M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1863-09-24
The Presidents ReI,-

my Lord, can ring a bell on my
right hand and order the arrest of q
citizen of Now York, and / can ring
bell on my left hand and order the
arrest oi a citizen Of Ohio, and no
power on earth but the President can
release them. Can the Queen oF
England do IA much Z" THIS was
the celebrated remark made by the
Hon. VIM. Z. Seward, LincolD's
Secretary Of State, to Lord Lyons.
the British Minister il Washington
and by him it was written down and
communicated to his Government
Lord Lyons dispatch containing il.
was published in the New York
Times about the first of March, 1852.
What beautiful sentiment 1t is for
an American citizen to peruse How
It will stimulate him to sing the Clio.
rious ode about the 'lapd of the ffee!"
Every body's life and liberty ebioyed,
not under the protection Of the law
Tor there is none, but by the favor
and grace Of the President. When
Mr.. Seward, who is simply the clerk
Of The President, extends his hand
and touches the bell, ito vibrations
are instantly FELT for fifteen hundred
miles. 1t is the knell Of fate to some
unfortunate citizen, who has incurred
the displeasure Of arbitrary power.
and no Is fotthwith incarcerated in
prison, where no writ Of ha5eas cor.
pus can reach him. What a potent
bel! is that Of Mr.. Sewardl How
many times has it's loud peals been
heard through The land, completely
drowning in its clatter the old Liber.
ty Bell in Philadelphia, which pro.
claimed freedom to the nation in 1776.
Stewards bell must have been the
bell that was formerly in the Bastile
at Paris, and was rung by Louis
XIV when he. declared II am the
State" 1t must be the bell that was
rung by the Roman Emperors in the
days OF their unchecked and arbitrary
power when Eigfvwere the gods OF
this earth. Orr Revolutionary Faith.
ers thought they had broken such bella
but Seward and Lincoln have man.
aged to procure one. At it's magic
touch men ttemble, and human liber.
ty, il not life goes down before it. 1t
is a potent bell, for 1t has rung the
funeral notes Of freedom in this couu.
try. When it rings constitutions and
laws are silent. There is hardly a
neighborhood in the United States
that has not heard the notes of this
famous bell; it will 60 down to histo-
ry as the most remarkable thing of
this generation.
In the hands Of Seward this bell
has been NO idle bauble. 1t has been
used--nsed so freely that it is almost
cracked in its harsh notes. The re.
mark was no mere boast; it was d
iact--a dreadful fact for the Aheri.
can people to consider. Whole vol
umes upon our political condition
would not describe it so we'll and for.
chilly as this remark of Mr.. Seward.
1t tells Of our lost freedom-it sug.
gests the days when no citizen coulJ
be injured in bic life or liberty, except
by due process Of law. ltis harsh
reminder that we are no longer h free
people; we have no longer rights
inalienable rights--tbat can not be
Invaded by the executive branch of
Government. Painful as this fact is,
it is useless to disguise it. We may
mourn and lament over our lost estate,
but that will rot bring it back
Two years and hall Republican rule.
has, apparently, finished our political
career of freedom. The golden yes.
sci of freedom is broken-our pride
and boast OF freedom are among the
incidents of the past. Shall we ever
return to the happy days Of 1850, and
Can we ever repair the injuries which
have been inflicted upon our glorious
Government Have the people suf-
ficient intelligence to arise in their
might at the ballo,.box, while yet
they are permitted to approach that
hailowed spot, and eject from power,
in peaceful ard constitutional way,
those who employ against them the
arbitrary DEGREES Of the deepot, and
then make it the subject Of congratu.
lation. The people, if they are dis.
posed, can yet break Mr.. Stewards
bell they can shiver it to atoms--
and put again in its place tho old oell
Of Independence Hall.-Enqr.
c~~O~-~~~~~-~-~.~~-s~0~
U The Boston Post recommends
Conductor Lincoln to "pnt down the