Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1856-10-01


few days slnec, ~ R&v. James B. finley
one OF The Oldest ministers cf the Methods
Church and one Of the best known, was knock
cd do~n at Lewisburr, PrebIe Co, for come
part he was supposed 10 have taken in . Ere
| mont meeting. We have seen no charge thu,
he said or did anything wrong. He was simply
| victim 70 the spirit of outrage and violence
perpetrated In this professed land of liberty BY
the supporters Of the slave system. Lerisburf
/ is q small quiet place, in rural country, and
what happened there may happen anywhere
But, If there were any doubt Of what spirit per-
radcs the pro-slayery party, We have it display
/ ed in hundred other quarters. On Monday,
| We published an account Of the murder Of two
men, an assault on unprotected women and
children, BY q mob Of lrishmen, IN village OF
Indiana. The only cause Of this savage con.
duct was, that wagon. filed mostly with wo-
| men, was passing along, on which was display
ed picture representing . buck on his last
legs. There Was nothing personally offensive
| TO any ono in this. There was nothing more ap-
gressive than Is done at every political process
sion in this country. These are two Of the
most recent examples of violence we have re-
corded, but they are only examples. The land
" full OF them and SO far as we have observed,
Trey are almost nitsom exception on side
II Is the pro-slayery side, which enraged at the
danger Of failure, and excited by the experience
OF It's wrongs, resorts to insult, outrage and VIC.
lence. We had first the high precedent of bul-
~ striking Senator in the Senate Hall. Then
we had rape, robbery, murder and assassination
IN Kansas Then we have booksellers banished
from Alabama, mechanics from Carolina and
citizens from Virginia. And lastly in this peace.
fui Ohio, IN quiet country town, we have d VEN
cradle minister Of the Gospel bIudgeoned All
this has one, and only one cause that men have
dared to exercise freedom of speech towards |!
one OF the great wrongs of the land Atheists |
have blasphemed the living God, and dark I'M
quities are daily committed, yet we hear of no |
one mobbed or murdered on that account. It's |
only Slavery which claims a sacred immunity |
from all accountability! Heaven may be SCOT.
ed at and laws derided, but let no one dare to |
speak for freedom!
The violence which now reigns in this coun- |
try commenced in Congress- when Herbert was |
allowed to shoot down waiter and 20 unpunish-
ed, when Brooks could beat Senator almost |
to death aud be toasted, praised, and fattered |
for his act, and when such men as these could |
ind, what the world calls honorable associates
in Congress, then full play was given to the pas
ssion of the rude and violent. A half dozen
intoxicated, staggering DULLES can be found any
where to club decent man, or knock down a
clergyman. When shall this cease? We can
tell when it will not cease. 1t will not cease till
freedom ofspeech is established everywhere and
anywhere in this land. The American freeman
is not made of such soft stuff that he will Weld
to DULLES and swaggers. Freedom of speech,
however, will never be fully established while
slavery believes it prevail till it is instituted
within its own limits, the same spirit of intimi-
dalton will be continued
Our country was never filed with so much
violence as it isnow. Let every man look at
the case. Let him see where it belongs, who
doesit, for what purpose, and he will have be-
tore him one of the most perfect pictures ever
exhibited of the real effect of great moral wrong
in degrading the human character and extending
It's influence through all the covenants of liberty.
We have class of people who say, that if
nothingis said about any of the great wrongs
Of the world, nobody will be offended OF
course not. The darkest sin of the human
heart is not offended if the conscience be asleep;
when the world observes it not; when no accu-
ser calls it in question. "Let it alone" says
timdity, and We shall have peace.
The time for that policy is past. The moral
controversies Of mankind win 60 on till the
right prevails 1t is by the prevalence of the
right only that We can end the controversy and
produce peace. Let us then press on, and if
he victory comes not to-day, it will come bet
er and brighter tomorrow.