The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-02-09

The HARPER's FERRY TRIALs-CONvICTIoS OF
STEVENS AND ARGUMENT OF Hrs CouNsEL.-In
another page we publish an eloquent speech Of
Mr.. Sennott in defence of Stevens, tried at
Charlestown for being concerned in the Har.
per's Ferry treason. Though it is plausible,
and even contains much of what is true. it
could not save the unfortunate prisoner. In
deed, portion of it was calculated to do him
irrepsrable damage, by exciting the political
prejudices of the jury.
When Mr.. Sennott says that the era of frater-
nal good feeling has passed away, and that
brother is quarrslling with brother in these
eds United" States, and that the chief
cause of it all is the professional polti-
clan, "the feeblest production of the decay
of American statesmanship-a thing that has
neither heart nor brain, but only tongue
and belly" we think he so far speaks
the truth. But he does not 60 to the root of
the matter. He assumes that if Garrison
had been let alone, and not made sort of
martyr Of by being half hanged, the abolition
sentiment never would have gained ground in
the North. That may be true. But we go q
step further back, and say If Garrison had not
commenced crusade against the South he
would not have been molested; and though we
are opposed to all violence, we think that the
sentiment which prompted Boston mob to
lynch Garrison was more creditable to the city
than that which afterwards effected the rescue
of fugitive slave out Of the hands of the off,
GERS of the law and murdered Marshal of the
United States while acting in the discharge of
his duty. The feeling which animated the peo-
pie to put rope around the neck of Garrison
was more patriotic than that which inspired
them of late to canonize the traitor John
Brown. Had there been no Garrison, there
! would have been no John Brown and no Aaron
Stevens to pay the penalty Of the crime to
which his teachings melted them. And Garri-
son and Giddipgs deserve hanging more than
| either of these unhappy men.
Mr.. Sennott does not class Garrison and
Phillips and Howe among the professional poll
ticians, but among his most esteemed friends
most orthodox on slavery; and he claims for them
the right to say just what they please against
shareholders, and the right of all to go and hear
them. He says that the professional politicians,
who are as numerous and as useless as the
thistle and the burr" take advantage of the
anti-slavery agitation, and fan the fame for
their own base purposes. But if the incendia.
| ry fire had not been kindled by Garrison Phil.
lips, GiddiDgs, and such men, the politicians
could not fan it. And is not the tanning of the
fame the very thing that his friends Garrison
and company most desires Little they care by
what means the confagration gains Roadway
| if it burns fercely. It matters not that the
politician who throws pitch and turpentine into
| the fire is " a bankrupt shoemaker, who prefers
to swindle and 60 half starved rather than
work and pay his honest debts" He is just the
man for them. Mr.. Sennott admits that the
North has no right to NEEDLE with the instittl-
ton of slavery in the South, but he says the
people of the North have right to the free en-
| joyment of another institution of their own-the
right of free speech, the right to abuse and de-
nounce slavery and shareholders to their hearts
content-a right, indeed, which Mr. Sennott is
not backward to exercise even in Virginia,
where he mathematics slavery and its abomi-
nations" and calls it "the detestable thing"
Now, we deny thatthe people of the North have
this right. 1t Is RIGHTEOUSNESS, and not liberty.
For it is condition of true freedom that we
must not abuse it to the detriment of our fellow
citizens. The men Of Boston, it is admitted,
have nothing to do with Southern slavery.
Why, then, do they assail an institution for
which they are not responsible, il they desire to
maintain good neighborhoods What would
people think of the sincerity of the man who,
coneeding that he has no RICH. 70 NEEDLE