Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-06-02

served which every State must exact from It's subjects
and which imposes no restraint upon any intellectual
composition fairly, honestly and decenty addressed tc
the c0nscenceB and Understandings Of men. Upon th
principle have an unquestonable right-a right which
the best have exercsedto examine the princ
pies and structure OF the Constitution and by fair
y reasoning, to question the practice OF Its admnlsra
tors. Ihave right to consider and to point out errors
In the one or In the other and not merely to reason up
on their existence, but to consider the Of their
formation by such free, well llintentoned modest and
dgnhed communication OF sentiments and opinions all
nations have gradually improved and milder laws
and purer religions have been established
Under such large minded philosophy, VIC
could tolerate Wendell Phillips, 80 long as
there 10 left reason to combat hia heresies of
hate. But Ii We are only to have freedom of
speech from the Phillipses and other ranters
against our syatem of government, while those
are throttled who to preserve that system would
correct its administration, then indeed Ia lber-
ty manacled and reason In irons.
These old discussions had thought would
never have been revived, except to honor the
heroism OF the early martyrs who like Algernon
sydney died for freedom of thought, or to ad-
mire the graceful style of expression through
which the soul of heroism shone. We had al,
ready gemmed upon the forehead of our limo.
tho respendent corronal of free thought and
free printing and free speech. Thoy wero the
crown jewels Of popular Sovereignty. They have
not been shut up In caskets, liko the jeWels of
princes, but s0s In our fundamental laT--not for
o ITO only-but for nations life, to chino with
thslr "slont capabilities of light" for an I'm
mortality.
With what glorious forvor Daniel Webster
vlndlcated this right you have recognized by
adopting his sentiment 40 one of your reselu-
tions to-day. His comprehensive mind saw, In
free debate, the scholars stimulus, the phiios-
ophet's stone, the statesman's policy, the citi-
zen's protection, and the relgionist's faith He
saw In it the rod for error, the plummet of truth
ana the Car OF advancement. Especially did he
ma In its guarantee nations capacity and
repose; peoples liberty and happiness. He
saw that reason would lose her great office; the
pen its pungency and power; and eloquence its
fervor and force, If you hamper OF circumscrib
ireedom Of thought aud speech.
What Webster saw aud expressed with the
glow OF great heart, Thomas Jefferson has
handed down In his Inaugural message, wherein
he has impearled forever the principles of DEM
ecrshc liberty: jealous care of the right of
election; the supremacy of the civil over the
military authority; the diffusion Of information,
and the srraignment of all abuses at the bar of
public reason; freedom of the press and free
dom OF person under the protection of the hsbeas
corpus and trial ny juries impsrislly selected.
These principles form the bright constellation
which has gone before US and guided our stepa
through an age of revolution aud reformation.
Inc wisdom OF our sages, the blood of our
heroes have been devoted to their attainment.
lney should be the creed of our political faith,
tue text OF civil instruction, the touchstone by
which to Try the services of those We trust,
and should zoe wander from them in moments Of
error and alarm, let us hasten to Tetrace our steps
and to regain the road whch leads TO peace lberty
and safely.
would to God that could read to Mr.. Lin
coin, With such commentary as history furnishes,
these principles Of his philosophc and Demo.
cratic predecessor, that he might retrace his
steps with regard to these extraordinary arrests.
| would implore him, with that respect due to
his high office, and forgetting all oOnsdera-
tiona but the honor and safety of the people
OF Ohio, whose Representative in part have
been 80 long, to pause before he precipitates any
part of our people into the despair which ID
fast gathering upon their hearts. / would
beseech him in the language of his proclama-
lion for national humiliation, in the name oi
that God who oVerrules the designs of Pfesi-
dents and the orders Of Generals, not 30 add to
the lawful calamity Of civil war, which nov
desolates she land, )" other aud worse "punish-
mShs toi ouh WOuiu bO-
seech him not 20 turn way from the earnest ques
tion which Horatio Seymour has propounded:
"Whether this warts wsgod to put down rebel
lion 1t the South or destroy free institutions at
the North;" but to anBwer it magusninously
by retraclng his steps, releasing and stopping at
once and forever this system OF arrest aud iu-
quisis0rial trial. He would thus assure you
whose sons aud brothers are in the field, that
our Government shall not be subverted in the
North, while our gallant soldiers are maintain
ing it with their lives in the South.
Mr.. Cox, after discussing other questions, con-
cluded his speech, which was nearly tao hours
in it's delivery, by urging Democrats to walk
warily 10 these times of trial; to walk allow
with short steps and firm steps and ever in the
path of duty to the Government; to walk not
despairlngly, but to look forward, to 1864, when
the sovereign people would place in power Demo-
cratic men and inaugurate Democratic measures.
Then and not till then, can We as a party deal
with the issues of war and peace. Then we
will deal with them, under the Constitution,
and by a National Convention, with one view
only-the restoration of the old Union under
the old flag.