American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1866-09-08

The selfstyled Republicans opene
II the Presidential canvas OF 1860 wit
the most unblushing and preposte
Gus pretentions. They asserted
tpalpable libel upon the living and a
ungratefuI reflection upon the dea
patriots and statesmen Of al partie:
The Government was charged wit
having established a censorship owe
the press, and Surveillance over tn
personal right of free speech, in opel
defiance Of the constitutional amenti
| ment of 1893, which declared "Con
gress shall have no power to enac
laws abridging or interfering witt
, the liberty of the press or the free
dom of speech This amenumen'
not only prevents Congress from
abridging these rights, but admits
their existence unrestricted by any
law or custom when the constitution
was framed.
What was it, then, these cham.
pions of freedom intended to do fol
the people2 Congress had never en-
acted any laws upon these subjects
since the repeal in 1901 of the only
one that ever existed. No law was
on the statute books abridgiag the
freedom of speech, and the right WAS
perfect under the constitution. Every
one will see that the claim set forth
and pledges made by the " freedom
slriekt rs was | oGether or t tpus
and uncalled-tor, unnecessary, impol-
itic, unjust and libelous upon wings
and democrats. and disgracetul to ali
concerned. II they meant anything
By it what was it Did the party,
after wondcrful-anda alas but too
tatal.-suCceSs, take the first step to-
wards enfranchising the free citizens
of the United States in respect to
those rights Let the reply from
hundreds of presses suppressed by
violence and by military power, at
the instigation OF party leaders and
government otiicials-let the con
tents Of printing offices thrown into
the street or consumed 10y the fires
applied by licensed incendiaries, tes-
tify; let the smothered curses, the
sUppreSSeddenuuCiations and threats,
the bold denials and eloquent justiti-
cations ana detences of the thousands
who were hurried off to prisons upon
er porte evidence, or the testimony OF
hired emisSaries and degraded ne
grOes, ana who pinned away months
and years Of their miserable lives in
the gloomy vaults of peuitentIaries
and jai!s, and in the dauk and siekly |
Dungeons of Abolition bastiles the |
modern inquisitorial hells of fanatics
and unnatural in their !
hate than the founders of the inuuis- |
itorial tribunals of Spain in the dark.
est ages of religious tyranny and I
let these, one and all, +
answer 10 the sentimental profess
ons of the conciliatory, ci!y-,ongued
lyp0crites, the party sycol hats and
oerddious political apostates, trick
'ters and thinb,e-riggers Of the mem.
,rable Congress of 1860.
Down TO the year 1850, the people
were everywhere alive TO their inter.
,>tE, watChtui guardians Of the pub. 3
ic veal, and Jealous advocates or the {
constitution as it was originally
greed to and understood, when the
leath-blow was given TO the govern. +
nent Of our beloved country by a /
majority. The people could {
ot be made really to fear the til :
mph Of Gnadu.terated abolitoui, m, =,
ven il the presidency should be lost q
the conservative republican mass !
!, by personal chickering's aud party l.
isseations, The "nigher law" I
'hoo', whose doctrines were ostcnsi r
IS or Saceringlv repudiated By the +,
1mlnee Of the Chicago Convention. c
ere for the time being stupefed, Il
I'd little fear was felt that these ex- :
em!sts could in any very short time =
are" he whole lump of pseudo-re. Il
lOlcanlSm with their treasOna- O
e doctrines. But, alas "vhat q
ange has come over the spirit of :
II dreams ~ In one short year from r.
e accession Of this free speech, free III
mes, tree-dirt party to Office, We ia
hold the nation rent in twain from tn
e Potomac to the Rio Grande, a 81
hilary despOtism is established and m
ire firmly riveted upon the necks oh
the people than ever a Sultan iet
nd boast. The President of a free ca
lstltuency, selected for his person ,h'
popularity with the masses, apes 10
despots OF an oriental monarchy, ca
surrounded with thousands of dis to
.!ned troops, and, protected by OF