The Ohio Democrat. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1840-1900, 1863-10-02
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| Nuo OonQOCIAt.
Historical Comparisons Of the
ReignS Of Terror Of 1893 and
1868.
Mr.. Hay; As native of Pennsylva-
mia, born and bred in the good old JEFF
ferSonian and Snyder school of Demo-
cracy in old Berks county, I cannot but
feel rejoiced and encouraged to see once
more the Democratic spirit of '99 arous.
ed in my native State and the Union IN
which the Democracy arose in '99 to op.
pose the Reign of Terror inaugurated'
by the Federalists under the Administra-
tion of the elder Adams. The Alien,
Sedition and Gag laws-which made it
Seditious and criminal for citizens to
meet peacefully to express or print, or
utter any sentiment opposed to or cen.
Suring the National Administration or
any Federal officer was first attempted
to be enforced 10 the arrest of Henry
Snyder, and the Suppressing of his Ger
man Democratic paper in Reading. This
Federal, tyraUical usurpation aroused
at once the Democratic spirit of little
Spartan band Of noble patriots headed
by John Frees and John Miller, who
held q Democratic meeting at MilIer's
Mill in Elsas township, some five or sew
en- miles northeast from Reading, and
passed resolutions disapproving of the
Federal Administration and the arbitra-'
ry arrest of Snyder and the suppression
of his paper, and asserting their inherent
constitutional right to the freedom of
speech and of the press. Government
soldiers we're at once forwarded from
Philadelphia, where the seat of the Fed.
eral Government was at that time--to
arrest this noble and patriotic band of
Democratic freemen. Miller, however,
made his escape by hiding under hay in
barn, and | often heard him declare
aud say, to use his own words, "that he
felt the cold steel Of the Federal sword
on his very body, run into the hay under
which he laid, blythe Federal blood
hounds" as be called them-who knew
that he was somewhere in the barn, but
could not find him. "But Frees and
eight of his compatriots were arrested,
dragged or forced to Easton, and there
locked up in dark cellar, knee deep in
water and mud, for forty eight hours,n
and then, under strong guard of Fed.
eral soldiers, drove like cattle to the
slaughter, to Philadelphia and imprison.
ed, where they soon received a mock
trial. Frees was condemned to be hung,
and the Others sentenced to the PeDiten->
tiary, some for eight to nine, and the,
others from one to FIVE years. But the
Federal usurpers did not dare to hang
Frees. The true Democracy arose in
Pennsylvania and the whole Union in
their might and sovereignty at that fall
election and hurled the Federal tyrants
and usurpers from power. Thomas
Mexican was elected Governor of Penn.
sylvania, and Thomas Jefferson Presi. ,
dent of the United States, with over.
whelming majorities, and the Federal 8
Administration did not dare to execute :
their sentence upon Frees and bis com.
patriots. And the very FIRST official act
that President Jefferson performed, after
his Inauguration, was to pardon Frees
and his fellow victims Of Federal perse-
cution and tyranny, and when they were
released from their long confinement. the
people met in large mass meeting be-
fore the Jail, and constructed high plat
form. on which they carried Frees, high
above their heads, through the streets
of Philadelphia, amidst the shouts and
huzzas Of thousands of Democratic free.
men.
Thus ended the Federal tyranny and
misrule in 1899 and 1900. The Alien
and Sedition laws were repealed; the
freedom Of the press and speech, and the
rights and liberties of the people, and.
good will among men," we're once more
restored and preserved by Democratic
men and measures in the administration
of the Government for sixty years, until
the present Abolition Administration
came into power; and now we have, in
1868, Reign Of Terror, ten thousand
times more tyranuical, despotic aud de-
grading to freemen than the Reign Of
Terror in '99. 1t is enough to make the
patriotic blood boil with indignation in
every honest Democratic heart, to see at
this day the base, malicious persecution
and tyranny of some Of the very tmps Of
these old Federal bloodhounds," now
in power, in arresting, abusing and de.
9 nouncng the very sons Of those noble
. Democratic fathers, who are unwilling,
, as were their sires, to bow their krees
and necks to the present Abolition ty.
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