The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-09-12
Characteristic Letter from Judge Black.

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The following letter was recently address F
ed BY Judge jeremiah :. Black to the editors
of the Daily Lancaster Tntelligencer, cOngrat- !
ulating them on the improvement made in
the typographical appearance of their paper, T
and its ability as a Democratic organ. The
letter is written in Judge Blacks well known
direct and vigorous style, and will well repay
perusal:
GENTLEMEN: learn with great pleasure that
your paper continues to prosper. That fact. taken
in connection with your faithful iaoors IN the
cause of good government. demonstrates that the
moral and political health of the public mind IS
still improving. That the local aHairs OF q SreaI
county like Lancaster should be subjected to the
mana cement you describe, is melancholy enoughi
but il ought not TO dishearten you; for the COM
DIete restoration of the whole country to constftU
tionaI freedom, and the consequent reform OF AL
corrupt abuses are events rapidly approaching
The American Demos though not without his
faults is nevertheless. a sensible parsonage, OF
fair pIny He is not as Jealous Of his political
agents he ought to be, nor as vigilant IN guard
ing his Inherited rights but he respects the mem
ory of his ancestors and has a due regard for the
Interests Of his children. His blood and breeding
will never permit him to be slave in the house
hold OF which he was born TO be master. he ls
slow to anger even against his worst Oppressors.
and the most atrOciOus fraud does not ruf1e his
temper; hut in the fuIIncss of time quietly and
without vindictiveness, he ghts his wrongs. y GU
need not be afraid that your appeals to his rea-
son, his conscience and his pride Of race viii De
your are doubtful of this think what the peo-
pie ofthe Union have lately achieved. Ten years
aEo the friends Of liberty, regulated by law, had
only seven senator's in Congress, and in the lower
house they were Outnumbcred more than two to
one. They had elected president sworn to pre-
serve, protect and defend the constitution. for
comUeu satton Of tvyeulyfiye thousand dollars ner
/ year, but the enemies Of the constitution secured
him to their side by giving him. in the form of
presents, more than his legal salary would amount
. 10 in four years. When the private gifts ceased.
Congress presented him with a equal amount
out Of the public trea sury, and his admnistra-
hasuH FFf41-a aNfH F..ras u fsF
ginning to end. The army and navy, and I'll the
8 executive departments, the whole organized ply
nation, were in hostile hands. Every atom of
this mighty power vas thrown against liberty
and justice. The Southern states were wholly
deprived OF their anatomy. their governments
crushed out, and their people placed undcr The
IN the commonwcalths OF the Moth rs well as is
Congress, legislation was controlled by great
rings crgauiZcd-tO enrich themselves by rObbing
labor OF the bread il earned. Our usurping rulers,
entrcnched In power which they Thought irrcsis:i-
BIC, asserted that the constitution had been shot
70 death in the war, that the states consequently
had no rights. and the people no liberties, which
Federal authority was bound TO respect. They
claimed the power to suppress newspapers for
publishing the truth. to knock down judges on
the bench sor administer ng the law, to kdnap
and imprisOn free citizens for expressing their
honest opinions. Pretending to leave US the
every form OF force and fraud 10 inttmdate voters
to stihe the expression OF The popular viii, ana
and 20 falsify election returns. Superaddcd TO
these indignities and outrages was the pressure
of a public debt so heavy and public expenses so
the profits OF industry, whereby the rich became
) richer and the poor poorer wealth accumulated
and men dccayed. Does history tell US of any
. nation more deplorably situated The outlook
OF Prone theus chained to the rock, with yuItures
gorginS themselves upon all the lObes of his
. liver, seemed scarcely so hopeless. Some OF our
best patriots despairei Of the republic and greatly
feared that the institutions established by tho
fathers of the country were irrccoverably lost 10y
the dcgencracy OF their sons
. In these most unfortunate circumstances how
did the great body of the people behave2 The
. mighty and puissant Dslaos-hc OF the 'uvincib!C
burden Of his debt and walked away like Samson
with the gates Of GAIA upon his shoulders He
tion. but worked on with every limb stretched and
every muscle Swelled, until he paid the halt o.
all he was bound for and made his securities fol
the other halt as good as gold. In the meantime
he looked after the corrup. bnations that were
nlned to have a government that would paw some
attention TO his wishes, his interests. and hi,
rights. In spite Of fraud, falsehood and brute
force, the numbers Of the anti constitutional fac
tiOn in the national legislature decreased unit
they became minority in both branches. A
the last presidential election their candidate wa
defeated by n overwhelming majority and could
= only be counted in by most impudcnt fraud
Was not this much TO be accomplished in shoT
time and under so many disadvantages? II
. similar circumstances The homan PopUlts woul,
, and the spirit OF the Athenian Demos would hav,
been broken, or excited to rash and runoUs insur
= rectlon, by haIi oi what we endured L is some
thing TO he proud OF. that alone OF all demo
cratic peoples restored Institutions after the
were not only wrecked but rotten.
