The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1860-09-22

:. = 5; :,';:, l: e.. 4 , s,a,.:
M IN : - JAtthe J1eeB going to az
N th nfortulSe cembiso ticd y which, l -
sor1V - Ny, mo1k0f u&beiong
"Sir, says the Judge, give ~ snch . Law =
the Constitution contemplate and authorizes,
and viii show the Senator from New York that
here - = constitutional mode Of depressing the
srrpressible conflict against the peace Of H.
Republic and the domestic tranquility Of other
States TO select their cells, whcrcin 70 drug ont
miserable lifes - u punishmspt Tor ahsir crimes
igsinst the peace Of a0ciety."
Bat, in order 10 remoYe al doubt - = what
the conspiracy and combination ia, he proceeds:
Can rny man cay y % that, alsho.gk this
outrage has been pefpetfatcd o. Hafref6 Ferry,
there il no danger 81 ito rceurfencei Sir, Il not
the Republican party still embodied, organised.
confident Of success, and defiant In its prcsxn-
sionsl Docs il not nov hold and proclaim the
same creed a before the invasion These doc
tsines remain the same Tnoae teachings are
teing poured into the minds Of men throughout
the country 81 means Of speeches and pamphlets
and books and through parti1an presses. The
causes that produced the Harpcrs Ferry invasion
are now in active operation. z Mr.. Presi-
dent thdsnode Of preserving peace is plain,
This system. Of sectional warfare must cease.
a.
we ask of Congress 10 70 give the means, and We,
by indictments and convictions in the Federal
courte Of the several States will make such ex-
imples Of the leaders Of such conspiracies as,
will strike terror to the hearts Of others ah,s-
there win be an end Of thie crusade Sir, We
must check it BY crushing out the conspiracy ard
combination; and then there can be safety.
confess, when / read that speech, and the
resolution in defense Of which it was made.
stood horror struck--not as though had feared
that Congress could Be found 20 degenerate q.
| to pass such Law, but because Senatof had
been POUND who had the eifrontery to advocate
it in the open halls Of an American Legislature
This is not mere figure Of speech. ! do not
exaggerate. Only look at it. A reasonable at
tempt has been committed. The offenders are
punished. Mr.. Douglas introduces proposition
| for Law intended to prevent y repetition 0fthe
attea,pt He pretcnds to discover the origin Of
the reasonable attempt in the opinions and doc
trines Of great national party. He charges
that party with urging sectional warfare and
crusade against the institutions Of some OF the
States, and declares that this crusade is carried
ON by speeches, pamphlets, books, and partisan
presses-by ideas being poured into the minds
4 Of the people. He declares that there can be no
peace as long as those causes which produced
the reasonable attempt remain in active opera
ton. He proposes to check this crusade by
crushing out the conspiracies and combinations
1 By which it is carried on and the means by which
he intends to crush them out are indictments and
convictions in the Federal Courts, making such
i examples Of the leaders as will strike terror to
the hearts Of others lie proposes to open pris'
4 on cells for them, wherein to drag out misera-
BILE life. This is the proposition submitted to
the Senate Of the American Rcpublic-not by
the King of Naples, nor by the Vizier ofthe Tur
kish Sultan, nor the Chief of Police Of the Rus
sian Gar, not by one of the Terrorists Of ths
French Revolution-but by an American Sena
tor, on the cad Of July, 1860. will not stoI
to defend the Republican party against these ac
cusations. They are of SO ridiculous, SO prepos
ferrous nature, as not to call for the serious no
tice Of any candid man. But, no matter. Lei
us embody the intent and meaning of Douglass
resolution and speech in the shape of q law. II
will probably read as follows: 49,
'SEc. l. BE !. enacted, de-, That if any per
son or persons residing in any State or Terrific
ry, shall unlawfully combine orconspire togethc
with intent to invade, assail, or molest the gov
ernment iuh abitants, property, or institutions
any other State or Territory, or if any person o
persons. with intent, AS Aforesaid, shall counsel
advise, or attempt to procure any rot, INVASION
unlawful assembly, or combination, whether sue
: conspiracy, threatening, counsel, advice, or al
or they shall be deemed guilty of high misdr
meanor, and upon conviction ''esose any Cour
of the United States, having jurisdiction thereof
|. shall be punished by fine not exceeding
J dollars, or by imprisonment, during term lie
J less than - years, Hor exceeding 49, years
! and further, at the discretion of the Court, ma
| be holden to find security for his good behavior
, in such sum, and for such time as the Court ma
direct .. eg
This section would cover the conspiracies an
combinations themselves. But Douglas says tina
such reasonable things will be repeated as Ion
as the causes from which they spring remain j
! active operation. He. therefore, wants to crus
: out the causes; which may be done by sectio
second: LIE Fl, z.q..@
sSEc. 9. And be it further enacted. That
any person, inhabitant of any other State Q
Territory, shall write, print, utter or publish,o
shall cause or procure to be written, rrnted,u
tered, or published, or shall knowingly or vii
. ngly authorize or aid in writing, printing, utteI
ing or publishing any .scandalous or maliciou
writings against the Government, inhabitant!
