North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1864-12-21

J ly meetings. Gather, if possible, and organ
| ize Democratic association in every schoo
district, and bo Idly canvass on all proper
occasions the measures Of our corrupt and
imbecile rulers. Expose the secret leagues
and bandltt like gatherings of our opponents
and hold up to mercIful scorn those who, in
midnight assemblies, nd under kindled dark
ness, conspiTe to rob and ruin our countr,
and at the same time to degrade our people
by plotting an atfiiiatien with the negro race
Let us, as party, march steadily on our
accustomed paths, employing neither stealth
nor secrecy +; they are unwortoy of freedom
who are afraid to defend it in open day.
Allow me, in this connection, to add a
word, also, in behalf of the Democratic press
OF Pennsylvania, Always but too poorly re-
warded, now, when nearly all public patron
age is in the hands Of the fanatics, and the
expenses of printing greatly increased, it be,
comes the manifest duty Of every faithful
Democrat to support and strengthen his To-
cal paper, and TO scriminate in his patron
age, if compelled to so at all, in favor cf the
Democratic prest Of our own State. There
is calpable carelessness in this respect, in
many of our public men, which is a very
proper subject of repreh ension, as we'll of
remembrance to those who suffer from it.
Urder ordinary c'rcums lances, fellow citi-
zens, l would deem the plesent duty of my
place fully discharged in this hasty reference
to the late election, aad the sequent sugges-
tions which have ventured upon. And in
what further undertake at this time. it is
poSS:i'!e po:t!e may be charged with travelling
somewhat out of the sphers OF my appoint
ment, and with entering upon a field OF in
quiry that is beyond its usual limits. But
as my purpose is manly and upright, and, |
may add, patriotic-I feel may safely rely
in these times, that the spirit OF liberty will
secure me at least your indulgence.
On or about the lSt day of September last,
forty four substantial and reputable citizens
of Columbia and Luzerne counties. in this
State, were seized by military authority and
huCriod with indecent haste, at the bayonet's
point, into the depths Of distant and dis
used military fortress as place of confine.
ment. One of them, in d letter to his rela-
tlves, in simple words that must touch every
honest heart, thus describes their imDrlsou-
ment:
"OUr treatment was jnhu man. When first
taken ana ncarcerated in this cell, not s,oul
or bench to rest our weary limbs on not a
cup or knife, or fork, or plate; and these few
indispensable articles were purchased at cx
horbltant prices, attended with vexatious de
lay. Forty four of us in one CELL without
even a separate place to attend to the calls OF
nature, it is no wonder that one of our num-
Der was soon laid in bis last resting place,
and many others prostrated by disease"
Four of their rumber have recently been
brought to trial before a military commits
fines and Imprisonment, upon charges clearly
cognzahle in the civil courts of the State and
Of the United States. With the question of
the guilt or innocence of these men, { and |
/
infraction of law, have. in this place, moth
ing to do. 1t is the startling fact, that forty
tour men, of good repute in their respective
neighboIhoods, some of whom had held pla-
ces of high public trust and honor, should be
seized by sold'ery in the heart Of this peace-
ful and loyal State: dragged off to Eoisome
military dungeon, and there kept for months
without being confronted by an acc,iSer one
of them in the meantime dying, as is believed
from suffering thus another becoming blind
from his confinement, while most of the 9th
ers still c,ntinue shut up in Fort M;ffijn-a
damp, island fort, constructed more with a
view of resisting bombardment, than any
thing else A bravo old name desecrated -
fortress associated with many proud recol*
lectjons and memories of our forefathers'
struggle for freedom turned into a bastile for
the uses of modern tyranny
This is not all, nor in my view the worst
rf the caSe-it it is to be established as a pre-
ceedent. These men are being drawn out,
one BY one, To be tried before tribunal un-
known TO the ConStltutlon-called a Court
Martial, in which they are denied the priv-
ege priceless in freeman's cstimate-of a
trial bv a jury of their peers, and of the vici-
mage >
| should implicitly impugn your intelligence
and love of freedom, feIowcitizens, by offe =
ing here any elaborate discussion OF this sa-
cred right of trial by jury. No work of ty-
ranny so stirs the inmost depth Of every
freemans heart,as any attempted infringement
of this precious principle Of liberty which has
come down to US untrsmmeled and unimpar+
ed from the days Of Magma ChaIta to the
present moment. The very idea OF a Militia
ru Commission sitting in the heart of ou,
faithful, law abiding old Comm nweal.h, tc
try anything but simply breaches of military
law and regulations, is monstrous and unbear