Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-03-02
The Frankfort convention.

On the 18th inst. n large number of the citizens
of Kentucky assembled in representative con
ventiOn at Frankfort. to express their sentiments
upon the political questions aud public issues be-
fore the country, and to nominate candidates for
State Offices to be voted for at the next election
in that Commonwealth Upon their assembling,
and before they had given any expression of senti
ment, the convention dispersed by the order
of the military commander of that district, one
Colonel GILBERT with a large military force to
sustain him. who stated that in so doing he acted
under the orders of superior officers. The facts
in the case are stated in Il communication from
intelligent and responsible citizen of Ken
tucky and in an editorial of the Louisville Demo
crct, both of which will be found in to days
Sentinel.
1t is not pretended that the members of the
proposed Convention were armed, that they
had other than peaceable intentions. They were
known to be men of character, of ability, Of
property and having deep interest in the
preservation of order and the supremacy of law.
In advance of any expression of sentiment, or OF
even a knowledge of the character of the men
who might thus assemble, their motives and pur-
poses were pre,judged by somebody clothed with
brief authority as reasonable and their rights
trampled upon by those whose first duty 1t was
TO protect them.
If the delegates to the proposed convention had
met for reasonable purposes, the same power
that dispersed the assembly could have prosecuted
them for the crime. The Governor of the State
was az hand, the Legislature and State and Fed
eral Courts were in session, and a large Federal
military force ready to enforce their DEGREES.
There was then no necessity for this arbitrary
proceeding. There is apology for it. While
expressing no sympathy whatever with the men
who had thus assembled, or the objects they had
in view, we cannot but regard the proceeding as
blow at the rights of the citizen which should
not pass unnOticed by freemen. If constitutional
rights are thus to be overridden with impunity
such acts will prove as destructive of liberty, of
order, and the government which we profess to
be struggling to maintain, as tie Rebellion itself.
He has affected TO render the military indie
pendent Of, and superior to, the civil power" is
one of the reasons set forth in the Declaration of
Independence which justified a separation from
the British Government. Is it any less potent or
applicable now than then? Congress shall
make no law abridgng the freedom of speech. or
of the press; the right of the people peaceably
to assemble and petition the Government for a
redress Of grievances" What Congress is re-
strained from doing by the Constitution, is GER
tanly forbidden to the servants of the Govern
ment. whether military or civil. When by a
simple fat of one the other of the latter the
right of the people to peaceably assemble can be
prevented, popular liberty exists only in name
Il has no reality What was done in Frankfort,
ifjustifed, may be repeated elsewhere BY similar
authority.
The greatest danger to free Government is
the tendency of power to steal or pass from
the many to the few. Through this dan
gerOus ordeal our free institutions are now
passing. It is therefore the highest duty oil
every good citizen who desires to preserve the
blessings of a free government to see to it that
the personal rights guaranteed by the Constitu-
ton are maintained inviOlate. The only test oil
loyalty is fidelity to the Constitution. Faith
lessness to the Constitution. like that exhibited al
Frankfort, must be condemned if we ever hope to
preserve constitutional liberty. It is far better
to tolerate error Of opinion, if reason is left free
Constitution in the attempt to eradicate il.