Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-05-28
TO THE EDITORS.

GESrLEaEs: / address you as philanthropsts and
statesmen, not as psrtsans. Through you / would
desire to impress others. Shall not be heard! have
no private purpose to My aim is public good
One Of the greatest of Engands declared
only true spirit Of tolerance consists in
federation of others intolerance and in celebrating this
idea he added, Gas much love my felow-men, so
much and win be intoerant to their heresies
and will honor and hold forth the right hand of fellow
ship evsy individual who is equally intoeran Of that
which he conceives such in me-" So wrote the great
Colerdge. He prescribed error not the errng while
ntoerant to heresy he could find in the hereto friend
None in day will be found to deny that he wrote
Justly and noby if these sentiments applied
ligiOn. But Coleridge was less philosopher and
statesman than theologian, and his reasoning win
denim political decidedly it does religious ntoler
ance But it is not left great writer's alone to do this
Every who thinks at all must reprobate in his heart
however he may the practice Of all intolerance
And strange is it that in the freest country,
own intolerance of political opinion and action should
prevail in other are these openly prescribed
and punished by Government Notwithstanding the senti
ments of the people and the genius of institutions
condemn the practice Free, independent, republican
America, proscrptive Surely 'struth stranger than
fiction" will not pause Messrs Editors, to paint the
suffering entailed many an innocent and helpless
family under this practice because this is unnecessary
But speak of the system wrong in principle and in
consistent with the very rudiments of governmental
theory You have in it the essentials of the "regn
terror" Party is arrayed against party leader against
leader. II Robespierre trumphs Danton must perish,
though they be oountrymen living under the laws
boasting the same liberty
We hurl fierce anathemas at the political errors and
inconsistencies Of other nations forgetting that they
often induced by this identical spirit of intolerance think
ing it quite enough to justify the accusation that do
not project the principle to intense and revolving
IRENE.
The Emperors Domtan and vespasian banished philo-
sophers entertaining certain opinions from Rome Had
nothing else blackened their memory this would have
written their true characters the page Of history
The alien and sedition laws in our own times met with
universal Reproduction. Laws abridgng the liberty of
speech and the press neither tolerated attempted
Yet prescription moderation of opinion and practice by
the Government of great people, is admitted speak
Of no particular party All alike 5lametoorthy this
regard This practice is itself even than ntole
rant law because it is frequently applied ndiscrimnae
ly and without trial And great this evil it must
enlarge itself with the enlargement and Importance of
the country unless those shall be found who invested
with the power also possess the moral courage to resist
and eradicate this evil Great indeed and worthy any
effort would be the service thus performed Some would
condemn, but only where interest prompted the
The people at large would applaud the act and render
due homage to the philanthropy and consistency that
achieved it. / know not, Messrs. Editors, what your
opinions this topic would fain hope you agree
with me- and win be ready to lend your aid break
down the system of political intolerance. There must
be beginning in every work. Who shall lay the foun-
dation here? WASHINGTON