laws, o, institutions Of other States aud Terrific
!. ries, with intent TO defame the said Government
inhabitants, laws, or institutions, or to excit
!, against them the hatred Of the good people {
any of the States, or To excite any unlawful cor
binations for invading, assailing, or molcstin
| u
situations of other States and Territories, bein
thereof convicted before any Court of the I'm
ted States having jurisdiction thereof he sha
be punished BY fine not exceeding - dollars
; and BY imprisonment not exceeding - years.
Every candid person will at once admit tina
these two sections, as have drawn them, cor
tain nothing-not single point, not a singl
expression that is not directly and expressly sus
! gested by Mr. Douglass resolution and speecl
/, II SO happens that law like this is not withou
precedent in the history Of this Republic. 1t
3 not quite unknown to our own Statute Book. 70
the two sections laid before you are embodie
with scrupulous accuracy. Mr.. Douglass propt
sitons are lie literal copy of The notorios.s Seeito
Lar Of 1898. 1 only put in Governments IL
, habitants, property, or institutions of othe
States and Territories" instead of "Govprnmes
! Of the United States or either House of Cor
gress." The rest is exactly alike; no. let rue nc
SANDER the Sedition Law. The terms Of impri
onnent prescribed by the Sedition Law are m,
derate, not exceeding two and five years respe,
lively, while Mr.. Douglas insists upon his victim
, dragging out in their prison cells their mise
able lives" Of which ten years would evident
not be sufficient. Then this Sedition Law W;
enacted only for very limited period, aft.
which it was to expire, while MIR. Douglas inten,
the Conspiracy Act to he permanent instit
1 t'OH Vi lile 1uOSC tNO IcdtsiTtS IiHh
the Sedition Law eminently liberal in compal
sou with Douglass Conspiracy bill.
There may be some old mau among us who r
members the time when the Sedition law W,
enacted--he will tell you that the same act who
was intended to prevent insurrection, led Peep
upon the very brink Of an insurrection; he vi
tell you that patriots, Mortified at that time Fl
the liberties OF the people, thought Of the niece
sity Of second insurrecton. The excitemel
of those days has left its monument in the hi
tory of this country-that monument is the Ke
tacky and Virginia resolutions, drawn by Jefe
son and Madison. These resolutions were Il
loud cutlery of patriotic hearts against the fir
J fragrant attempt at the Capitalization of Cover
: mental power. The Democratic party has /
: dorsed them again. 1t claims Jefferson MS
= father. What would Jefferson, the author
the Kentucky resolutions, say of his degenern
: offspring who have nominated man for Il
. Presidency who attempts to repeat the most t
9 rannical and outrageous act of the Fedcralists
y the same outrageous form? Would he not u
/, them that they must be mistaken in their ance
: try? }sR
: Let me show the consequence Of the mcasur
. and you viii understand why its forerunner CT