North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1866-01-10
TUNKHANNOCK PA, WEDNESDAY, JAN. lO, 1866

est evidence of their civilization and
christianity, the writ of habeas corpus, was
assaied, and you we're left at the mercy OF
anybody and everybody, it required but
another cast of the die to fix upon you
military despotsm. Then your ligh' would
have gone out at MONDAY. Nlcodemus
asked with startling emphasis, when the
chief Priests were clamorous for the blood
of Jesus "Doth our law judge any man
before it hear him and know what he doeth. y
So asks the hobets corpus, why arrest this
man-wty ruthlessly tear him from his
wife and children? Doth oar law judge
any man before it hear him and know what
he doeth And in thunder tones it rolls
out no ! no! and thus the great chart of
the American citizens liberty stands by
his side as the military despot drags him
away under the cover of midnight, and
"pleads like angels, trumpet tongued,
ag ainst the deep damnation of his taking
off" Let us be fearlessly jealous of our
rights We are the sosereigHs. We
make the laws 1t is we, the people OF
these Uuitod States, who make Presidents
and Governors. They are our servants
appointed to serve US. and if they do not
please us, we put them out and put others
in their places What other nation can
like ourselves, make use of the plural pro
noun, We We the American people
We the the sovereign people. Thank
God for this proud distinction!
Let Us never loose sight of the fact that as
the Union is made up Of separate and indie
pendent States, so also are the States made
up of individual sovereigns, and just so long
as each citizen maintains his individuality,
amenable only to the laws and Constitu-
ton, so long we are safe. The most
alarming thought to right thinking man
| in this matter is the fact that we are de-
| parting from our old land marks. Would
that were able to impress upon all my
countrymen the danger of such a course,
and especially the necessity ofaguardiug
against all fanatical and unconstitutional
innovations. What can be more unnatural,
more unreasonable, than any attempt to
amalgamate discordant clements which
| God never intended should be united We
are nation of white men Our national
compact was formed by and for white men
The Convention which assembled to form
our Constitution was composed of white
men, and the Chairman of that bodys was
no less peison than George Washington,
the pure. urcompromsing patriot. Think
you that he, or any other of the wise and
good men composing that asemblage, ever
contemplated the idea that the government
they were using their best efforts to estab-
lish was to be anything but government
of white men? Thank God I have never
seen the time when could say "let the
Union slidc"-when I could pronounce the
great chart of our nationality "a covenant
with death and an agreement hell" or
declare the flag Of our country to be a
''faunting lie Let US keep our govern
mept as it was originally intended by its
founders. The moment you admit the ne.
gro to an equality of citizenship, you make
him eligible from the Presidency down
otherwise he is not your political equal
All ask is that the man who is Sc clamor,
Gus for negro equality should throw open
the doors of his house and invite him to
share in his social enjoyments-permit him
to take a seat on his crimson velvet sofa
tete-a-tete with his beautiful daughter, and
freely accord to him the right to demand
her hand in marriage, if he be so inclined
Then, and then only, will believe in and
respect his consistency. Until then | deny
the propriety of his assuming as his OWE
any such characteristics. No man is 4;
better friend to the negro than / am.
l would have him cared for, protected ,ant
elevated in the scale of humanity, as far a
possible. But it must be in his proper
place and position. If you have any rea
regard for him, or for the comfort of tn,
white man, do not attempt this pernicious
My dear people, you have long know
that entertained the most serious fears il
regard TO the final issue of this question
which for many years has been agitatine
the minds of the two sections. 1t came a
last, and in such horrible shape as nothin:
but the lapse of time can Danish from tn
E memory of any who lived during that fear
fnI reriod Thank God, it is over. an,