The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1861-12-12
)IUME 3. EBENSBURG, PA, DECEMBER II,

! than be ruled bv the Will Of the ma jority
| of nation of treemcn. they hazard the
, experiment of breaking to pieces govern
ment strong in the affections o. the penple,
powerful for their protection, aud justly
revered by the enlightened and the true
| in every civilized nation. When these
disappointed aspirants cannot rule In our
! national counselS, they would bring ruin
on the land and pull to pieces the whole
! social edifce aud leve. to the ground with
uusparing vengeance the bulwarks of our
! liberty In this melancholy spectacle we
/ have an affecting instance Of men so given
! over to judicial blindness and so far under
| the wicked devices Of their own deceitful
| hearts, as to "u.e their liberty for cloak
cf maliciousness." Under the fdkSe DretcnSe
| of contendng for constitutional rights,
which were never invaded nor infrlnged
even In the least respect, they are perpe-
tratlng the most grievouS wrongs Oh the
very foundation and frame work of our So
cial institutions. The principles Of such
men are worse than erroneous; they are
sinful and wicked to the last degree, and
if perchance they should succeed III this
uni njustifable attempted revolution, they
would only build up their own aggrandise
ment upon the PROSTATE liberties Of beg
CARED and ruined nation. When they
speak lightly Of an ordinance Of God and
OF the obedience due such a valuable in
stitution, when they teach others to
despise and discard the powers that be,
they are letting in food of moral and
political e, lis, which, in turn, may, with
fearful violence, sweep off the face of the
earth those who have aided, abetted and
/ inaugurated this SAD drama of blood and
! fire and desolation. No men could commit
greater crimes upon society than those
who have plunged whole communities into
, rebellion, aud couspired to set all law at
/ defiance, and TO overthrow our free con-
stiiutiOn.
/ In this favored lauI We enjoy liberty
! Of speech such is is not known under any
government on earth. We may freely
discuss measures Of general usefulness, and
give expression 10 opinions on all topics
pertaining to the public good. But this
is 4 liberty secured within prescribed and
reasonable limits. We may not, therefore,
indulge in blasphemy, nr SANDER, or evil
communications that would sap the foun-
dations Of virtue and patriotism. And yet
with some this liberty has degenera:ed
into hccntiousness. They have so perycr-
ted end abused this liberty of speech as tn
make it Il cloak Cor maliciousness, beneath
which they have insidinusIy a>sailed and
traduced government itself Under this
false pretense of liberty of speech, bad
men have ditfused the most dangerous and
revolutionary sentiments; and when, as 4
measure of self-delence and self-preserva
ton, government has wisely restrained
these treason mongers. the affected cry OF
gag hW has been raised, by those who
bent on mischief, were trampling upon the
common law of the nation.
We here enjoy liberty of the press
greater than that which is known in the
most favored lands. But this privilege is
also granted within those provisions nee
essary for the public good. 1t is not that
unlawful and liccntious liberty Of printing
and circulating sentiments that would OF
fend modesty and break down the barriers
that protect the virtue and chastity of onr
people. 1t Is not that liberty which would
warrant the publishing of the atheistical
dogma that for slight cause, or without
cause, men may rebel against lawful au
thority, aud pull up and break down with
paracidious hands the fair temple where
liberty, pure and beautiful, mas made her
favtrite residence. And when men will
not, out OF respect to the divine warming,
and for the upholding of Il divine ordinance
use their liberties as the servants of God
but abuse and pervert them, by making
them Il cloak for malicious words and acts,
we have no sympathy for them, when,
under the strong arm Of the law, they are
placed where they arc powcrlcss and una
bic to use their liberty for cloak Of
maliciousness.
As a Christian people in name, and
above all, as the servants of God, let Us
appreciate our liberty and SO use it that it
may be fruitful in blessings to ourselves
and to others. And while many of our
misled and infatuated fellow citizens
wantcnly cast it away, and rudely strike
at an ordinance of God, let us the more
fondly cling around the halluwed shrine
of freedom, and more warmly love that
beautiful banner-sweet emblem of liber-
ty-which has so long waved in triumph
over the land of the free. Let us show
the loyalty of our hearts, and the patriot
ism OF our religion, by cheerfully yielding
moral, and, If in the providence of God
it should be needed, the physical support
OF our own strong arms for sustaining
that now endangered government which