Worcester daily spy., 1860-04-07
n-.n nAsr nE MIR. sANBoRN.

On our first page, to-day, we PRINT the
-, g Hon Charles Sumner, delivered in
tto senate against the resolution ordering the
;,,nr;sonment of Mr. Hyatt 1t is applicable
.o tbe case of Mr.. Sanborn, and, therefore, will
be likely to find our readers in mood to Pc
ruse it very carefully. They will find in it
a clear and convincing statement of the consti-
tutional powers of the Senate in relation to or
dering investigations and summoning witness
es. 1t shows clearly that the Senate has
transcribed its powers, and authorized pro-
ceedings that were never contemplated by the
trainers of the constitution as possible.
One OF our cotemporaries, speaking in depre-
cation of the indignation aroused by the illegal
and villainous attempt to arrest Mr.. Sanborn,
says very gravely 1t is the act of our own
government after all, towards one of its own
citizens" We do not see what apology or ex-
cuse can be furnished by this consideration.
If it were the act of some other government,
there would be no serious danger in it. We
have ready and sure defence against other
governments, We can defend freedom against
any foreign combinations that may be formed
against it, The danger does not begin until
our own government conspres against free
principles and attacks personal liberty. A
nation like ours cannot be destroyed unless it
destroy itself; and the destruction will come
by stealth, making gradual approaches, and
tearing down the bulwarks of freedom by
piecemeal The saddcst and most alarming
thing that comes into thought, when such
things arouse public indignation, is, that they
are done, not by Austria, or Naples, or Rus
sia, but by the government Of this republic
Let either of those despotisms, or all of then
together, undertake to do such things among
us, and we should laugh them to scorn. Bu
how shall we deal with the danger when i
comes from our own government?
Senator Mason and his political friends or
that Harper's Ferry investigating committee
have contrived to make their proceedings
against witnesses as odious as possible. The
investigation was ordered in the hope of dis
covering something that could be used agains
the republican party. But it has entirely failed
Nosuch thing has been discovered because there
was nothing of the sort to discover Never
theless, the malignant purpose that created tn,
committee has vented itself in arbitrary ant
tyrannical proceedings against some of the an
ti-slavery men who have been summoned as
witnesses. Proslavery men who might have
given important testimony have not been sum.
moned. They would not summon Henry A.
Wise, who gave them to understand that he
knew great deal, but could not be induced
to tell it. They would not summon the men
who were John Browns neighbors in Mary
land while he was preparing for that invasion
of Harper's Ferry. But they brought Mr..
Hyatt to Washington, where he is held in pris-
on; and they sent sneaking nlarauders to
Concord to kidnap Mr.. Sanborn. We have
had quite enough of this.
The warrant against Mr. Sanborn was dated
March 10Th; but no attempt was made to
serve it until after the Connecticut election.
This circumstance is very significant. Should
the sergeant-at-arms himself come to make
the arrest he would be powerless, for he cam
not, like sheriff or marshal, call out the posse
comitatus. This circumstance, it is said has
deferred the committee from sending him to
arrest John Brown, Jr. There is no likeli-
hood that the purpose to arrest either of these
men can be made successful. They have done
nothing to deserve arrest, and the good of the
republic requires that their prosecutors should
be baff1ed.