The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1860-09-21
Thc sedition Law.

Every person atall acquainted with IN,
infamous "Scdition Law" which under
took TO cocrco opinion and deny the lib
erty of speech and Of the press, will un,
doubtedly remember the odium and con.
dcunation it brought upon its authors
stephen a. Douglas is the only man oi
modern times who has felt the necessity
OF proposing the revival of this law
This he did last wintor ia the Senate. and
that our readers may have some idea Of
the nature Of this act, we give that pcr.
ton in point;
SEDIrtoN Acr.--"And be il further en-.
acted That 1t any porson shall write,
PRINT, utter or publish, or shall cause or
procure to be written, printed. uttered or
published, or shall knowingly or willing
y assist or aid In writing, printing, utter
ing or publishing any false, scandulous
aud malicious writing or writings against
the Government of the United States, or
either House OF Congress OF tho United
states, or the President Of the United
States, with intent to dciame the said
Government, or either House oi Convr,ss
or the said President, or to bring them or
elther OF thcm into contemptor disrepute:
or to excite against them, or either or any
OF them, the hutrcd Of the good people
OF the U. s., or to stir up soditon within
the U s., or to excite any unlawful com.
bnaions therein, for opposing or resist
ing any law of the U. s., or any act of
the President of the H. s., done In pur-
ssuance ofany such law, or Of thcpowers
IN him vested by the Constitution of the
u 81 then such person being thereof
convicted before any court of the u. s.,
having jurisdiction thereof shall be pun
lshed by a fine not exceeding two thou
sand dollars, and by Imprisonment not
exceeding two years.
Now hero is what Mr., Douglas had to
say on the subject.
MIR. Douglas, s,--"Mr President, the
mode OF preserving peace is plain. This
system ofscctioual warfare must cease,
The Constitution has given the power,
ana all we ask Of Congress is To give US
the means, and we. by indictments and
convictions in the Federal Courts of the
several States, will make such examples
Ut the leaders Of those conspiracies, as
viii strike terror intu the heurts of the
others, and there will be an end To all
this crusade. The great principles that
underlie the organization of tho Repub-
licon party are violent, irrcconcilable.
eternal warfare upon the institution of
American Slavery, witha view to its Ill
innate extinction throughout the und.-I
Sir confess the object ofthe legislation
contemplate is to put down this outside
interference; il is 10 reprcss the "irrc-
prossiblc conflict"
What do you think Of man, who, pro-
tossing paternity TO the doctrine of non
intervction, thus attempts to muzzle free
speechl Is itnot clear that Douglas had
nc. other object but t. defend and perpct-
uute the "lnstltution "a Slav,4y.'.
publican members saw this, and Senator
Harlan of Iowa, in order to test the in
tent and purpose Of the movement, of
fcred the following amendment as pro-
,iso:
"But the free discussion of the moruli-
y and cXpediency Of Slavery should new
er be intcrlered with by the laws of any
state, or the United States; and the free !
iom Of speech aud Of the press, on this
md every subject Of national and domes-
iolicy, should be maintained inviolate in
III the States"
This amendment was reiectcd-the
republicans voting for il, and all the
democrats against IL Thus the demo
ratio party has placed itself on the rec
rd' in the Senate, as the opponent orthe
reedom Of speech, and the right of the
eople to discuss matters which affect