Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1867-08-15
,forrnr. OF Eropenn D,nreons.

fThe Radical newspapers have Published The
following letter extensively. II is douc on th'
astop thief" principle, and for the purpose Of
attracting attention from the crimes committed ai
home to those Of Europe. The loyalists wish the
American people to notice the mote in the eyes o
European despots and their satnps, while they
are covering up the beam in their own. If Thad
Stevens 4 Co. can quiet and satisfy our people
BY pointing out and rehearsing the crimes and
horrors Of their neigh bors, they win have gained
much in perfecting the machinery which they arc
erecting in this country for the purpose of perpc.
trating similar eruelties. II they can succeed in
consuming our thoughts and time in watching the
'1ron Maiden" at Nuremberg they expect Ia
establish a Military Despotism here, which, II
successful viii prove an '1ron MADAM" too
no, away of in Europe, but at home, where the
"Honors Of European Dungeons" will be repeated
by the tools and minions of the Washington Rump
Rnaves and scOundrels always try to palm %
their crimes upon their neighbors This letter /.
nothing but a plea for a Military Despotism in
this country, and a justification Of the damnabIs
heresios Of Radicalism. 1t was probably written
by that literary sneak and buifoon, JoHs LArHRor
MOTLEY, late Minister to Austria who deserves tC
be kicked and cOwhided by every foot and hand
inyigorated by an American pulse. The core
spondent Of the Boston Journal, at Nuremberg
Bavaria, writes thus:l
"Ihere are some men who claim
that the past was better than the
present, and who sing of the good
old times, and there are a great
many men in America to-day who
assert that there never was govern
ment so despotic as that of the United
States at the present time. The Mil
itary Reconstruction act of the pres
ent Congress is denounced as worse
than anything of the middle ages.
Correspondents Of the English news
papers, writing from America, reiter-
ate the cry, and | doubt not that
there are many honest, simple minds
on both sides Of the Atlantic half per-
suaded that there has been nothing
in the past more despotic and more
overbearing than that enactment of
Congress.
"Come with me, to this old town.
enter some of these edifices and look
upon the administration of the gov
ernment as it was in the sixteenth
and seventeenth centuries. We enter
one of the towers of the castle, de
scend five steps, and find ourselves in
a museum, where are preserved the
books of record, giving us a history
Of the past; and not only books, but
implements and instruments which
show more clearly than written words
the administration of those days, with
which the Government of the United
States is now compared. Here is a
post four feet high, in the centre OF
the room, with two curious fixtures
on the top, having some resemblance
to gun locks. 10 fU
"What is thisy The girl who acts
as our usher raises the hammers,
which come up with click. She
touches a spring and down they 90,
with snap that startles you--forced
down by strong springs, with whack
that would have mashed your fingers
to jelly had they been under The
hammer. This is finger crusher, a
delicate little instrument used to ex-
tort confessions from reluctant wit
nesses or suspected criminals. Here
are bracelets for the wrists, not of
gold or silver, but of iron, and the
parts which touch the wrists are set
with needles. Put them on your arms
and turn screw, and they close upon
the flesh, the needles piercing through
cords, tendons, flesh and bones. 1t is
one degree more excruciating than
crushing the fingers.
"Here is a head-dress--a crown
which has been worn by many men
and women. 1t has sharp knives
which cut through the scalp 10 the
skull. Here are chains and weights,
locks and keys, handouts and clasps
for the ancles, stocks for the feet,
weights to hold your feet to the floor,
and pulleys to draw your head at the
same time TO the ceiling. Here is a
bench Of solid oak, with a corrugated
surface, upon which many men have
been laid, held down by the cords, to
undergo tho kneading process, and
that rolling pin, knotty and knobby,
also OF oak, which lies upon the table,
has been rolled backward and forward
over the naked forms of men and
women, kneading live flesh to bloody
dough- Time and space would fail
me were | TO enumerate tho instru-
ments of torture here, or TO set forth
their uses We can only look at the
cradle--a huge trough Of oak on rock
ers-the bottom and sides thickly set
with pins, in which many victims have
been rocked TO death. Think of lying
on bed Of oakon pins, rolling to the
right, to the left-always on pins
till the flesh becomes livid Jelly !
Here is string of oaken beads, each
bead sixteen-sided about as large as
hickory nuts This was for saving
off legs and arms.
Here is an instrument shaped like
a pear. 1t is of iron, but TO all
appearances harmless thing. But
just take it for moment into your
mouth, and let me give a gentle pull
at the string attached TO the stem of
the pear, and it will no longer be a
pear, but full blown lily-an iron
lily, unfolding its leaves so suddenly
and violently that your jaws are forced
open till the joints crack in the sock
cts, while the delicate petals become
pincers which grasp your tongue !
No outery now. No utterance Of
words. No screaming to raise the