Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1860-04-14
CULMINATION OF THE sENATORIA L
DESP0TIsM n IN THE IMPRISONMENT
OF MR. HYATT

The Slave Despotism is rapidly bringing forth
its fruits. At the instgaton and in the service Of
that Despotism, the Senate Of the United States,
assuming to themselves the power and functions
of Judicial Court, without its safeguards of jury
and trial for the citizen, have thrown into prison
one Of the Citizens of a Sovereign State, accused
of no crime, indicted for no oEense, deprived now
of his liberty, without one process of law, at the
bare vote of body having authority over him,
except that Of their own irresponsible will The
Senate have presumed to cothe an ordinary Com
mitee Of Investigation with the powers of an In
. QUESTION, and the character and authority Of q
Judicial Court. Having done this, they then as
sumed the denial of the right and authority o.
such Court to compel any man to appear and ans
wer before it,as being contempt of the Senate and
then, assuming and affirming Mr.. Hyatt to have
been guilty Of that crime of contempt, without
trial, without investigation, they throw him into
prison, themselves the accusers, the jurors, and
tho Judges and the Executiye,-winesses bein I
dropped out, not even the form of calling or exam
ming them being vouchsafed.
Under this dread, indefnable accusation of con
empt, no act or word or motion or intention of
contempt having been mentioned or proved; under
this dread and awful power of accusation as for
crime, Of contempt against body, to whose au-
thOrity the individual 50 accused owed no person
al allegiance, except as merely coordinate
branch of the general Government, and then ONLY
in specific, definite, known cases; under this com
prehensiye creative power cf beth constituting
crime aud furnishing it at one blow, without in
Gictment and withoRt trial, free, innocent citi-
zen Of sovereign State has been thrown into
prison, there to lie, until he shall purge himself
as the phrase is, Of that crime of contempt, Of
which he is accused in uttering his honest CON
Viction that the Committee or Court of the Senate
have no power given to thep, by the Constitution
to compel him to answer before their bar Until
he shall purge himself of tho alleged crime of
contempt, by pe9wing himself before Cod by de-
claring what in his conscience as an honest man,
and in his independence as free citizen Of the
United States, he cannot declare, namely, that he
believes the Court Of the Senate to have the
authority and right or constitutionaly the power
to compel him to answer, he must | Q and rot in
prison, at the command of the Senate, without
even the form Of any trial for any crime, at the
bare declaration of the Committee of the Senate,
or notification of the Secretary President of that
Committee, that he is guilty of contempt
Not that he has refused 70 appear, not that he
has refused to answer; such thing at all; but
simply that he has averred that the Committee of
the Senate, have no right to compel him to appear
and answer! For this, as for the crime of con-
tempt of Court, this man is thrown into prison;
not on trial. not even to await any trial. not per-
mited to be tried, or to answer for himself, to
have jury to pronounce upon his guilt or in
nocence, but the concluded and declared,
the accusation, the conviction, the sent
ence and the punishment; and, We may add,
the previous creation Of the crime, all begun and
completed at once, all at one blow Under this
dread, indefinite, comprehensive power Of accusa-
ton, sentence and punishment, without statute,
without investigation, without jury, without wit
nesses, without answer, and without Judge, the
the party assuming to be the offended party being
at once Judge, Jury, and High Sheriff, where
may The reach of this despotism stop? Where is
there eny restraint upon it, where any protection
against it? Why may it not proceed to an ms
tant deprivation Of life, as the adequate determn-
ed punishment Of the alleged crime of such CON
tempt? And who is safe from being its victim
Ii the Senate have power to throw a man into pris
on for alleged contempt, without statute, without
trial, they have to put man to DEATH The
same underlined, illimitabie power, with en- addi-
tional screw at the machinery, might take Mr.
IIaytt's head off, before his native Sovereign
State the proper protector Of his personal liberty
could have time, or would summon energy, to act
in his defence. any extreme Of despotism is pos
sible, under the despotsm of the Slave Oiigar-
chy beneath which we are Iow groaning
The progress of this act of despotlsm teens with
warning to the people of the United States. Are
they willing to have this new precedent oftyranny
established? Ifso, then we may be sure it is on
| ly preliminary of dreadful tragedies. The same
power that could arrest Mr.. Haytt and throw him
into prison, dragging him from his family, his
business his freedom Of social life and enjoyment
Of his accustomed civil privileges without crimo,
without even suspicion or accusation Of crime, and
then throw him into prison for his denial of the
authority Of the Inquistion that has arrested him,
making that crime, and pulishiRg him for that
created crime, without trial, and proceed to any
length, and will DO it speedily, in regard to con-
structive treason, Tho power could drag
any clergyman from his pulpit, and put him to
the torture Of an inqustion as to his opinions,
and if he should assert the opinion that, that pow
or is is not of God, is not lawful, and cannot be
obeyed, could throw him into prison. Give to the
same power single opportunity to work as the
tool of the slave dospotism with the doctrines of
constructive treason for conspirng against the
peace, government, and security ofa slave state,
in disseminating insurrectionary and reasonable
opinions ir regard to its domestic institutions, the
security Of such institutions being guaranteed, as
alleged by the Constitution, and not minister of
God who dares open his lips to denounco slavery |
as sin, will be safe in his personal liberty. The
Senate may, at any moment create Court OF In,
quiry as to tho Gauss of, or completely with, any
outbreak or violence, any case OF the escape of
slaves, and under pretenso of authority commit
ted to that Court, many summon and arrest and
throw into prison any preacher Of the Gospel
from Main to Texas Dr. Checgc, Independent |
rrl !