Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1863-06-10
Z" Freedom Of speech and Of the
Press,

(From the Indiana Democrat.)
We who have passed all our lives i'm a
free country, can scarcely realize the vast
Importance of those guarantees of individ-
ual and public liberty, freedom of speech
and of the press. In our brief national
history, there have been so few occasions
Tor their exercise, SO few really vital po-
iItical crisis, testing the power of endu-
rance of our institutions in the fiery fur
mace OF trial, that we have had no fair
chance to Judge of their essential worth.
And IN all probability we never shall fully
realize it, until, as in the case of other
blessings, we have been deprived Of them
3 Give me an untettered press" said Sher-
idan, the great British statesman. ''and
defy you to encroach one hairs breadth
upon the liberties of the people" Said
.)unius, whose unanswerable arguments in
favor of liberty shook thrones and made
kings tremble, - Let it be impressed upon
your minds and instillcd into your children
that Liberty of the Press is the palladium
of all the civil, political and religious
rights of frecmen.'' And said our great
Webster: g 1t is the ancient and undoubt-
ed perogatire of the people to canvass
public measures ard the merits of public
men. 1t is Il home-bred right, a tireside
privilege. 1t is not to be drawn into
controversy. 1t is as undoubted as the
right of breathing the air or walking on
the earth. This high consiitutional;p
vilege L shall defend and exercise, within
this house, and in all places in time of
oil T..
plicit belief that sacred truths which in
duced the fathers of the Republic to de-
clare that, g Congress shall make no law
ab,idging freedom of speech or of the
press and that the g right of the pco-
pie to be secure in their persons, houses,
papers and effects from unreasonable
searches and seizures, shall not be viola
ted" And it was the same spirit the
framcrs of the Constitution of Pennsyl-
vania declared:
''That the printing presses shall be
free TO every person who undertakes to
examine the proceedings of the Legisla-
ture or any branch of Government; and
no law shall ever be made to restrain the
right thereof The free communication
of thoughts and opinions is one of the
invaluable rights of man; and every citi-
zen may freely speak, write an print upon
any subject, being responsible for the
abuse of that liberty
And also,
That the citizens have the right, in a
peaceful manner, to assemble together for
their common good, and to apply to those
invested with the powers of government
the redress of grievances, or other proper
purposes, by petition, address or remon-
STRANGE"
Verify this q freedom of speech and of
the press" which has been to ably defen-
ded and carefully guarded by the greatest
statesmen of the two most liberal govern
ments in the world, must be something
tangible and practicable, something essen
tial to the very existence of liberty. And
vet it is ore of the saddest signs of times
that there is fatal disposition to assail
and abridge it. The Washington CORES
pondent of the New York Herald tells us
that
.. large party of leading Union Lea
guers of Philadelphia headed by Morton
SrAIichael and ex-Mayor Gilpin, arrived
here to-day. Senators Wade and Chan
dler and Col, Forncy are their guests. 1t
is supposed that steps are to be initiated
whereby home forces shall be organized,