New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-01-12
CIVIL LIBERTY IN DANGER.
speech ot&e Hon. Georgc 7SoSaOr Ovr.L.

Speech Of the Hon. Georg. TSo<aor Ovrb.
Mr.. MAYOR AND FELLOW CITIZENS: On Satur-
day evening received unexpectedly tho invitation OF
your Committee to address this meeting. had taken
no part in tho preliminary arrangements and had not
even signed the call tor the meeting. Had believed
myself capable Of utcrng wOId ON this occasion with
partisan purpose. should have declined the invita-
ton and held my peace But tAis meeting has no party
character Parties organized to carr on and give
effect to diff rences of opinion concerning the admins
traton Of the Republic This meeting IL called TO
the Republic II Ia be saved ~ In cdIco 10
protest, with all the force that can be Given 10 public
opinion, against OF usurpatOn that strikes tho
civ liber les OF the country a. their very heart
mad thought, oWciizens, during tho war ana for
some time ael ward. that nad drained to The drcgi
tho bitter cup of puDc calanity that had stf red all
that lover OF free neuons can suffer from ther vio
lati0n, When saw the writ OF haOe9s corpus OF tue
Chief Justice Of the Unlted states prevented by Mill
tary power from reaching an imprisoned cIuz'n; wbeh
seized and into dungeons ON tue tele-
grams OF secretary Of War or Srcrrt ~ Of state
not the army or the navy were tried for their
lives before military commissions. IN places where 10
civil tbunais were In the fall and undstu b'd tx icisn
their functions; when, at last. amer peace was
restored and was "a general subnlsson 20 all 40
just authority OF the Feueral Government. saw Tho
Southern states dealt with as II they were foegn rOu
Of conquest to tho Jailed stltes-I tdOugot
endure moriidc on OF distress Of dcsptir Tor to
safety OF our tree iinsIitution' KEY trieI' hone az
multltudes OF cOuntry whose parlottsn coud
doubt, btl1 these things to De IN somo degree excus
able ana were willing to believe that they BODIED 10
permanent injury 10 the pnOlic Ibertes 90 NOT say
spprecIaI. their reasoning Ana now what has nap
pened Here Is an act, doae IN time OF profound
peace that dangerous 10 all civil freedom, 80 bold
aud reckless violation Of law 50 completely an nos
without excuse, tHit men "hO have c"ndOned every
thing eso cOmpcllc0 to speak OUT And now let me
occupy few Uononts Of your tune IN pam cOrt 10
In every country on earth wcro free parliamentary
government exists, 1t Is fundamental principle OF law
thai every sitting member OF the ic1-a.iYr BODY
titled to hold his aud exercise his functions 10
not daily elected or is otherwise disqualified. Tms
UrlnCple Is peculiar TO although 10 J. universally
held TO be part Of our law. Ia England aud IN all her
eolouirs-in the whole OF that magnificent empire
tending into three quarters OF the globe where the nag
and the speech OF England have carried islsh hlerJ
this principle prevails. II you viii rehccG upon t for
a moment you Will see that witn0Dt II tIero
never could be any legal org.uiz .,'on of "a
tinury Of legislative OOiy, coordinate aud inie-
pendent Drlncn Of GJvernm:nt depend upon TINS pfln
cple-tnaL those who are primo Jaee memGer: are ana
continue members until the bOdY itself declares other
From Tins it foOss by inevitable necessity tnat
no external auth0rty-lo outside power De II cyl or
miltarJ-ca IN any way act upon the rl2ht ~ any
memher to continue IN his place and u exercise his
functions; ana u Is therefore, as pain as
truth mathematics, that 10y whOmsoeVer ordered
gle member, by any thing but tile Order OF the body
itself. destroys the Legal existence of That body.
