Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1860-06-02
TBADpEus HYATT.

We commend The following extract from the
speech Of DR.. Cheever, at the New York Aunigcr.
sary. to the special consideration of our readers,
Our liberties are going down to the pit,snd we
with them, by submission TO such iuvasions, and
the breathing Of such pestilential winds Of doc
thine that accompany them as fast as any remorse-
less and successful d~espotism could ever carry us.
There lies at this moment in Washington jail, for
conscience sake, and for tho assertion Of our
rights, our liberties, a free citizen, our friend aud
LrOther-a very Hampdcn in his position, and as
mole and sincere in his soul II Gnely toned, en-
tlusiastic, noble spirit-Our friend and brother
Hyatt and it is conscience and the rights Of con-
scienco yours, mine-that are outraged in his inn
pfisonment, Law, tr1th, conscience, justice, equi-
ty, freedom, piety, everything dear to us, is outrag-
eG in this act. Mr.. Hyatt treated the Senate with
marked Difference and respect. lie presented him
self freely before them. lie did not refuse to ans
wer any Of their questions that might DO put
TO him in courtesy, and not thrust upon him I'M
der the uplifted lash of the slave.driver. lie me-
rely denied, as in his conscience ho was bound to
deny, thai they had any right to compel him to
answer. And Tor that declaration, rs for c'ime'
this insolent body Of the peoples servants, instant
ly, as though they were a court of justice sitting
on trial, and armed with the indefinite and awful
power of accusation and punishment Of what is
called Contempt of Court, threw this free citizen
into prison. Why, my friends, if the man had
committed a crime, it would have shielded him
They could not have dealt with him could
no; have touched him with the finger Of their des
potism ; but being innocent, and declaring him.
self governed by q conscience towards God, being
accused Of no crime, and guilty Of none, so as not
to come within the jurisdiction Of any law, they
can treat him, driven by their own despotic rage
at bis claim of conscience, as they could not treat
even q felon. If he had been accused Of some def
Lite aud horrible crime-if he bad really commit
ted it, before and against that body-lf he had
drawn q revolver and shot Senator Mason through
tie heart-theu they could not have condemned
him nor punished him without trial could not
even have arrested him without a warrant could
not have moved one step against him, without in
dictment, court, judge, jury, counsel, witnesses,all
But he having, without any crime, declared to the
Senate that in his conscience he did not think or
believe that an investigating INIT Of the
Senate had lawful power to compel him to answer
their questions, for that declaration, as for crime,
they can hurry him away to prison on the instant,
ONeIIIuInSs Cueu'uSI ahuiu''oNhS
dictment, trial, court, judge, jury and witnesses,
all in one motion, all at one blow. Now, consid-
err what an enormity is this. What an awful, il
responsible power is here claimed and exercised,
by which, at any time, through subtle manage
ment in the Senate, raising a Committee with
powers, a fa,tiln in that body may seize any
man obnoxious to it, any man, anywhere, who
stands in the way of its will, its tyranny, and put
him out Of the way, without the uncertain, slow
and dangerous operation even of false accusation
of crime, which indeed could not bring him before
them. But any p~retence Of being engaged in any
investigation FOR the people can, according tt
this assumed power and his liberty is taker
from him without trial, and without any powel
of. the people to restore it to him If this can b'
done, if this can be endured, we are the most pitt
able power-ridden and hypocritical pretenders t.
freedom that ever breathed.
If the Investigating Committee Of the Senate
had been sitting as a Court, even of legislation
there might have been some little shadow OF au
thority because, in a Judicial Court, the bo1l
are presumed to possess, and by custom do pos
sess. this despotic power to throw o man instantly
into prison for contempt Of Court a power 81
liable to be abus d las in the case of PASSWORD
williamson that it ought not to be permitted
without a trial by jury, as for every other crime
But the Committee of the Senate was no such Ju
dicial Committee, no such Court. A Committe
cannot clothe itself with the powers of q Court
nor be so invested. The Senate cannot create an!
such Court, nor transform itself into any sucl
Court. But even if it could, this Committee wer
no such Court, but a mere political resort, an IN
strument raised for a purely partisan, political oh
iect, no necessity for it, no interest of the natio
demanding it, no new legislation requisite, or cor
templated by it, nothing under heaven in vie'
but the protection of slave property and the IL
crease Of the Slave Power.
The assumption. therefore, of the powers an
sacreduess Of a Court Of Justice, for the sake
furnishing Mr.. Hyatt, was a contempt of the who
people ; and The exercise Of any such power is
daring asurpatiOn beyond law and against law,
would have graced the annals of Caligulu, an
Tacitus would have recorded its endurance by th
people, as one of the evidences how irrecoverabl
they had lost the spirit Of freedom, and yielde
themselves in utter degradation to the tyrant
will. This usur2ation is the most bareiaced in
guilty yet ommitted by any branch of our govern
nent. Even a Judicial Court could not exerci'
this tremendous power IF imprisonment for COT
temp. without trial, except in pursuance of the
Iegitima ate vocation. II Judge fancy and his a
sociates should form themselves into an Invest
eating Committee, to look into the causes and col
sequences of the boiling or splitting in the Charlie
ton Convention. and should summon witnesse
does any man in lis senses imagine that thu
would have the power OF throwing a Democrat i
to prison for contempt of Court in not answerin
or ia asserting a right of conscience or for afhrr
ing. on his conscience, that they had no authori
given them by law to play the inquisitOr oV
him
The temper and daring that are capable Of tn
outrag. against Mr.. Hyatt, when it is found tn
such au outrage can be endured, and thereto
can be safely committed, will do anything, W
sbr,nL from nnthing. In the service of the Sla