Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-06-11

per0yation OF O speech made by Franklin Pierce
late President Of the United States, some year
since. and which will be found in tho Consrss
si0naL Globe:
"Mr. President--This plea OF State necessi.
W let me remind gentlemen, 10 as old as the
history OF wrong and oppression. 10 has been
the standing plea-the never failing resort Of
despotism. The great julius found it conven-
lent when he restored the dignity of. the Roman
Senate, but destroyed its Independence. II
gave oonntenance TO, and justified all the afro
cities OF the inquisition in Spain. IL gave ut
terance to the stiaed groans from tho Black
Hole of Caloutta. IL was written in tears upon
the Bridge Of Sighs' ln Venice; and pointed to
those dark receases, upon whose gloomy portals
there was never seen returning foot print.
at was the plea of tho austere and ambitious
Stafford In the days of Charles the First. It
filed the Bastle of France and lent its sanc-
tion 10 the terrible atrocities perpetrated there
1t was the plea that snatched the mild, eloquent
and patriotic Camille Desmoulins from his
young and beautiful wife, and hurried him upon
the hurdle to the guillotine, with thousands OF
Others equally unoffending and innocent. It
was upon this plea that tho greatest Of Gener.
ais, II moi of men (you cannot mistake me),
mean him, the presence of whose very ashes,
within the last few months, was sufficient TO
stir tho hearta of continents was upon this
plea that he abjured that noble wife who threw
around his humble days light and gadness,
and by her own lofty energies and high iutelN
lect, encouraged his aspirations. IL was upon
this plea that he committed the worst and most
fatal act Of his eventiul life. Upon THE, too,
he dreW around his person tho imperial purple.
IL has, in all times, and in every age, been tho
foo of liberty, and the indispensable etay of
uhurpation.
| "Where we're the Chans of despotism ever
thrown around the freedom OF speech and Of the
prcas, but on this plea Of State necesslty2
Let the spirit OF Charles the Tenth and Of his
ministers answer.
at is cold, selfish and heartless, and has al
ways been regardless of age, scx, condition.
services, or any of the Incidents of life that ap.
peal TO patriotism or humanity.
"Wherever its authority has been acknow!-
edged, II has assailed men who stood by their
country when she needed strong arms and bold
hearts, and has assailed them when MANNED
and disabled In her service, until they could no
longer brandsh weapon in her defense.
at has afflicted the feeble and dependent vile
for the imaginary faults of her husband.
at has stricken down innocence in its beauty,
youth In its freshness, manhood in itJ vigor
and old age in it's feeblences and deCrepitude
Whatever other plea or apology may be set up
for the sweeping, ruthless exercise of this civil
guillotine at the present day, In the name of
Liberty, let us be spared this fearful one Of
State necessity in this early ago OF the Re
public, upon the floor Of the American Senate,
in the face Of people yet free"
The good book tells us that Words flly
spoken are like apples of gold in pictures of
silver" and these of ex-President Pierce are
certainly of that character. They are most ap-
propriate, and show how general aud natural it
Is for Democrats at all times, and on all occa.
siOns to oppose tyranny and despotism.
We recollect with great distinctness the i'm
preston produced upon our mind by the perusa
Of the speech Of ex-Presdent Pierce, from
which the above extract is made, Of the time IL
was delivered-although more than twenty
years ago. We have not tho Congregational
Globe of that period now at hand for reference,
but il we recollect Alright, tho speech was de.
livered during the session of lS4l-2, not long
before General Pierce resigned his seat in the
United States Senate How strange il must
now seem to him that the plea of Estate ne.
cessity" of which he then spoke, is at this time
not merely removing from office and prescribing
from public employment for opinions sake, but
with armed violence, in defiance of law and of |
the most eacred Constitutional rights, arreatiDg
and hurryng away for imprisonment in military
"bnstiles" the most patriotic and able men Of
the landl In fact, there is no assurance and no
reason why the blows Of the came necessity"
which are now striking them down, may not,
whenever those who claim tho power to Judge
and execute deem Ii desirable for tbeie pur-
poses, reach even him, or any Of ua.
In connection with this, let US SEQ also what
General Pierce said, on the came subject, fifteen
years afterward, when power was in his hands.
He Was then President, as fully in oil respects
what the political friends of the present Admin
istraton now claim for 1t, tho Government"
of the country, and as fully entitled to the "un-
conditional submission and support" OF every
citizen "in all of his policy and meaiures," as
President Lincoln is. And he then waa the
most fiercely and falsely assailed public servant
who ever braved o storm of obloquy for his
country's good. But notwithstanding this, there
wac no change of his views on tho great ques-
tion of Free Speech and Free Press, without
which everybody knows there can be no Free
Government. In his Annual Message to Con.
gress, Dec. 2, 1856. President Pierce said:
"Perfect liberty of association for political
objects, and the widest scope of discussion, are
the received and ordinary conditions of gov
ernment In our country. Our institutions,
framed In the spirit of confidence In the intel
llR6nco anu iutoBriby VI tue pouplo, 10 uOb IOr-
bid citizens either individually or associated to
gether, to attack by writing, speech, or any |
other methods short Of physical force, the Con !
stitutlon and the very existence of the Union. |
Under the shelter of this great liberty, aud |
protected by the laws and usages of the Gov |
ernment they assail, associations have been |
formed in some Of the States Of individuals |
who, pretending to seek only to prevent the
spread OF the institution Of slavery nto the |
present or future iDcboate States OF the Union, |
are really infamed with desire to change the |
domestic institutions of existing States. To
accomplish their objects, they dedicate them
selves to the odiOus task Of depscciating the |
Government organization which stands In their
way, and of eliminating, with indiscrminate
invective, not only the citizens of particular |
States, with whose laws they find fault, but all |
others of their fellow-citizens throughout the |
country who do not participate with them in |
their assaults upon the Constitution, framed |
and adopted by our fathers, and claiming for |
the privileges Ii has secured, and the blessings
II has conferred, the steady support and CRATE
ful reverence OF their children. They seek an |
object which they well know to be a revou-
- r