The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-01-04
From the n. 7. Tndepende
THE STRIDES OF DEsPoTIsM.

/ T6E OF UESfUI1SA'
What makes Austria despo' ismif The
absence of written Constitution : Not this
alone or necessarily. While the absence OF o
Constitution may give 10 an autacrat some
special facilities for expressing his subjects. q
designing and INSCRIPTIONS ruler may make .
Constitution the instrument of oppression
Is then an autocracy the essential feature Of
a despotism ? But an autocrat like the pres.
ent Czar of Russia, may use his absolute pow.
er for measures OF benefcient reform, What
makes Despotism Unrcrupuiols md op
pressive taxation But we may bayeethis in
New York through forms of leqisIatie used
to cover and support official corruption in tho
direct representatives of the people, When
we look at Austria we trace her despotism in
such acts as these the arbitrary censorship
of the press; government surveillance over
the contents of the mails; system of espion.
age upon the opinions conversation, and social
intercourse of citizens restrictions upon To-
comotion by means of passports and the EN-.
ployment of travelling spies the prohibition
of assemblages for the discussion Of measures
of public policy and the frequent arrest Of
persons on mere suspicion of dissent from the
government; all this maintained by an almost
ubiquitous police and military force, and by
courts which ajudicate every question at the
will of the reigning power. 1t is in such facts
as these that one discerns the despotism of
the Austrian government.
And yet of all these features of Austrian
despotism only one is wanting. to-day in these
United States Already by the decision of
the Postmaster-G General the mails are placed
under the espionage of the petty functionaries
of despotism. Not only are newspapers with.
held from subscribers at the will Of Southern
|postmasters but private correspondents is
inspected with view to implicate citizens in
an alleged conspiracy against the Government.
The channels of the book-trade are obstruct.
led, and the circulation, either by ordinary
sale or by special eolportage. of books deemed
Injurious to the institution of slavery, is made
ia penal offense. The right Of locomotioD is
denied to citizens of the United States who
are supposed to entertain certain opinions on
the subject of slavery. Spies are employed
to report the conversations of gentlemen ia
: the cars or at the hotels. For giving his pri-
vate opinion as to the invasion at Harpers
Ferry, citizen of Washington is arrested and
put under bonds to keep the peace. A,mag.
istrate of Phadelphia discharges from Gus.
tody man who was arrested for melting q
, riot against an anti-slavery lecturer, and
volunteers the opinion that had the lecture
hall been destroyed by a mob, "the owner
could not have recovered from the city. as he
had rented it after full knowledge of the in.
! eendisry character of the address to be deliv.
7 cred there, and Of the excited state of the
3 public mind on the subject. There wants
but one thing more to make the despotism
! inaugurated in these United States perfect
: counterpart of that in Austria. and that is
: what Governor Wise demands, that the Pres
ident of the Uuited States shall distribute O
! military force throughout the free States to
prevent discussion aud combination for the
+ overthrow of slavery. -szezsE
Silently, stealthily, but with alarming swift
! ness and certainty have these strides Of .Des-
! potism been taken. Beginning in that idea
: of centralized Federal power, which was q
! favorite conception of Mr.. Webster when he
: dilated upon the Republic of the United
States" taking advantage of the timidity and
cupidity of one section of the country, and
} the domineering and rapaeious spirit of snoth.
er, using the occasion for arbitrary aad militia.
~ dictation in Kansas. subordinating the Su.
! preme Court to its behests, this Despstism
has encroached upon the dearest rights of cit
izens, till it threatens to crush them all. The
past is full of warning the present is full Of
peril. The reasonable faction of shareholders
which now domineers over the South, knows
what to exact OF the frightened cupidity of
Northern mercantile and political capitalists,
} and knows also that the Democratic party will
be its plant tool, Only the most resolute re.
sistance of the Republican and Opposition
: members of Congress can arrest the strides of
despotism toward military occupation of the
whole country for the protection and advance.
ment of Slavery.
II The people of the Northern statesare reap.
ing what they have sown. They who are in.
different to the rights of others, depreciste and
fnally forfeit their own. By conniving at the
outrages of Southern slavery Northern men
have prepared the way for that Despotism
which now assumes to control the trade, the
travel, the correspondence, the literature, the
discussions of the whole country, and which
is ready 10 unsheath the sword for civil war.
To overthrow a Despotism already SO ram.
pant, will require the united energies of ell
true friends of the Liberty and the Union We
have inherited from our fathers. The opposi.
tion must be aimed at the seat Of the usurpa
ton. The Federal Government must be thor.
oughly reformed. and purged Of all completely
with Slavery, that true patriotism in the South
| itself may be liberated from terrorism which
keeps it down, and that the North may be
emancipated from that political bondage to
Slavery which has well-nigh crushed out" iss
s.anhood. The man who in these times lends
himself to any party or measure contriyed in
the interest Of Slavery, surrenders himself to
Despotism which viii soon destroy every right
and hope which he has cherished as citizen
Of these United States 2
--s-<...-a 12--
Do you know the prisoner, Mt. Jones z
Yes, to the bone
What is his character ?
Didn't know he had any
H. H.