Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1856-06-24
An Eloquent Extract-Despotism or Lib
ertV

delivered by the Rev. Mr.. MAYO, at the
Indignation meeting in Albany on Friday
evening of last week:
The first effort of Despotism is to dis
arm the people, and well it knows if its
cane beats down free speech, it has taken
the armory of Liberty There is nothing
so welghty as words uttered from the
heights Of the moral sentiment by a fear
less man. A few words uttered on the
plains of Galilee, in three centuries scaled
the heights of Imperial Rome A few
words uttered in Germany shook the
throne of Ecclesiastical Rome. Let brave
men talk few years in America about
Despotlsm, as Sumner talked in the Sem
ate, and Despotism will soon be on its
knees beseeching its life. Why was that
speech SO weighty? Because it was the
first time the Christian Civilization of
America had distinctly taken the aggres-
slve, and from its heights of prophecy
swept down in words of fire upon the bar
barlsm of the Republic. Men say it was
severe. When was the moral sentiment
otherwise! 1t saw the nefarious plot to
deed over virgin empire to barbarism
and II called that plot crime. Men say
1t was personal. When was truth other
wise! 1t saw the men who had devised
this scheme against Freedom, and it call
ed them what they are, fanatics of despot-
ism. That speech was hurlirg charge
O. bayonets, and there can be no reply 20
it but the pistol and the bludgeon, for it
has routed the whole array of sham rea-
sons and legal bubbles in which this in
fanny was intrenched. Well does Des-
potlsm know that such mems tongues must
be cut out, or its days are numbered.
Now, shall we be disarmedz We have
free speech, our weapon Of incompatible
power, against which bullets and bayonets
quail. Shall we give THAT up when the
highwayman of tyranny says - stand and
dehver!" If we do we shall be driven to
the bludgeon, and then comes civil war
Free Speech or Civil War in America
which will you haye9 Talk of agitation
it is free speech that has saved the coun-
try from dissolution, and if we sheer the
rock of disuaion, free speech viii hold the
helm and bring us into port
Let the foes of Freedom bring forth
their strong reasons and subtle logic. Let
the friends Of Freedom go into the great
armory of the free Anglo Saxon speech,
where hang the weapons welded by migh-
ty men in other times. There hangs the
two-hanted sword with which John Nil
ton moved down the ranks of the Stuarts;
the glittering spear which Chatham drove
through the souls Of the enemies Of Amer
lea the battle-axe with which Fox smash
ed the naughty crests of tyranny; the ra-
pier with which Sidney Smith let out the
life of falsehood; and there hang the old
Queens Arms" the continental musket
and the rusty sword, and the pitchfork and
the staff made Of New England pine and
oak, torn up by the roots, with which our
Yankee progenitors charged down on
stamp act and port bill. Let who can
WELD these weapons again, and add to
them the new weapons of age, the School,
the Pulpit, the Newspaper, the Platform;
let us have jubilee of talk all round,
backed by the virtue and wisdom of the
nation, and we shall have no more Sena-
tors subdued," nor more Senators ''pun-
ished." Despotism viii stink back to her
bayous and everglades, and Freedom
reign all over the land. Let the word 90
from the Capitol of the Empire State, that
speech shall be free, and let the people
say AMEN.