Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1855-04-12

publish the following able article from the pen
of prominent citizen of our place We
expect the accession Of many Wings Of the
old school to our ranks. HENRY CLAY was a
glorious chieftain to fight under; but if he
could come to life, how his proud heart
would swell with indignation and sorrow at
the desertion of his principles by men who
once professed to be his followers.-EDs. Sen.
For the Sentinel.
Mob Violence and American Free
dom.
The recent demonstrations of mob vio-
lence made in defiance of all law and order
in Cincinnati, have served effectually to tear
of the mask from that political secret organ
ization whose boast hitherto has been, "the
preservation, unimpaired, of our rights and
Institutions as Americans" Our forefather
bequeathed us many high and holy rights.
But none so dear none so high, and none so
much to be guarded by free people, as the
right of freemen untrammeled to express their
choice through the ballot box of all law ma
1 Ore not what their professions may be, who
commit overt acts Of violence calculated to
intimidate voters, and thereby practically de-
stroy the freedom and sacrelness of the bal
lot box, is to be condemned and discounten-
anced by every one who would preserve our
institutions unimpsired for coming posterity.
Hithertoit has been our boast that the citi-
zen, native and adopted, could go to the same
polls and peacefully and fearlessly declare
his choice of rulers. But now political intol-
erance, aided and abetted by religious bigot-
nv, seems intent on the destruction of the pu-
rity of our elections Will not all true Anne
ricans still rally around this palladium of our
political safety, and guard it with the vigilance
of freemen? Will they not rebuke this fell
spirit of Protestant domination, and say to it,
''your Protestant Elizabeth is as bad as Cath
olic Plus" Will they not otreenthrone the old
American principle of full religious liberation
to all, and special grants and privileges to
none? Will they not say to Protestant intol-
erance, you will enslave us as well as any
other sect when once you come into unre-
strained power? History proves that allsects
unless neutralized by the presence of antag-
onistic ones are alike dangerous to religious
liberty.
Does it not seem strange, that in country
but just redeemed from savage wildness by
Europeans, there should arise among their
immediate descendants, party who are will
ing to say to Germany, The Home of
Thought,"-to Ireland the land of oppression
TO England our Mother-and 10 Scotland
the ancient guardian Of Protestantism-we
want none Of your sons as citizens Of our
Country Yet such is the case; we hethem
iHour very midst Under the plea of pro-
tecting Protestant Liberty, they reject the
assistance of the descendantSsa@ luther, Cal
win and Knox Can party, ,sbaEng itself on
such narrow principles, be of lasting duration
in this contry Never. The common sense
of the people will wither its fungus growth.
We are under too many and varied obliga-
tions as people to Europe. to be guilty of
such ingratitude. We could not if we would,
and we would not if fosuld, efface from the
columns of American freedom, the names of
Lafayette, DeKalb, Steuben and Montgomery,
foreigners one and all, whose patriotic love of
liberty led them to cross the sea to shed their
blood in defense of its principles on a foreign
soil amid strang people. We cannot erase
the historical fact that our Franklin was sent
to Europe for the ayowed purpose of procur-
ing aid from these very foreigners we now
affect such holy horror at receiving. Can
presumption further go.
The writer of this article has always been a
Whig-he has acted and voted with that
party-but when he has seen that party de-
sert, shamefully desert its principles and go
in search of strange Gods" he IS compelled
when deserted by them, to unite with that
party whose principles and practices most
nearly coincide with his own views. Such a
party he deems the Democratic to be, and
with it he intends to vote and act in the
future And he would counsel all Wings
who have heretofore been proud of the teach
ings of their Clay and Webster, to come from
among this nest of ''unciean, birds y and
never be found in union with abolitionism
and ballot box destroyers.
Yours truely, "WHIG."