North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1864-01-27
Another Outrage upon the Freedom of the
Press.

sDem0cr0t was destroyed BY MOB lew
nights since. This Journal was one of the
most spirited and ably conducted in the State.
| It's Editor, TRUMAN II. PURDY is member
of the present Legislature, to which he was
elected by large majority of the voters Of
old Northumberland-ap place for which he
I was emihently fitted by his virtues and his
/ talents. We have known him for a number
/ ofyears as editor of a paper in Lewisburg
aud mere recently of the Democrat at Sun
! bury. The NJ bites in this case have raised
splrt that will nat down at their biddng'
-aman who in the future, as in all pas: time
/ vii De found the firm, .uncompromiSlng, and
! indefatigable enemy OF fanaticism wrong and
oppression. This dasardly outrage upon
his rights and property, and upon the freedom
of the press, must and will recoi upon the
! heads of its authors, their aiders and abet-
! tors.
| Mr.. Purdy has issued the following:
To the Democracy of Northumberland Go.
1t is doubtless known ere this to all our
readers, that the Northumberland CO~ ty
! 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, tumoled around the
room, the types scattered and mixed, large
| American flag stolen and geneaal destruc-
/ tion consummated.
Mr.. Jesse NJ. Simpson, the proprietor OF
the building, with his usual b0Idness and
courage, went fearessly up among the riot
ers, who were armed with pistols and swords,
and was struck and pulled over the banIster
| in his own house. HIS revolver. keys, pocket
| handkerchief, &c, were taken from him and
stolen by the crowd, after which he tore loose
frcm them and ran down stairs.
The lateness of the hour, during the ab
sence Of our EN- poyocs, formed fitting time
for the committal Of this outrageous, coward
ly and most in famous crime against the peace
/ Of the Commonwealth and the li6e rites Of the
people Of this county. The freedom of speech
/ and the press are guaranteed by the Consti-
/ tuition Of the United States, and our own
State Constitution expressly declares, that
/ these great rights shall never be restrained.
These Constitutions and the laws Of the
! country, and there is none other save the
| government of mobs, melted by unmittigatea
scoundreis, the lovers 0! daspotism and tn
assasins of liberty. To this latter cias, be
! long The HstigatorS Of this das tardly ou, rage
upon the rights and sentiments Of large
majority of ihe people Of this county. That
this blow was aimed at the editor of our
! English paper, now enga ged in the PERFORM
ance of Legislative duties, TO which your Suf
. frages elevated him, or that it was aimed
/ the quiet editor Of our German edition is
/ folly to assert. II was aimed at you, the peO
! pie to crush your press, 20 outrage your sen
! timents and to rob you Of those rights which
| your God, your Constitutions, your laws
and proper admins tration of this govern
ment would give you. 1t means that const;-
tutional principles aud civil liberty against
! mobs and usurpatIon shall not be advocated
| in our midst The perpetrators Of this villa
nous act were strangers among Us, knowing
| nothing Of our paper, nothing Of our town
and nothing of the sentiments Of our people
They were inclted to it by men in our midst,
/ who make themselves the champions o' 10y
atty and who call upon honorable raen to
vote and sustain their revoiulonary and
riotouS policy. The responsibility rests up
on them, and they cannot and Shall not cs
! cape it. They have given practical IIustra-
! tion and confirmation in cur midst of the dis
reglrl which they have for law, for the
| seclrIty of property or for the peace and
order Of society. While we have stood a,
the defenders of civil liberty and connstitu
tona, governmet while We have spoken bold
! ly in defence Of the peoples interests against
usurpaton, riotings, despotism and punder,
they have been constantly advocating, incit
ing and defending these repeated enormitres
Cf their own party, for the destruction. in
violation Of all law, of the lnaIienble rights Of
freeman. But the spirit Of freedom which
they seek to crush, will not yield before any
dast tardly outrage they may commit. We
cannot be welded to the HarIot which seeks
the destruction of liberty and the erection Of
4 desqotism, by these repeated conhrmations
Of hcg crime. 1t will cause us to renew our
energy az ainSt all mem and parties, who in
the name OF Loyalty. commit outrage against
the peace and freedom Of tie people, for
which the penitentary or the services Of the,
hangman should be their righteous doom
The Northumberland County Democrat
though mobbed By strangers, at the instiga-
ton of partlzan scoundrels, Is not dead, 1t
will soon again appear to defend the time
honored and constitutional PRINCIPLES Of the
democratic party, and if law among loyal
leaguers is thing gone BY, and if brute force
and the reign OF MODS, at the instigatlon of
drunkards is to be the order Of the day, the
demonratic party are prepared for the issue
of Sef,deicnce to the destruction of propet-
ty for property or even life for life. We