The southern aegis, and Harford County intelligencer. (Bel Air, Md.) 1862-1864, 1862-10-04
Ex-Pr esident Pierce on State Necessity.

Ex-Pr esident Pierce on State Necessity.
4 We give below an extract from speech
of Ex-President Pierce, delivered in the
United States. Senate, in 1912, on the
question of removals from Office, in which
he depicts the serious consequences of
Estate necessity :"
zone word more and / leave this sub.
ject-a painfaF one fof'me, from the be-
ginning to the end. The Senator from
North Carolina, in the course of his re-
marks the other day, asked, do gentle
men expect that their friends, are to be
retained in Office against the will Of the ma
ton ? Are they so unreasonable as to
expect what the circumstances and the ne
cessity of the case forbid p What our
expectations were, is not the question now;
but what were your pledges and promises
before the people. On previous occa-
sion, the distinguished Senator from Ken
lucky (Mr. Clay) made a similar remark
'An ungracious task, but the nation de-
mands it, Sir, this demand of the ma
tion-this plea of Estate necessity let me
tell gentlemen, is as.old as the history Of
wrong and oppression. 1t has been the
standing plea-the never failing resort of
despotism. ....
''The great Julius found it convenient,
when he restored the dignity of the Ro-
man Senate, but destroyed its sedepen-
dence. 1t gave countenance to, and JUS
tilted, all the atrocities of the Inquisition
in Spain. 1t gave rtterance to the stifed
groans from the black hole of Calcutta
1t was written in tears upon the Bridge
of Signs in Venice; and pointed to those
dark recesses, upon whose gloomy portals
there was never seen returning tootstep.
at was the plea Of the austere and am
bilious STAFFORD, in the days of Charles
the First. 1t filed the Bastile of France,
and lent its sanction to the terrible afro
cities perpetrated there. 1t was the plea
that snatched the mild, eloquent, and pa
triotic Camille Desmoulins from his young
and beautiful wife, and hurried him upon
the hurdle to the guillotine, with thous-
ends of others equally unoffendiDg and in
nocent. 1t was upon this plea that the great
est of generals if not of men-you cannot
mistake mel mean HIM, the presence of
whose very ashes within the last few
months was sufficient to stir the hearts of.
a continents was upon this plea that he
adjured that noble wife, who threw around
his humble day light and gladness, and
by her own lofty energies and high in-
tellect, encouraged his aspirations. 1t
was upon this plea that he committed that
worst and most fatal act of his eventful
life. Upon this, too he drew around his
person the imperial purple. 1t has in all
times, and in every age, been the foe of
liberty, and the indispensable stay of
usurpation.
"Where were the chains of despotism
ever thrown around the freedom of speech
and of the press, but on this plea of State
necessity?' Let the spirit Of Charles the
Tenth and of his ministers answer.
SIT is cold, selfish, heartless and has
always been regardless of age, sex, condi.
ton, service, or any of the incidents Of
life that appeal to patriotism or humane
ty.
"Wherever its authority has been ac-
knowledged, it has assailed men who stood
by their country when she needed strong
arms and bold hearts and has assaulted
them when, manned and disabled in her
service, they could no longer brandish
weapon in her defence.
"It has afflicted the feeble and Deepen
dent wife for the imaginary faults of her
husband. ','' NJ taa
'It has stricken down innocence in its
beauty, youth in its freshness, manhood
in its vigor, and old age in its feebleness
and decrepitude. Whatever other plea of
apology may be set up for the sweeping,
ruthless exercise Of this civil guillotne at
the present day-in the name of Liberty,
let us be spared this fearful one of State
necessity in this early age of the repub-
lie, upon the floor Of the American SEN
ate, in the face Of a people yet free"
Melancholy, but too True.
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