Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-06-23
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Auditor Of state-J A nj rs A. GOODMAN Marion 90.
Bd Pub Works-JNO. N. BARRERE, Highland Go.
-se
Freedom of speech"
The party cries Of the Democracy are
taken up to suit the occasion, and used
with q hypocrisy which is unblushing.
The new watchwOrd of "FreedOm Of
Speech is one that the Democrats do not
believe in, except when it means freedom
to abuse, attack and embarrass the Gov
ernment. A few years ago they sung
different song. Why did they who now
raise howl over the suppression Of the
New York News, or the Chicago Times, not
hold indignation meetings when Demo
cratic Postmaster General, acting under a
Democratic Administration, authorized the
postmasters of the Southern States to vic
late the United States mails and exclude
therefrom Republican papers2 This was
in time of peace, when the papers discussed
only the ordinary topics of the day, and
appealed to mems reason; and yet, the
Cleveland LEADER could not have gone un-
molested into the Gulf States, while the
Plain Dealer could. Now, it is a time Of
war, and the papers which have been sup
pressed or their circulation prohibited, are
filled to Overlooking with rabid attacks up
on the Government, aud inhammatory aP.
peals to the people to rise in rebellion.
And yet, the same papers which then up
held the unconstitutional, arbitrary acts Of
subordinate officers Of the Postofiico De-
parEment, now resist the necessary
decisions of the direct executive agents Of
the Government IfUnited States soldiers
now destroy a seditious and reasonable
sheet, the whole Democratic press teens
with forebodings of the result of such
Hmob spirit" and yet, when Mr.. Bailey's
freesoil paper at Newport, Kentucky, was
destroyed by mob, and the lives of him
self and all his family threatened, where
was there q Democratic print that de-
nounced the act?
The right Of treasOn-mOngers to dissem-
mate their venom and declare publicly
their hostility to the Federal Government
is loudly asserted, with many declarations
of the fright of free speech" but a
few years ago, when Mr.. Underwood was
driven out of Viz ginia for simply speaking
and voting upon anti-slavery principles,
there were no democratic denunciatiOns OF
the "despotism which existed in that
State. It was his constitutional right tC
speak and vote for an anti-slavery man
but these slicklers for constitutional
law" gave no sign of disapprOvai when he
was driven from his home and State
They had no sympathy for patriot, but
reserved it al 10 expend upon q traitor
who has been sent beyond the lines after q
fair hearing before both military and civil
authority.
Nj vGeqEge- e-5,rr Z PpGh The IQemQlratiG
furious speech at the Convention; deelsr.
ing that he would maintain free speech nt
all hazards. How does he stand upon the
record? few years ago the slave holders
made demand for the control of Kansas
and the Democratic Administration sent
an army to enforce upon the people Of that
territory a code Of laws which the majority
of the actual inhabitants Of the territory
regarded as invalid and unconstitutional
One section reads as follows:
"If any free person, by speaking or by
aTiting, assert or maintain that persons
have not the right to hold slaves in this
territory or print, publish, write, circu-
late, or cause to be introduced into this ter
ritory, written, printed, published or cir
culated in this territory any book, paper
magazine, pamphlet, or circular contain
ing any denial Of the right to hold slaves
in4his territory, such person shall be deem
ed guilty of felony, and punished by i'm
prisonment at hard labor for term Of moi
less than two years"
George E. Pugh was then a member Of
the United States Senate, and defended
this code in a speech, printed in the ap-
pendix to the Congressional Globe, page
61O, May 26, 1856. He thus defined the
infringement of free speech by the
legislature elected for Kansas by border
rufians from Missouri:
"SR: regret the necessity for such
legislation, but wherever slavery exists as
an institution, laws Of that character must
be adopted"
Just such gross Inconsistency we shall
find in the record Of all the Democratic
leaders, who are now SO clamorOus for
"free speech" They are so, simply and
solely because they seek to raise issues at
the North, which shall divide the people
and extend the hostility they themselves
feel to the Administration. Free speech,
with them, degenerates into unwaranted
license to utter sympathy with treason.