The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-08-17
THE VICTIMS OF FPRESIDEyTTALTYPs AMY

FROM me II. /. Dd3ty \ c3US Of trtddV
We well remember the excitement in Europe
when the King of Naples, the Infamous Bomba
seized q few young men OF the first families and
immured them in that State fortress which is the
only gloomy thing upon the bright waters of the
beautiful Bay of Naples. The military guard
without warning, without accusation, surrounded
their houses at the hour OF midnight, and they
were torn from all the luxurious comforts Of splen.
did homes, to be buried alive III the damn of those
h0Frid dungeons in the rock sunk far beneath the
waters of the Mediterranean. They were suspected
OF hostility 10 the Government, and Of plotting re-
be!iion Their offence had this extent; no more
cry OF horror weat up from every nation in
Europe England demonstrated through the man
| ly appeal OF the indignant Gladstone France
raised her voice in denunciation Of the outrage
/ while Republican America shuddered, as she
thanked God that no such outrage could ever cast
stain upon her national escutcheob. We proessed
| to know what liberty was worth, and as we sent
cheering words to the regeueraors Of Italy, we to-
them "it is worth all your struggles, all your sac
| riices, your very blood" The vengeance of an
| oppTesssd d people soon rose to vindcate the race,
! and to punish their oppressor. Ali Europe stood
! aoof, and to-day Naples stands redeemed and dis
| enthraed. The Bourbon is banished from her
| soil, and she rejoces under the mild reign of q
monarch of her own choosing.
What American, when be read Of that vile act of
! the Infamous B0mba, could have believed that it
would ever be initiated with impuBity in the land
| Of W WasG,nRton? And vet, citizens of New York,
in fortress that commands your very harbor are
immured to-day the victims Of rs gross a tyranny
that exhibited by the former despot Of Naples.
That fortress was erected to defend your liberties
and yet, without the shadow of law, it has been
| made to hide within its stony bosom men whose
! liberties have been stricken down at a blow bv the
| mailed hand Of despOtic power. Without accusa-
tion, without the form of Law, in violation C every
constitutional guarantee, these victims of degpot.
! ism have been torn ruthessy from their homes -
Every effort has been made By their counsel to have
| access to them, but they have been repelled with
| the point of the inex0rabe bavonet. The act o
npIo H. "A .,,,b
surroundings, his traditional tendencies, and the
| limited conceptions of his people, was not hall so
gross an act of despotisa as this toul wrong done
| in open day, in what we once loved to cali ''iree
! republican America"
To Justify this high handed violation of the lib
erty of the subject upon the ground OF political
necessity, is insult to the Intelligence of every
frae-horn American citizen. No LAWYER but under
stands perfectly that from the peculiar nature o
the legislative power in this country, there can bt
no rightful authorization for it to suspend wholly
the securities of person and property at pleasure
anv more than to the executive. Since the Petition
of Right, it is hardly considered warrantable fo
the British Parliament to establish in whole coun
try unlimited reign of martial laws over its en-
tire population. But it is well known and admitte
that under our limited Constitutions to do this ma
be considered as the breaking up OF sound copst
tutiOna laws, no less than social order, restorip
the reign OF the strongest, and making mere phys
cal force the test OF right.
It's alarming to hear men talking of sanctio,
iug an Unlimited power, exercised either by Lggi
latures, or the executives, Courts whera all or
G Cover ments are OF themselves Governments
e limitations and checks; and of fixed and know
laws, while the people are a race of all others, ii
i most Jealous OF eneroacdments upon their hberte
8 No tribunal or department in our system OF go
ernment ever can, in any emergency be lawful
Q authorized to dispense with the laws, like the I
IS ranncai Stuarts,or to repeal abolish, or susPe
the whole body OF them or in other words ood 70
Is point an unrestrained military dictator. .aoas
10 Is the taires gift of Heaven Ii suci, ha bo
/, these are scanned lightly by the people whose ot
are endangered thereby it may Hsco@a soon GTme
pass that their sensbiities VI %i o fop all tbe
chartarad ra constiutonal rights may be swept aw'
st . bIow. only to find military despotism'
~ =. their place.
~ Prince Napoleon was to have left New Yo
] Yesterday on his Western trip.