death the lip that shall publish his inia-
N.Y." What should you think OF a law
that forbade the people to speak ofthe i'm
noral,ies of candidates for otfice--which
made death the penalty Of l:ansgrcssion!
The Inconsistency of voting for duelllSl
IS earing. Toprofess attachment To lib
erly aud vote for men whose principles ana
whose practices are alike hostile to liberty,
to contend for equal laws, aud intrusl their
execution to men who are the first TO break
them. is farce too ridiculous to be acted
by ireemen. In voting for the d",tih,
we palronize a criminal whom, in Our law,
we have doomed to die. With one hand
we erect the gallows, and with the other
rescue the viclm;at one breath declare him
unfit to live, aud the next constitute him
The guardian of our rights!
Cancel, | beseech you, the laws against
duelIlng, annihIIale the criminal code, lev
el to the ground your prisons, and restore
To the sweets of society and the embraces
oi charity their more innorcnt victims. BE
consistent. II you tolerate one set ut cil-
iaiaS, tolerate them all; if murder does not
stagger your confidence, let it not waver
at inferior crimes.
In our prayers we request that God
would besiow upon us good rulers: Just
men ruling in The fear of God. BY voting
for dueIisls we demonstrate the mSlncer'ly
of such prayers-ior when by theprovideu,
ce Of God, it is left to our choice whom
we will have, VIC vote for mnrderers. Un'
less, therefore, we would continue To mock
God by hypocrillca prayers,w we must cease
To pa,ronize men OF blood By elevatlng
to lmporlan, stations men whose hands are
stained with blood, we do little less than
reward them for their crimes.
THE oniy Remedy.
Withholding the public suffrage from
duelIis,s, is the only method in which there
is the least prospect Of arresling the prac'
lIce Of dnellng.
We may reason, aud rldlcnle, and la.
meni, aud demonstrate, and threaten, and
IegisIatc, and multiply penalties, and the
evil will still progress. There Is no way
to deal with these men, but to make them
feel their dependence on the people; aud
~ way to effect this, but to take the pun
shnen, into onr hands. Our conscience
must be the Judge, and we must convict
aud fine, aud disgrace them a, the polls
Here, aud nowhere besides. will our voice
he heard, and our viii become a law
Withhold the public suffrage from the dn'
eIlis', and the practice of fighting duelS
would speedily cease.
Dniy Of Minister'S
Nothing is necessary to awaken and EN-
body in one formidable phalany Of oppo'
sltion, the great mass of our plain aud hon
est people, but to place the crime III It's
horrid aspect and fearful connections full
before them. Only let them see, and they
will leel-let them feel aud they will act
will hur Indignantly every dnelllsls whom
thew have elevated from his enhance. and
conslgn to merlied infimy every one who
shall solicit their favor.
MARYLAND DEMOCRATIC ASSO.
CITATION.
Pursuant to notice, meeting was held
at Sam'l Gilson's, on Saturday the 18Th
day of July, to organize Democratic As
snciailon.