The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1864-01-27
To the Democracy of Northumberland County

To the Democracy Of Northumberland County
1t is doubtless known ere this to all Of
our readers, tha; the Northumberland County
Democrat Office was destroyed on the night
of the 18th inst. Our presses were torn
down and broken, imposing stones upset.
tables, cases and stands, tumbled around
the room the types scattered and mixed, a
large American flag stolen and a general
destruction consnmmaied.
Mr.. Jesse NJ Simson, the proprietor of
the building, with his usual bodness and
courage, went fearlessly up among the ri-
oters, who were armed with pistols and
swords, and was struck and pulled over the
ban:ster in his own house. His revolver,
keys, pocket handkerchief, &C., were taken
from him and stolen By the crowd, after
which he tore loose from them and ran
down stairs.
The ateness of The hour, during The alb.
sence OF our employees, formed a fitting
lime for the commitia of this outrageous, i,
cowardly and most infamous crime against
liberties of the people of this county. The
| freedom OF speech aud the press are guar
anIeed by the Constitution of the United
States, and our own State Constitution ex.
pressly declares, that these great rights
| shall never be restrained. These Constitu-
lions and the laws of the land constitute
TIE GovERSMENT OF this country, a nd there
is none other save the government of m pos,
melted by unmitigaied scoundrels, the
lovers of despolism and the assassins of
liberty To THIS latter class belong the in
| stigalors TO this dastardly outrage upon The
rights and sen;ime Mt of the large majority
of The people of this county. That this
blow was aimed al the editor of our Eng
lish paper, now engaged in the performance
of legislative duties, TO which your suffrsges
elevated him, or tha, it was aimed at the
| quiet editor OF our German edition is folly
TO assert. 1t was aimed at you, the people
to crush yonr press, 10 outrage yonr senti
| ments and TO rob you of those rights which
your God, your Constitutions your laws
aEd a proper administration Of this govern
ment would give you. 1t means that con-
stiiulional principles and civil liberty
against mobs and usurpation shall not be
advocated 10 your midst. The perpetrators
/ OF this villainous aci were strangers among
! US, knowing nothing Of our paper, nothing
OF our town and nothing of the sentiments
of our people. They were melted to il by
men in our midst, who make themselves
The champions of loyalty and who call upon
revolutionary and riotous policy. TIE re-
/ sponsibility rests upon them, and they can
not and shall not escape it. They have
given a practical illustration and conirma-
ton in our midst of the disregard which
they have for law, for the security OF prop.
erty1or for the peace and order of society
While we have stood as the defenders Of
civil liberty and constitutional government,
while we have spoken boldly in defence of
the peoples Interests against usurpaiion,
riotings, despolism and pIunder, they have
been constantly advocating, melting and
defending these repeated enormiiies of their
own parry, for the destruction, in violation
OF all law, of the inalienable rights of free
men. But the spirit of freedom which they
seek TO crush. will not yield before any das-
tardly outrage they may commit, We can
not be welded TO the HarIot which seeks
the destruction of liberty and the erection
of despotism, by these repeated confirm
alions OF her crime. il will only cause Us
to renew our energy against all men and
parties, who in the name of loyaIy, COM
nit oulrsges against the peace and iree-
dom of the people, for which the peniien,i-
ary or the services OF the hanging should
be their righteous doom. The Norfhumber-
land County 0emoerui, though mobbed by
strangers, at The insiiga:ipn OF pariizan
sconndreIs, is not dead, it will soon again
appear to defend The time honored and con-
stituiional principles of the Democratic
party, and il law among loyal leaguers is =
thing gone by, and if brule force and the
reign OF mobs AT the instiga,ion of drunk
ards is to be the order OF the day, the Dem
ocraiic party are prepared for the issue ci
self-defsnce TO the destruction of property