Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1853-12-30
Words Fifty Spoken.

We commend to all friends of Liberty the
following able and manly letterfrom p. Lynch
editor OF the Irish American, published in
New York. Mr.. Lynch is Roman Catho-
lie, and this letter. it will be seen, was called
forth by the excitement growing out of street
preaching. It's sentiments in regard to the
right of speech must meet the approval of all
true Republicans:
To tie TiShmen Of New York:
Ny FR1ENDs:-I have read in the daily
papers of Thursday, with the deepest pain,
the report of the proceedings at the mass
meeting in the Park, on Wednesday evening.
The cause of that meeting was the arrest of a
street preacher, on Sunday, in the 18th
Ward. The cause of that arrest was an APP
pretended riot. And that apprehension alo,e
from the belief that the preacher would be in
terrupted, if not molested, by Irish Roman
Catholics.
In the discharge of my duty as a public
journalist; conducting as / do, newspaper
which circulates by thousands of copies
amongst you; am bound in this emergen-
cy to offer you my best advice, and that with
out delay or hesitation. do SO in the sec
ond edition Of this weeks paper, with the
hope that you may read it on Saturday eve
| ming and Sunday morning.
BY interrupting any preacher by kissing,
by indecent remarks, by insolent gesture, by
any attempt at vlolence-no matter what the
provocation may be-you are guilty of a
crime 1t Is a crime against the institutions
and the law of the country. And it is not
only criminal act, but a shameful evidence
ofmgratitude. Freedom ofspeech-freedom
Of the prcss-independen thought and opn-
ion-the unshackled and untrammclled exer-
else of intelligence, reason and Judgement
are the great bases, the great characteristics,
Of American Republicanism. 1t is the pri-
yilege, the undoubted right, of every man and
woman in this land to think and speak and
write whatever conscience, conviction, and
morals may dictate; no matter how tanatical,
foolish, senseless, untenable, or disagreeable
to some such may happen to be.
If you go to hear this or that preacher,
this or that public speaker, you are called up
OH to curb your temper and subdue your pas
sion during such address-if you remain in
the church, the public meeting or the street
crowd. Whatever may induce you to be pre-
sent-whether idle curiosity or desire for
information-this is your imperative duty.
If YOU know beforehand that your church
will be attacked, your religion abused, your
feelings wounded, your passions aroused, you
ShOuld remain array; you Should not court
The danger which such scenes and occasions
are likely to produce.
Remember you have, here, what you never
had, you never expected to have (under Eng
lish rule) in ireland. You have the power
to make laws for your own government
You have the liberty Of a freeman. You
have fair and open field for labor and in
dustry. You are politically equal to any
man provided your conduct and character
are calculated to insure respect. Here is no
standing army to awe citizenship with the
bullet and the bavonet. Here is no military
police to hunt you down at the command Of
a tyrant magIstracy. Here Is no in,olent and
oyerbearing aristocracy to squeeze the blood
from your hearts to support their luxurious
profigacy. Here the life Of one peasant is
as valuable as the life of one peer"
Your person is safe-your property is safe
your IeIgiOH Is sale ana Ifee-under he
publican Institutions. More free. more safe
more Independent, than i'll any other country
in the world. Temperance, order, education
a reverence for law mark the American peo-
! pie. They are an American sentiment
And any man-Catholic or Protestant--for-
eign or natiye-who believes in, who practi-
ccs these qualities of civilization viii be re-
spected, admired, and treated as man and
! fellow citizen.
| don't think there is an Irishman in Amc-
RIGA, be his religion what it may, who would
not wish to see his native land a Republic
governed as America is, and fortified by the
same checks and balances. 1t is charged
against us that, by want of education, by re
ligious differences, by turbulent temperament
We are unfit for such glorious condition o.
emancipation and independence. LetusshoN
before mankind that, with fair stage and nc
favor, we have all the elements of selfgoyern
ment-that we aspire to be educated, and re
we're order. Let US prove that we know how
to value and appreciate such institutions a
we enjoy, and that we deserve to be received
into the bosom Of the great American family