Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1855-03-09

~ 49,, az, y, NY, mere threats 10 be- fa,gsten but vii
be- carried very letter Now, sincerely hoie
,ou ill prove yonfse IN this emergency, ana
not be- ,uied by paty deago.nu who has always been
bitter enemy, aud NV masses hts bhas UNIT
y"uf obligations and promises. Now you must De Wen c
that " YOU fef seward 1t will 30 your Puit.
cal des,hknell besides As pfomi. tAeg have issde ,
von will krp' anef Sewafd - elected you go
who're you cho,'-e fof alt they Gaze. a
a. d enffcnily reported al over Tho conaty that
,ou bought with Hteg sud promises 20 tete
f,s Se,std Every man ! meet anus from the
ty is asking sbout you and Il seems they csnaot be-
h. w. ,on ~ i dehise yuutseif nnch a. 20 uoate toHr
,s, and tb.s an say you will do that Il you jur
ssf-ari and YOU well aware Of that NJ ain
S,,, ,eu,er6.t INST YOU sluue suffer by nix
cour.s aud uu.t ani hope you viii no' DO what you
~, ,.,,,,,,n, y. s..ei Nv nv G., ia respect T.
,our yeis also inc lose fcsuuiian sent 10 20 fr
~atd you from Lexington, Thy not knowing you ad'
dress Ut Albany Is
). f. vxS a3RnEN P. iss.
This letter is signed by the president OF
the council. 1t Is an official missivc from
one Of the creatures of James w. Barker.
7, threatens with burning in efiigy, and with
the brand of perinrer and traitor, one OF the
most high minded, honorable and fearless
members on this floor Sir, can such things I
be IN THE free land ? May n legislator,
sworn TO do his duty, be thus threatened. I
and the order which employs such means to /
overawe the representatives Of the people |
still receive the countenanco OF Americans
/ 1t would be an insult to them. and treason to
/ liberty, 10 believe IT.
And, SIR, in this connection, | have been
informed Of fact which may not be pleas /
ant TO my fearless and high-ninded friend /
from New York lMr Leigh,l that on his re-
turn to his constituents he is to be honored /
with q coat Of tar and feathers.
Mr.. LEIGH: No such threats move me.
a \
but If he should be 50 honorcd, have no
doubt he will receive the insult as becomes
Christian. 1t is a high honor to be selected
as the object Of the malice Of men who can
conceive such an outrage, and It il still
higher honor to be inus selected Tor exposing
and bidding defiance to those who are con
spring To oyerawe the electors at the ballot
box Let the miscreants accomplish their
threat: one such act would do more 10 over
throw these traitors masters than a whole
legion Of armed men.
Sir, there is another feature presented by
the machinery of this order which deserves
attention. 1t not only m4nlcles its victims,
bu, II refuses to permit them, by any process,
to free themselves from those manacles.
The case Of the gentleman from Greene MIR.
Rickersonl illustrates this fact. Tie became
a member OF the order. lie assumed its oh
legations. He went with his associates as
D far az his conscience would allow. When
. elected to this legislature It became eviden
to him that be could not properly discharge
ms duties here while holding place ~ this
. order. lie accordingly rendered his resgna
Z ton. lie asked to be allowed to withdraw
from all fellowship with it, This request wa
denied. What, under such circumstances
was he to do z There was but one course
to consider himself dissolved from all con
neciion herewith and tins became the more
imperative, when the council TO which he
had been attached instructed hinrto cast hts
vote against Mr.. Seward, as senator--a man
whom he believed to be best fitted for that
position. lis oath on taking his seat here
was rs follows.
~ do solemaiy swear that will sGpPaft the cousiu
ton the United States aud the consultation OF the
STATE New York, and that viii ftithu ~ dischhfge
tho duii. OF Office Of Meinbur of Assembly aceordag
TO ihe host Of my ABILITY"
The violation OF the oa,hs Of the order, he
was told, would be perjury and he WAS told
also, that to vote for MIR. Seward would be a
violation OF those oaths yet lac was denieC
the permission he claimed 10 free himself
= from these trammels, by withdrawing from
: the urder They were determined to compe
him to violate either his oath TO the order o
= to the constitution and his own conscience
) and, like the fearless man that he has prove
f, himself, he has done what an honest ma
! only would do, hurled back defiance in re
sponse To this communication, and declare'
himself free from all connection with ths
order. | honor him. and the people wal
honor him, for the noble stand he has taken
Now, sir, have word for the person
who wrote that letter, and to the Thousand
men, Ike him, who have been hanging round
this Capitol, aud endeavoring, by like threats
d to inumidate other members of this House
: do not object to gentlemen counsellng wat
j or advising, in any legitimate and prope
way, their representatives. hey have
!. right to do SO. But | deny, sir. that the
have right to come here, armed with threat
, and illegal oaths, to emharrass the action an
II bind the consciences of membersi eve
though, to accomplish then purpose, burn
ings in eiiigy, tar and feathers, and charge
; OF treason and perjury, are employed. SIR.
9 hcpe that, unit. II o'clock Tomorrow, Ties
miscreants may be allowed TO do their pleas
' ure. The great man whose defeat they seel
can suffer no injury from their malice. II
is used to storms and tempests, AMI has, NOR
than any other living man, borne unscathe
the denunciations and nialedlclions OF IA
: enemies But | warn these men again'
y longer abusing their privileges, and vloatin
: the prerogaiives Of the people. There is
: law which can reach them. 1t IS this
- Eriraets frsa, r. S. chap. 7, tile ?.
"S 10 Each iiuu.o has The power 10 puniah as co
tempt and by imprisonment breach Of ~ privileges
q vf the pns,esc- it. members but such power 'h
hereafter b. sod, except against persons Gun
y of Of tho following oiIonces
s. That Of giving offering b'ibe 10 member, of
e vice, deely indirectly, Ia control OF influence
,, enher ~ giving his vote, OF To prevent h'm tom s'
"A the same.
ii The penalty ofthus seeking tn inilnen'
IN the action of this House is Imprisonment du
,e ing the session Of the legislature. Tho
se who shall subject themselves to this penanl
\ could never free themselves from the siign
g. which it would fasten upon them. The pre-
/. ident of a council in the county Of Greene h
n subjected himself TO arrest and lnsprisonme
% by violating this statute. presume that
r.. hundred other members have been similar
of threatened. But let the past be forgotto
n. II. however. they shall be repeated after Il
m victim of their malice shall have trlumph'
ne over them, shall feel il my duty to enfor
g. the statute. It is time an end was put to
N. order thus insoent and anti-democratii
that Legislators should b, allowed 10 III
Ii. charge their duties ultra mueled by threa
ne of tar aud feathers, or, as IN one case, WI
n the glbbei.
We This association claims support from
ee people, on the ground that II was form
a. from necessity, to put down all eiiques, IA
he tons aud dynasties forever. That was, u
10 doubleday, the original purpose Of the orr
"A But what Is now IT'S object? Where, ON /
nd broad earth, can be found so dangerous
us clique, 50 infamous a faction, so despoti
m. dynasty It Is faction, sir, infinitely mr.
10 powerful in numbers than the JesuIts,
m. that order never numbered more than 20 on
M. and unspeakably more dangerous to ireedo
e., Il Is a dynasty more monarchieal, more d
potic, than any other human despotsm; a
Dr- a clique more corrupt and infamous than o
tx ever vet formed by man. And, sir, in W
~. l.. -