Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1863-06-24
The Freedom of Speech.

The Copperhead apology for QUIT aging
the loyal and patriotic sentiment of the
State by nominating Vallandigham as
their candidate for Governor, is that free
dom of speech needed a bold and defiant
vindication just at this time by the Dem
ocratic party. This fimsy garb of dema-
goguism which is used to conceal their
traitorous deformities, will not deceive
the people, we think, to any serious ex-
tent. That party has so long been nc
torious for its intense and Vindictive hos
tility to free discussion in the halls of Ma
tional and State Legislatures, by the
press and the people, that its newborn
devotion to and championship of the
great principle of free speech, will be
carefully scrutinized, and if we are not
much mistaken, its unmitigated hypocri-
sy exposed, ere the rotten tenets of Cop
perhead Democracy can take permanent
root in the system of American politics.
The nomination of Vallandigham by
the Democrats as a mark of their regard
for untrammeled debate, may deceive
men so blinded by party prejudice and
SO strongly allied to party organization
that they will not listen to anything that
conflicts with their p-reconceived notions
of political morality, but those who wish
to know the truth that they may act ac-
cordingly, cannot be deceived by this
trick of the old pro-slavery, gag-law par
ty. that now asks for free speech on be
half of blatant traitors, hat they may de-
liver themselves of TRADES of the most
insulting and disgusting treason with i'm
punity.
But the Democracy have left on rec
ord, in days past, the evidence of their
hostility to the freedom of the press and
of debate. The man who stands side by
side with Vallandigham on the State
Ticket, ex-senator George E. Pugh, even
went so far as to make a speech while in
the Senate against the very doctrine
which he and his credulous supporters
now feign to so ardently espouse. In
1856 the Pierce Administration employed
a military force to assist Atcheson, String
fellow, Buford, and other Southern vii
Iains and traitors, to enforce upon the
people of Kansas a code of laws which a
majority of the inhabitants were opposed
to as invalid and hateful to their senti-
ments. One section read as follows
IF any person, by speaking or by wri-
ting, assert or maintain that persons have
moi the right to hold slaves in this terri
tory; or print, publish, write or circulate,
or cause to be introduced into this terri
tory, written, printed, published or Cir
culated in this territory any book, paper.
magazine or pamphlet or circular, cor
tanning any denial of the right to hold
slaves in this territory. such persons shall
be deemed guilty of felony, and punished
by imprisonment at hard labor for a term
of not less than two years"
George E. Pugh made a speech in the
u. S. Senate in defence of this law, as
can he seen IN p.6lO of the Appendix to
the Congressional Globe, May 26, 1856
He said-"Wherever slavery exist as an
institution, laws of that character must
be adopted"
With a leader stained with such ante
cedents do not the Co~pperheads cut q
fine figure strutting before the public as
the especial supporters of free speech?