Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-05-22

AAhs "a Jul SNAASSAS AbA h"eAOi4thA NAA9NNhNS
that the right to elderly" is personal and in
alienable. While, in the countries of Europe,
the people werestruggling Tor freedom against
the authority of hereditary thrones, and
managing the struggle by means of clever ex-
pedients rather than the force of great princi-
ples,-we fully asserted the principle that
guarantees liberty, and established it to great
er or less extent in the various communities
comprising the republic. Its influence has
given us national prosperity and aggrandize-
ment, while our chief national trouble has
sprung from the fact that it was not estab-
lshed so completely as to exterminate the n-
stitution of slavery. Those who founded the re-
public contented themselves withthe confident
expectation that slavery would soon disappear,
believing the principle asserted, fought for
through seven years war, and so largely
established, would work irresistby against
everything not in harmony with it. The re-
suit did not realize their expectation.
But, liberty has always been claimed as the
birthright of every American white man;
even by those who have been foremost in aid
ing the political influence of slavery to wage
war against it; and hard as NAV be its pres.
ent struggle with its enemies, it will live and
triumph, and become the birthright of all in
this land, without regard to color or race 1t
is instructive, and, in some respects, amusing
to see with what vehemence the right
to freedom of speech and action is
claimed by copperhead allies of the seces.
sionists, who conspire TO aid the rebels and
break down the federal government. For
years these men have served as the political
guerrillas and "bushwhackers" of slavery,
always ready to suppress in the most brutal
manner any speech against the southern in
stitution > and they would still be foremost in
that business if circumstances allowed. They
invoke freedom now, not because they would
maintain it for all men, but because they wish
to find in it defence against inter-
ference with their disloyal practices
When they learn to prize freedom at its
true value, and to appreciate its Hmita.
tons and responsibilities as well as its privi-
leges, they will not be friends of that malign
power which has sought steadily to destroy
it; nor will they claim it as shelter for dis
loyalty.
The persons OF whom we speak, while as
serting their right to entire freedom of speech
and action, need to recognize and study the
necessary limitations and res possibilities of
freedom. Liberty does not mean unlimited
ssslzsasazt.su
laws justly provide punishment for those who
SANDER others hurtfully, write and circulate
obscene books, or steal or wantonly destroy
the property of others. A late, thoughtful
writer on elderly" after carefully consider
ing what rule should govern the dealings of
society with individuals in the way of COM
pulsion and control, lays down the following
principle, which seems to us just and well
considered: "The sole end for which man
kind are warranted, individually or collec.
lively, in interfering with the liberty of action
OF any OF their number, is ''selt-protectaon."
Society, as well as the individual, must cIaim
and use the right of self-defence 1t cannot
allow itself to be controlled by the gentle sem
timentalism of non-resistance, without be-
coming ruin. 1t must repress and punish
those who assail its welfare and threaten its
existence.
Our northern copperheads can not claim
exemption from the application of this rule.
Their right to freedom of speech and action is
clear enough; but they cannot use this right
and escape its responsibilities. When they
use it as shelter Tor sympathy with treason,
or transform it into right to conspire against
the government and devise means for making
treason successful, it becomes the right of the
nation to treat them as enemies. For self
protection, and in defence of its own ex.
lstence, it must interfere and hold them
to the responsibilities Of such use of free
dom. OF course, we do not mean that honest
criticism OF the government should be inter-
fered with. We are speaking of that conner.
Heau treason winch conspires to aid rebellion,
breaches resistance to the measures EMPLOYED
by the government to crush it, stimulates re-
oellon against the law for recruiting our ar.
mics, screens deserters and attacks those
sent to arrest them, denounces the
government Justi1es and praises the
1en Davis traitors, and does whatey-
Ell 1t dares to make the rebellion suc-
eesstul. The men who do such thnos u,ro
war against the very existence of the govern.
ment itself. They have no right to comnlain
II they are dealt with as public enemes.-ene.
mics OF the government ,-enemies of the FREQ
institutions which the rebellion seeks to de-
stroy and which it is our duty to maintain.
The STATE GUARD.-We printed, vester-
day morning, the act of the legislature author
izing the organization of estate Guard, to
consist Of men over forty-fve years old, and
prescribing the duties and privileges of the
organization. The state guard can not be re-
CURED to serve out of the state; and If this
provision did not exist in the act of the legis
lature, they would still be excluded from SER
vice IN the federal armies by the terms of the
act OF congress. The organization of such
STATE guard is wise measure, and we hope to
zee entirely successful There is a positive
n'efeS' IN 1t here in Worcester, the result of
winch will be the organization Of one or roor.
companies, probably. -'''
DEMOCRATIC MASS MEErNe.-A ..dou,
ocratle state mass meeting was bold
III IL