The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-08-05
From the London Times.
Free Discussion I'm England in

lfTOm the LONDON I1meS,i
Free Discussion I'm England in
Time of Var
For the benefit. of the few Republican doe
trtudries in England who seem to think that
the Federal Gov eminent can do no wrong it
may be desirable to put a question on the SUBJ
ject of a free discussion In time of war.
What, it may be asked, would the people have
thought, said, or done under the following
circumstance, surprising il 10 have been pos
sibly they could have occurred John Bright,
an able, clear headed logical speaker, and an
earnest advocate of peace, addresses the PEG
pie of Ronchdale in the year 1854, on the
subject of the war in the Crimea. So high is
his reputation for eloquence, as well as for
courage and patriotism, that not only his inn
mediate neighbors and friends, but multitudes
of people from all the contiguous distric's s,
gather to listen to his voice and cheer the man.
ly expression of his sentiments. He denoun.
ces the war as wrong in principle, erroneous
in policy, unjust and ubiquitous in itself, and
more dangerous in its continuance to the lib
erty and prosperity of the British people than
to the stability of the Russian Empire. He
declares that Lord Aberdeen is little better
than the old woman, that Lord PAnmure thinks
too much of "Dowb" and too little of his du-
ty, to tie country to be a safe or an efficient
Min ser, in a time of danger; that specula-
ton, jobbery and robbery, pervade every de-
partment of the public service and that war,
always deAlarahIs asd wicked is particularly
horrible and Observation-Disclosures IN de-
fence of such a rotten and e6ete institution as
the Turkish Empire. which maintdfns slavery,
and IS therefore hc fit member of the comfy
of nations. He is not aware while speaking,
that two officers of the Grenadier Guards dis.
guised in citizens attire, have been sent to the
meeting by the War Office to take notes of his
speech, and, having ended his grafton amid
the enthusiastic applause ofhis audience, goes
home to supper "A few nights afterwards,
thinking no evil, and believing himself to be q
citizen Of a free country, he retires quietly to
bed as usual. But his sleep is not permitted
to be of long duration. Shortly he is aroused
by a violent knocking at the outer door. He
springs to his feet, thinking the house is ON
fire, and rings the ERE alarm accordingly. His
wife, children, and household gather in great
alarm, IN their night cloths. on the stairs and
passages. The outer door is battered in, and
q company of soldiers enter, the captain with
his sword in his hand, and each man presents
a bayonet at the breast of the bewildered leg
.islator. The ladies' and children scream or
faint, while Mr. Bright is told to dress imme-
diately and consider himself a prisoner. Mr.
Bright dresses himself. but declines to go9ito
prison. The generous blood of a true hearted
Englishman rushes to his face, and he declares
he will rather die defending his life than
yield to his brutaIaEd lawless captors. He
is violently seized and hurried through the
streets to the railway station, where a special
train is waiting to convey him TO birmingham.
On arrival he is locked upIin a military pris-
on. Next morning he is brought before a
court martial, composed of one brigadier Gen
erai, one Colonel, one Lieutenant Colonel,
three Majors, and two Captains, and put on
trial on charge of sedition aad treason He
1an1,n a 40 aoHnou1ol~a tba ir,rs .diot1,n &c
the court, and demands as a Br fish subject to
be rtried before a civil Judge and a jury of his
eountrymen. His demand is haughtiiy and sum
marily rejected, and the trial proceeds The
officers and gentlemen" who condecended to
act as spies for the government detail and per-
vert the expression whiIh he used in denuncia
ton of the war aGdthe conduct of the admin
and after an Investigation Of two or
thaee days, Mr.. Bright is committed to prison
until the Judges agree upon their virdict, and
decide whether he shall be incarcerated till
the war is ever, banished to Russia to live for
the future among the friends with whom he
or summarily shot or hung
Would the British people submit to such a
wrong inflicted even upon q much humber
person than John Bright? Would not the
of all shades of political opinion
unite in expressing their indignant displeas-1
ure? And would not the House of Commons
and the House of Lords also ring with de-
nunciation of the act? And. If these bodies
were not in session, would not every city and
town in the empire hold immense public NEE
tings to call upon the Queen to dismiss from
her councils The unworthy ministry who so
degraded their function and SO grievecusly
Imperifled the public peacet Every honest
who values the inestimable right
of free discussion and the supremacy of law
will reply in the affirmative. Substitute the
name Of Clement Laird Y~al.andigham for that
of John Bright, and the " ar against the South
for the war against Russia lay the scene in
Ohio in 1868 instead of England in 1854, and
the imaginary story becomes true and every
incident related is a literal fact. i
2 s@L We do no. Know that anything could
penned ON either side of the water which
could contain q more bitter outpouring of
%ironical criticism ON the monstrous a 8 lmptions
of power claimed by President Lincoln, than
is presented in the above. When the acts of
an American President become the objects OF
derision, denurciation and Adherence of the
people of a kin ly government, then it is time
every citizen of tho United States should
blush with shame who could advocate a tyr-l
ranny that subjects of a King scout and turn
from with scorn and contempt-Gis1.
-4<-~---
! THE Philadelphia Age records the fact that
in the proceedings of the Common Councils
that city on the 18th inst. THOMAS J. BAR
GER Democrat, introduced an ordinance for
the relief of men drafted under the Conscrip-
act. The ordinance of Mr.. BARGER pro-
posed an appropriation of one million dollars
for the purpose of relieyeing from the opera
ton of the draft, by paying the Communication
me ney, such persons as had families dependent
upon their support, and could not leave their
and children unprotected. The Age