The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-07-06
EIee kiQhtQf Petition.

We published few days ago an account o
the seizure of petition, in the hands of Mr.
Guion, by the police of New York. This in
famous at tack upon the dearest rights of free
men, in the principal city of the free States, i:
arousing the people of New York to q sense o.
the degradation which is in store for them
and OF the fatal consequences of the military
| despotsm which has now supplanted tn;
CONSTITUTE onal Government Of the United
States. The Journal of Commerce, of Julyl
in laader, says:
An extraordinary proceeding was cEroni.
cled in the city news department OF the New
York papers on Saturday morning, in which
copies of a petition numerously signed by cit
liens of New York. and addressed to the Pres
dent of the United States, We're seized, taken
from, the possession OF those to whom they
had been Confided, and conveyed to the head
quarters of the police, where they are de-
tanned for public exhibl ton. 1t is not shown
that any proceedings have been had to au
thori1e the police to interfere with the sacred
right of petition, right as dear to every
American CT tiEen at the present day as it was
to the people of the Colonies when they com
planned that the British Government spurned
their prayers for relief, and denied the rign1
which the humb,est citizen has, to approach
the ruling powers with rec uesJs touching the
adm nis tration of the Government. 1t is diff
| fcult, as one after another OF the dearest
| rights OF freemen are violated, and article f.
| ter article Of the Constitution trampled under
| foot, by those who have soiemnly sworn to
sunport it. TO realize that we live under Il free
(;oyarnment or that we can lay claim to any
privileges which are not liable to be invaded
| by official pretention and assumed power
We doubt whether any considerable mum
Der of signers viii be frightened into withdraw
imp their names, but think it more likely that
il will receive large accessions from the indie
pendent iaen of the city, who dare exercise
their constitutional rights under threa tened
intimidation. There is no power short Of alb
so.nte tyranny which can interfere w tn the
right of petition, especially when that right is
exercised in q mode 80 void of offensive or
treasnnable language as in the present in
stance.
The New York Evening Express, which
thinks that Superintendent Kennedy is
stretching his prerogatives very far, quotes
the following from the Post;
AS many as twenty persons have erased
their names from the Compromise Petition
SINGS it ,fas Dsen IL the hands of the Police
Spperin9 endenf tne OF Two persons have
called e. Dead, tuqtters - erase tie,t na1nfs,
and artsr = aingept search pr the two lis =
have failed to find their own aaulrs ani Solfe
others which were on the paper they signed
There is, therefore, at least one more nuIner.
ously signed petition for compromise, "or a
peaceful separation" which the detectives
haze ,lea 70 discover. Superin tendent Ken
nedy continues n.2 aays OF srese t. signers
who wish 10 erase, nna viii act rsibii:'sa tae
is mere dragooning. II such things are ne
cessary-and they may be. AS every thing
seems necessary in civil war-give us at once
the government of Brigadier General Hall -
The moment We pass. or begin to pass from
tee si.di -Gw, tte military is the best of all.
4 soldier |. 81 raost j. gays re8ponsi Utility -
When we deal with epa SIette., TAe ali a,s.1 er-
stand what IL WHAT