These peaceful victories, more renowned THAI
those OF war, have not merely promoted in a gen
eraI way the great cause IN which they were won
but their direct and immediate fruits have heel
most beneficial. lnuumerable swiudles have bce1
exposed anu puniShcdi unlawful combination
have been broken up and many millions saved o
the public money The cITpet-bag thieves ar
7 . 'On the run, OF else oVcriaken by the laws, an
sent TO the proper pcHitentaries. This vcnal crey
which n one tme rioted IN the full possession o
ten state governments and occupied the seats o
sixty representatives in Congress. with twelve ii
the Senate. have vanished from the political stage
and many ot their official abettors IN the Norti
have been scourged back TO the p0werless Oh
scurify from which they ought never to hav
. Our struggles FOR justice in the courts, the rc
[ clamation OF our rights through the press, Upo
the hustings, and in the legislative assemblies G
the states and the nation, have produced a strE
ing moral effect on the minds OF our adyersarie
putic theory of government. but their sracfice
infinitely less cruel than Dc used Co be- They still
- assert that they took advantage Of the militar
force which the war gave them 20 Kill the cousti
tuition. and tat they did actually put it 90 dca D
but they have left of the Habit OC insulting it
memory. They continue to deny the rights OF IN
5 states but they have quit holding them down {
De pIundcrea ami troddcn upon. Fhey deciar
; with as much s0lemnitv a ever that our genera
government is not the result OF a compact between
sovereign states. which bestowed upon 1t certain
rights specifically enumerated, re. crvinx a 9th
cTS 90 the states themselves and the people but
G self existent nation with powers uuc-catcd unde
hucd, undcieEatcd, and therefore unlimited. Bu
I the brutality with which this claim Of absolute
. . authority was enforced during the dark wear
which 70 Jlowet the war has yiSibIy daluis he'd un
7 der the influence Of the popular protest and tn,
decisions OF the courts VIC are no Ion.lcr remind
Ell by the toad eaters Of the executive that W.
= hold life, liberty and property at their mercy
z Military commissions and arbitrary arrests haV
been trUwuet ont Of fashion.
" do not know that the enemies OF coustitu
tjnual liberty have CT rcpcuted Of their i 81 mil
deeds, Hut there are only some remnants Of thei
o. imperial system which they now oupnIy adhere Il
AMI expressly threaten to repeat. The gbiecr o.
all these Is To cripple and obstruct the cxercis
: OF the elective franchise. They insist upon tJ
right OF the federal executive 10 be REPRESENTED "a
, state elections 10y the bayUuets of the staudin.
army: they viii not rcliLquish the uovcr OF thci
, hireng agents to impri5on Dcrn6cratie votcr
, without q warrant, and they strcnuously relus
to part with the privilege of trying ,hyr poiEfca
. OPP IUncnts by lurIcE packed 10 convict Ihcn, Tn
people ana the states in the present Cgnures
made brave struggle 10 strike OH these sha X
and the obstinate cNCrtiCu Of q frauHuIcDt a m in
Play Of 1876 will be, If possible repeated In 1850
Al what time in the future he Anal Gefear g,
the anti-pemUcTatic party VIII make end Of n
It's tyranny and corruption no one can u. eaict a
r. present. Moral forces work slowly when oppose,
10y money and arms but on some day uoi YER
ment will be totally routed and when Iustic
does oyertakC them the weight Of the iron han,
viii make full atOncmcnt for the delay Of tn
= leadcn heel.
, In all your eyertions to bring about that con
summation l sincerely sympaJkize, for l am your
truly, J. ). BLsCIs
/, UNDER an act of the Legislature TN
. anthracite counties in the State are Iii
yidedinto six districts, for each Of whicl
, an Inspector OF Mines is appointed
e whose duty it is to investigate and re