The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1868-07-22

ablished freedom. Our liberties and our re-
igion haye alike come down to us through
he voluntary suffering of honest, earnest
men, who choose to perish rather than be-
Tray the truth and liberty. The history of
liberty is the history of imprisonments, exc
cutions, protests and resistance against ar
bitrary power Hampden, Sidney and La
fayette are but representative men who
have struggled against oppression. This is |
our crims-that we were faithful TO the land |
of our birth, and the institutions of our ma
tivlty. This was the misfortune of our coun- |
t1y-that, our advice was mheeded by those
who fell victims of common suffering.
These are our birthrights /; never surren-
dered by our ancestors at any period of our
history; the freedom, fairness, and purity
of elections; the integrity, independence
and freedom of our Legislature, theright of
personal liberty, with all its securities and
guarantees, which had been from time
to time engrafted upon the organic laws of
our free ancestors IN Europe, and doubly Sc
cured by our State and Federal Constitution
er been slaves, and vindicated their love of
liberty by their struggle with the tyrantS
who attempted to Cypress theme so jealous
were they of their liberty and self-govern-
ment. Because we knew that liberty is al
ways in danger, we opposed every attempt
to destroy it. We believed that the civil
war would elevate the military over the au-
thority of the State, we therefore did all in
our power to prevent the conflict, at each
step interposing our advice to stay the desc
lating hand of death as he marched forth to
destroy by the sword, and consume by fire.
But civil war, as we expected, and warned
the people, did place the military above the
civil power, and trample under the foot of
tive courts and public assemblies, and de-
stroyed every civil right of life, liberty and
| property held sacred by them. And from
this condition of things we have not yet re-
covered, nor can we hope to recover until
beginning with first principles. We return
to the love of liberty, which our fathers held
more precious than property or life. The
character of our prosecutors explains the
wrongs inflicted upon US.
These men found this government pros
porous, and left it in ruins they entered
upon it in order, and left it in anarchy ;
they commenced the administration of the
government when it was free from debt
they have involved it in bankruptcy, hope
less and complete. They found the people
in the enjoyment of liberty they have en-
slaved them, leaving them nothing of theil
ancient heritage. Our prosecutors were mer
of vile public character. Some of thes.
men were leaders in the councils of the late
President Buchanan, advising his course,
and after war commenced, entering tht
Cabinet of President Lincoln, infiicting i'm
: prisonment upon all who agreed with Mr..
Buchanan.
During the six years of anarchy our per
secutors stained their hands with innocen
blood, filled their pockets with plumber, laic
their country in ashes, and overthrow tn
government which they wero sworn to pro
tect adding perjury to their crimes of blood
pillage and rapine, they could endure n
contradiction, would listen to no reason, an
believed nothing but death sufficient pun
ishment for all who denounced these outra
ges. There was none, and there is now, IL
security in the law in their hands.
The President executes military law, d,
claring it unconstitutional. The Chief-Ju.
, tice drives victims of military usurpatio
away from his Court, and the General of a
our armies is the greedy usurper of all pow
er, and scruples not at the exercise of DOW
er utterly unknown to free governments, -
Such are tho men who robbed our countI
, of irs liberty. Prisoners are now sufferiu
r mnameAble indignities in some of the mil
q taTy prisons of the country. This scand
, lies al the hands of the President of the Un
- ted States who permits it {; and at the han,
/, of the Chief-Justice of the United State.
Q who refuses to grant them writ of n1lKu
: CORPUS preliminary to fair and imparti
O trial by jury to the Chi
q of our armies, who suffers himself to be Il
! common jailer of men who are punishe
o will out conviction, and held in the tyrsnt
: grasp of arbitrary power, .-
e Aurdsregs, traitors, deb4ucnees and IN,
t accessible TO, and convicted of bribes, be
|, sway among us. The history of the rule
Y these men is the history of such crimes
}. never disgraced American annals tsfore
= not even among the aborigines, II is b
! ugth TO say that among our rulers are maj
y justly amenable to capital punishment at 1
O hands of the law. These nen arrested, il
o risoned, and through their vensl press. d
d nounced us, because We stood unmoved
s defense of liberty and free government.
The people have Ehown themselves q
worthy of their liberty who shuddsr not
these atrocities against free government.
; Is sad commentary upon the progress
IS civil liberty that the only republican govel
It paent known among the great powers of
.s earth, should seek its rulers from the wo
& tyrants, .. .''- .....
a, Our patriotism is vindica ted by III
!. crimes. They dared not bring chars
d against US, who had committed no crinA
They could find no indictment against
e although they had control of the grand jur
L of the country. They could find no pro
W cutors, although the land was filed "
g. pimps, spies and detectives, They COZ
y hire no false witnesses, although peril
was at premium. And finally, they c,
fessed their guilt and exposed their shan
at when they demanded of each prisoner 4
n he do not prosecute them for their crin
Grimes against liberty, 50 daSrAnt infapa