, 1874-07-15

antl each Houuo matlo m anawor thereto nfter
tho manner in England.
Tho trial followed on Oct. q, in hot llanto
artcr tho indictment. Tho Hon. william pattor-
son, OF tho United st.toa supromo Court and
Samuel Hitchcock, District Judge. both consplo-
uous felcraliBts, constituted tho Court, md tho
Diatrlet Attorney and Marshal wero also Fedor-
allsts+ Tho jury, ~ may 10 expected, woro In
no way friotldly to tia accused. Lyon proved
that Ills letter was written md mnied June 20,
fourteen daya boforo the paHsage Of tho law.
Ho denied TINT 10 hal anything to do with tho
publication Of Darlow'B letter. Judge Patterson
ovorru'od oil dofonses, aud ilcrcely denounced
him from tho Donel. I1o MAS convicted, md
uontonccd to four montls' imprisonment aud to
pay 1no Of e10o. The imprisonment Wac
to bo in tho county jail. Tho Marshal, lnstead
OF committing him to tito JUL III Rutland,
carricd him to Vorgonncs, in the north
end Of tho State, and thore cont1nod hlln unlor
circumstances Of oxtronlo ligor. Ho was deniod
tho uso OF fire, until In midwinsor his old noigh-
bora sent him stovo. For long time lie was
denied tho uso Of pom, inl, anl paper, nor was
any poraon allowed to yalt Or convorso with him.
Hin friends otrorod e1oo,000 bail II tho Marshal
would allow him to occupy comfortable room
i'll tho Marshal's houso, and It waa refused. Lis
torn Of imprisonment expired Fob. 0, 1909, 1t 8
4. IN. In the meantimc hs commitments bud re-
olccted lin to Congress. At Tie election In
September boforo LIS trlal ho received 0,4s2
yotea to zoos divided arnong several opponents,
md lacked 20 yotcs Of IN election. At Tho acc
ond trial, nfter Ills indictment, ho bud G0o ma
jority over all.
Tho Fedoralista had mado preparations to
have him roarrostod a. 5000 as ho was dis
charged from Jail. but the moment tho Marsl,al
opened tho priBou ioors and Informed him ho
mas froo, ho uboutod " I am on my way to
Philadelphia" and 1efs tho prison. Congress
being then in session, he waa exempt from ar-
rest.
In tho meantime tho country hui been busy
will, Lis caso. Other porsons, especially pub
lishors Of newspapers, had boon arrested, in
dictod, aud convicted, md the people were every
whore fillod with indignation against tho abuao
Of liberty md tho restriction upon freo speech.
Lyons journey from hts prison to Philadelphia
was q triumphal march, That waa not tho day
OF railroads. md tho journey for the moat part
WAS On horseback or In wagon. Aa lo passed.
through New England tLe people of each town
turned out to groot him. and accompanied him
to tho next town. Thoro was grand reception
olforcl him at bennington. On the Goth Of Fob
ruary lie took his soat in Congress, and Mr. Il.
q. Harper, Foderallst, at once offered reso-
luton for hiu expulsion. Tho ground waa that
ho had beon convicted 'as malicious ana sodi-
Lious person." who Ind boon guilty of "public
libe1s against the President, with intont to bring
tho Government Of tho United Staten into con-
tempt" T1o vote on the resolution waB, yeas,
tire, itfalled. Lyon acrved another term in Con-
ereae After retiring from Congres0 lie travelled
oyer tho country, honorcd and welcomed every
whore. Finally, he sottled in Koutucky and
Hurvod six years. in CongreBa as d mombor from,
that stnto. 1u 1s33, Congress. by special act,
directed tllas tho fine and coats exactod Of him
under the ssdltion law should bs refunded to Lila
! heirs.
Tho sedition lauwaa vigorously prosecuted for
faw yaara but 90 odious and Infamous had 1t
hecome tlKt oven the Tadera1sts repealed it,
For thirty years tho name Of Matthew Lyon, ol
Vermont, waa insoparably connected with tue
great popular ntruggle for FREQ criticism of thu
ncts and proceedings Of Congress and the Execu-
! tive, and his porsonal su!reringa wero regarded
| as having beon endured for popular liberty.
II 1t DO tr7,e that Judge Poland Was not awast
Of Tho effect Of the laW recently pasaed to sond
oditors and publiulers in all parta Of the country
to Washington City to bo tried for alleged libsls
re ehxll look TO lin to take energetic Htops al
the beginning Of t4a noxt soHsion TO have 1t ro
pozled.