The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-05-20

trory arrests and %imprisonments? ADoes any
man believe that it will end Shcref Not 50
have I learned history. The guillotine! the
guillotine! the guillotine. follows next.
Sir, when one of those earliest confined in
Fort La Fayette-l had it from his own lips
made complaint to the Secretary Of State Of
the injustice of his arrest, and the severity of
the treatment to which he had been subjected
in the exercise of arbitrary power, no ofense
being alleged against him, "why," said the
Secretary, with a smile of most significant
comp!aceucy, 4tmy dear sir, you ought not to
complain; ue might hare gone further" Light
flashed upon the saind of tho gentleman, and
he replied: 'sAh! that is true, sir; you had just
the same right to behead as to arrest and i'm
prison mo- And shah It come to this? Then,
cir, let us see who is bebeaded first. It is
horrible enough to be Imprisoned without
crime, but yhen it becomes n Question Of life
OF. death, remember the words of the book of
Job-"All that a man hath viii he give for
his life . se-ai. 7s6 ~ ~ Fl
Sir,it,is this which makes resolutions. A
gentleman upon the other. side asked this af
ternoon which party was to raise now in revo-
lation. The answer of the able and gallant
gentleman from Pennsylvania mir Biddlel
was pertinent and jast-sNo party, but an
outraged people" 1t Is not, let me tell sou,
the leaders OF parties who begin revolutions.
~ 10 III onS
characters Of the Revolution of 1776 partici
pate in the throwing of the tea into Bos-
ton harbor2 Who was it !? Who, to day, can
rame the actors in that now historic scene.
It was not Hancock, nor Samuel Adams, nor
JohnlAdan 8; nor Patrick Henry, ror Wash
ington ; but men unknown to fame. Good
men agitate , obscure. men begin real revolu-
tions /; great men finally direct and control
them. And if, indeed, a are about to pass
through the -sual stages of revolution sit will
not be the leaders of the Democratic party
notsI, not the men with me hereto. DightA
but some man among tie people, now un-
known and unnoted, who will hurl your tea
into the harbor and it may even be in Bos-
ton once again ; for tho love of liberty, /
would Iain believe, fingers still under the
shadow of the monument on Bunker Hill
But, sir, we seek no revolution-except through
the ballot-box The conflict to which We chal%
lenge yol, is not of arms but of argumeGt.-
Do you believe in the virtue and intelligence,
of the people Do you admit their capacity
for self-governement !? Have they not intel
ligence enough to understand the right, and
virtue enough to pursue it !? Come then, meet
us through the press, and with free s eech,
and before the assemblages of the people, and,
We will argue these questions, as we and our
fathers have done from the beginning of the
Goyernment-tsAre We right or you right, we
wrong or you wrong :" And by the judgment
Of the people We will, one and all, abide.
Sir, I have now done with my objections to
this bill. I have spoken as though the Con-
stitution survived, and was still the supreme
law Of the land, But if, indeed, there be no
Constitution any longer, limiting and restrain
ing the men in power, then there is none
bindin upon the States or the people. God
forbid. We have a Constitution yet, and law
yet. To them I appeal. Give US our rights:
give US known and fixed laws ; give us the
judiciary arrest us only upon due process of
law give us prcseutment or Indictment by
grand juries ; speedy and public trial trial by
jury, and at home tell us the nature and
cause of the &C ,usation ; confront us with wit
res. es 10 our behalf, and the assistance of
counsel for our defense secure us in our per-
SONS, our homes, our papers, and our effects !;
leave US arms, not for resistance. to law or
against rightful authority but to defend our
selves from outrage and violeHee; give us free
speech and free press ; and right peaceably to
assemble ; end above all, free and undisturbed
elections and the ballot take our sons, take
our money, our property, take all else; and
we will wait a little, till at the time aud in the
manner appointed by Constitution and law We
shall eject you from the trusts You have
abused, and the seats of power you have dis
honorcd, and other and better men shall reign
in your stead.