In the present case, the circumstance that iye men,
bers were fOrciby expelled by soldiers OF tue U1ited
states an agGrayatiOn OF great atrOcity bat what
wish you to tx your attention upon is ms That tue
f0 chile expulsion VI those five members by the ntary
power OF tue United States, matter who moved or
caused To move tue expelag force has destroyed tho
legal existence OF the Legislative Assembly OF Louisiana.
what they call themsclves are no longer ia law the
Legislative Assembly OF the State Toe subseq
members not Affect the matter way the
From the moment wnen those live members
PEELED by the troops of the Uted States the legislative
Assembly OF Louisiana ceased 10 exist.
When Cromwell, fearing that tue Long Parliament
would make settlement of the national difficulties with
the King advanced the army TO LoudOn aud sent Col
Pride WIN two regiments TO purge the House OF Com-
OF than 2OO members he aud tue other lead
ers OF the army knew perfectly well what they
constitute no lawful Parliament after that expulsion:
and IT has been the nnanmous Judgment of an subse
tiOna lawyers that tue Rump Parliament winch
manned no Parliament at an do not know whether
who ordered executed the expulsion Of the hYo
members OF the louisiana Assembly mten led what uoy
have brought about Dgt TINS DO know That there does
state II has been destroyed. destroyed by net OF
violence perpetrated by the military power of the United
somewhere has Resolved that the Legislature OF tnat
State shall not bear certain political complexion and
shall bear certain other political character Is imna
Ieral.
Fellow citizens. many years ago I set myself to study
the political institutions OF our native and to learn
and TO forth and why was. that out Of tho
throes of revolution and the suherngs aud turmoil VI
there that complex aud beautiful system OF
civil liberty which has come down 10 found that,
nature il great led der OF our
armies he who had conducted US TO victory and enabled
Is 10 accomplish revolution, "a who had q
profound reverence for the civil power, aud liked
to obs never tue There %s
many and many time In the darkest period Of
been temporarily justified by half of the cvlnzsd
world nay, by majority OF mankind, If he had DIS.
the bayOnet, aud had taken upon himself the supreme
direction Of affairs. Never for one moment did he yield
To such temptation You Know or ought to know, the
result You know, and ought never to forget that it
because he was faithful aud patriotic and unsehh
to degree Ipat was never exeelled by mortal man.
because be would Tot permit tue military power,
any pretext to inn.c. rue shsu''st wounu
upon the sacred body or civil liberty, tnss you
pcssess the institutions Under whca you i've TWAS in
the days OF my early manhood that began TO loarn
these things and from toat day 10 this, have
been, have kept hanging upon my walls In the
form could obtain the image OF that serene and males
tic couDenanoe that so speaks 10 the American heart
trusts OF civil freedom. Aud confess TO you, my
cOuDtrymen, that looking by day and by night inlo
those thoughtful half elanchoy eyes which So speak
almost led 10 kneel down before them and TO say Ga,
aud good and patriotic, save us, save from weak
admiration OF military glory Save from the pas
sions that destroy from the canker OF indifference That
eats away. FROM the negligence that undermnes the
foundations OF liberty II who does hold
inercesOn Of the saints and who believes that prayer
should never be addressed 70 any but the Supreme
Being could bo excused for such a religious Incon-
sistency might be when he looks upon the image or
Washington In these degenerate days
My friends do not feel able to give much advice In
this emergency. OF one thing, however. have clear
conviction and therefore am gss that this meeting
propose 10 call upon Congress to Interfere by
bill 10 regulate the domestic affairs OF louisiana do
not hold that Congress has any legitimate po~er 70 pro
that there Is none IN lawful existence Tney may nave.
but do not see It. l consider shat the clause 10 'no
to every state republican form OF goyern-
ment means this. and nothing more that whes too
Itself needs s' The aid OF The United states to pre-
vent the establishment OF monarchy. or any other
form of government that 10 not republican according
American IDEAS Of u republican system, suen aid
shall be given But when state has tue misfortune 10
government, IL belongs exclusively, In my Judgment 10
the people OF that State In their sovereign ana primary
capacity take all nitiatory and all the maj steps
for the establishment OF q government ana II tnls
done, and the goyernment Is one OF repIesensustS
character and resting gu the will OF the people Il VIZ
necessarily DO republican In FORM for this Is tho