Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1856-09-12
Free Speech. and Free Mails!

james Buchanan ~ IN favor of senrch'
ing the mails lest some "incendiary pub
lica,ions" should be carried through
them. Here is an extract rom the Sen.
ate Journal Of 1895.
eWednesday. June 8. Is36.--On mo.
ton Of Mr.. Calhoun. the bill to preve n
the circulation Of In ccndary publication
Ctouching the subject OF Slavery'') in
the mall, was taken up on the third
reading.
1.-THE bill was lost ON its passage, BY
the following vote:
"Yeas--M Messers. Black, Brown,
BUCHANAN, ( aIhoun, Cutbert, Grun.
dy. King Of Alabama, King Of Georgia
Msngum, Moore, Nicholas. Porter,
Preston, Rlves, Robinson, Tallmadge,
Walker, Wright. White-i9.
"Nsys-Messers. BENTON. Clay,
Crittenden, Davis, Ewing of Illinois
Ewing OF Ohio. Goldsborough, Hen
bricks, Hubbard, Kent. Knight, Mexican
Leigh, Morris, Nsundain, Niles, Prem.
tiss. Ruggles. Shipley, Soutaard, Swift
Upton. Tomlinson. Wall. Webster
25."
Speaking OF this vote the New Albany
Tribune saws:
The vote OF James Buchanan, IN the
Senate OF the United States, to examine
the mails. and prevent the circulation oi
what u called "fncendiary PubIica.
tions." we regard as one ,f the most In
excusable and atrocious acts ever per.
formed by any man protesting 10 be O
statesman or a patriot. What was Il!
Nothing less than commissioning the
officers Of the Government to act the
part Of highway robbers. The Govern.
ment has no right to open the mails
examine private letters, and suppress
them. On the contrary such an act Is
In direct opposition TO the Constitution
The very idea OF examing the peoples
letters is repugnant to all sense aud de-
cency; and in gross violation Of AL
right. II the Government has the
right to examine the mails for one class
OF documents, they have for another
II they can suppress one, they eau
ano,her. Yet-be IL remembered
James Buchanan (now candidate for
PresidcnD voted while In Congress to
examine and suppress the mails. Yes
1.-The love-lettsr OF every girl, the ac-
count Of every merchant. the confpen-
tial correspondence of friends---ln fine
all that is private, confidential and
friendly. scco ding to tho vote of this
man, was TO be examined, scrutinIzed
exposed to the eye or sneer Of imperti
nen. officers. and u by chance, II con
tanned line in favor cf human Free
dom. to be suppressed. If this act b,
closely examined. Il will be found ons
OF the most atrocious examples Of I
tempted tyranny on record. t.a
The case will appear worse when W,
look into the cause OF this extraordinary
attempt. IL waste prevent the fre'
circulation Of opinion on the subject o
slavery. in the slave States. No matte
If the correspondence, or the document
were sent from one citizen in the slav'
States TO anothes--.it made no differ
ence. There 10 as much danger Of a
outbreak Of Southern opinion as o
Northern. The point was TO suppress
discussion. atll
We have said that all private cores
pondence might be violated, for tn
plain reason that the search Of the mail
for one purpose. and the suppression Q
any one class OF documents, include
necessarily the search OF the Who'll
mail; for Il could not be told that tn
smallest letter did not include an inces
diary document. We thought, and sti
think that bill was the boldsst atte mr
at high handed usurpation taat has evs
been made In Congress. Mr.. Buchsna
voted for Il, but happily for the countr,
u tailed, and the Democratic party thcI
by accident. saved itself from a measur
whose reaction would have des,roye
liz.