The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1854-09-13
LIBERTY OF SPEECH.

this fana,ical organization, it is the high
I handed, lawless and imp,ous, violation of tn
liberty of speech, which has characterized theI
I from their organization to the present day :
r On several occasions during he canvass in th
r S,a,e-at Davenport, Dubuque, and other pla
ces, and we might say whenever it was With
their power to disturb with impun'ty politics
meeting, and by cries and yells to violate tn
, freedom of discussion, they did it with lawless
ness as criminal in the eye of the law of th
State, as it was disgusting to all public decen
cy On several occasions they succeeded il
these cutrayes; on others, they were only de
TERED BY fear; and it was evident that they on
ly needed the power in order to put down b.
force and violence all liberty of speech agains
them. But this lawless and disgusting spiri
has not been confined to Iowa. We see by tn
Chicago papers that the anti Nebraska Aboli
ton press Of that city have been daily endeav
oring to excite mob violence against the Hon
Stephen A. Douglas upon his return to hi
home. Failing in that, finding that even from
among the sinks and sewers of Chicago, they
could not muster under their black banner I
sufficient quantity even of the dregs of human
ity to countenance or carry out their designs
these Abolitionsts,- liberty loring pa
t,iots,-these puritanical zealots-these holy
men of Israel, reshuffled the cards for their sa
tanic game, and on second thought, cut deeper
| By mysterious inuendoes, by dark insinuations
and by secret Vaccinations, they have labored
as only the felons of the night labor, to organize
q band Of miscreants to prevent hls being heard
should he attempt on any public occasion to
speak in vindication of his cause. Nothing
that could excite or instigate band of repro
bates to the commission of this infamous out
rage was left undone by the Abolition press Of
Chicago up to Friday evening last, and having
matured their plans and made drunk their rab-
BILE crowd with the filthy slime of slander, and
whatever else was necessary to the commission
execution of their nefarious design, and to-
wards the close of the meeting actually sue
| ceeded in their efforts Yes, succeeded in put
| ting down iscussion-succeeded in their CHI
valous and magnanimous Efforts to prevent a
man from being heard in his own defence
succeeded in lawleY triumph overlthe liberty
of speech, a right guaranteed for the protection
Of his person and character TO every citizen in
this free land. In this may be seen the lengths
| to which these fanatics are ever ready to CO.
What are Rights and Constitution and
| Law and Government to them? Nothing, un-
| less they suit their purposes. They burn the
Constitution; they violate Law; they defy
| Government. Their own impulses, prejudices,
and passions their only law, and in their
qualification they are ever willing and ready to
trample on whatever opposes itself t, their pro-
gress, however dear and sacred and holy to the
rest of mankind. Than the lbefiv of speech,
best interests Of mankind; none whose viola
ton can be suffered with less impunity.-
When it is gone, all else that men hold most
dear is worthless. Character is without vindi-
cation, person without defence, and property
without protection. An inquistion supplants
the right of counsel aud trial by jury, and a
censorship usurps the liberty of the press
Wrongs unheard are unredressed, and silence is
added to suffering. The life spirit of intelli-
qence gone, the brain withers, and the light OF
mind goes out. Light is turned into darkness
and men walk in the valley and shadow Of
mental death. Liberty is lost, and Slavery Ell.
sues. Liberty of speech is the twin-sister oi
liberty of the press; aud so near is the connec.
| nd tho hot ham
tha, the one expires on the funeral pire OF the
other. 1t is minister of Truth, Angel Of
light, whose wings have caught their brightness
from the very presence of the great parent
mind of all. And as the spirit, that in the begin
ming moved upon the waters and dispeled the
deep night that dwelt on the Chaos of matter
when the command went forth "Let there be
light and there was light" so does this spirit o.
intelligence-the liberty of speech and of the
press, go out upon the Chaos of mind, bearing
upon its wings celestial lght to dispel the men
tai night that hovers DER it. 1t is the parent o
truth, the enemy of error. When some tive
years ago the present Emperor of the French
then President, overthrew the liberty of tn,
i III
as treason against the Government, every free
man in this country cried out in indignation
against it. Even the English were almos
unanimous in their execrations upon the autho
of so high-handed an outrage against the caus
of civil liberty. And if we mistake not, thes
pseudo philanthropists peculiar to the North o
our country, these universal rights s-loving Abo
litionists were among the foremost to vomi
forth ,oords against the tyrant, and in support Q
the liberty ofspeech But it has been left for ther
to act against it. With a lying hypocrisy tina
astounds by its impudence, they profess i
words to be the friend of free discussion, an
then by deeds that cannot lie, they endcavor t
stifle it upon every occasion when it will M
suit their dark designs to be brought to tn
light. And well may you be the enemy of d
cussion, o, ye canting Abolitionists We
may you try to stifle the liberty of Speech! fi
it is deadly enemy to your cause. Well ma
q you be afraid of the light for ye know yo,
J, deeds are evil. The truth fears not the light
a 1t courts inquiry, and defies argument Falls
d hood and guilt alone shun the light, and see
1 the protection of the dark. And well may VI
seek its shelter, and endeavor to conceal Il
e true character of your principles and purpos
i within its gloomy and impenetrable folds
e hospitable to every virtue; for in naught ell
t can you find protection or succeed in avertir
:. the annihilating anger of an indignant and i
e iured people whose confidence you have abu
: ed.
} But returning from this depression, where
d us ask, is the difference between the violation
t. the liberty of speech, any other hber,
II whether it be done by despotic King, or by
J, fanatcal organization urging on an ignorant a
'e licentious mob? If there be any virtue in t
I'd difference, it is on the side of the despotic
&c rant on the throne for he has not the bigotl
ID the fanaticism and demoniac hate that seem
he rankle and tester in the hearts of these rir
as leaders of the mob.
Id Never before in our memory have such dee
IT. been done in this country seem now to CHI
et acterize the fanatical organization of moral a
political banditt known as the anti. Zebra.
ed abolitit n party. The excesses to which III