San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1880-07-17

and good government, that the exercise
fthe military power through military
tribunals created for the trial of often.
ces against the civil law, should over
be permitted. when the ordinary pow
ers Of tho existing state governments
are ample for the punishment Of offend
ers. if those charged with the admins
tration of the. laws are faithfulin the
discharge Of their duties.
'r11i vd 49, ti.i tai
GEN. HANCOCK IN REPLY TO A RE-
PUBLICAN dOvERNOR-HE FAvORs
THELARGEsT LIBERTY OF OPINION
AND DIsoUssIoN-ExTRA CT FROM
HIS LBTrER TO GOV. pEAsE. s'a ioe
MY DEAR SIR: I am not q lawyer,
nor has it been my business as it may
have been yours, to study the philos.
ophy Of statecraft and politics. But |
may lay claim after the experience Of
half a lifetime, to some poor knowledge
of men, and some appreciation OF what
is necessary to social order and happi-
ness. And for the future Of our COM
mon country I could devoutly wish
that no great number Of our people
have yet fallen in with the views, you
appear to entertain. Woe be to us
whenever it shall come to pass thai the
power of the magistrate--civil or mill
tary--is permitted to deal with the
mere opinions or feelings Of the people
have been accustomed to believe
that sentiments Of respect or disrespect
and feelings Of affection love or hatred,
SO long as not developed into acts in
violation oflaw. were matters wholly
beyond the punatory power of human
tribunals. m rsd. qgiagaa
1 will maintain that the entire free
dom Of thought and speech, however, I,
acrimonlously INDUCED, is consistent
with the noblest aspirations of man,
and the happiest conditions Of bis race,
When boy I remember to have
read speech of Lord Chatham ,deliv-
cred in parliament. It was during our
revolutionary war, and related to the
policy Of employing the savages on. the
side Of Britain. You may be more
familiar with the speech than I am
II I am not greatly mistaken his lord
ship denounced tho British Govern
ment--his- Government in. terms o.
uumeasured bitterness. he character
lied its policy as revolving to every
sentiment Of humanity and religion;
proclaimed it covered with disgrace,
and vented his eternal abhorrence of it
and its measures. 1t may l think be
safely asserted that majority Of the
British nation concurred in the views
Of Lord Chatham. But who ever sup
posed that profound peace was not ex
is,ing in that kingdom, or that the
Government had any authority to ques
ton the absolute right of the opposi-
ton to express their objections to the
propriety Of the Kings measures in
any words or to any extent they pleas
ed 1t would be difficult to show the
opponents Of the Government in the
days of the elder Adams. or Jefferson,
or jackson exhibited for it either "af-
fection" or respect. You are conver'
SAINT with the history of our. past par
ties and political struggles touching
legislation on alienage, seditiom, the
embargo, national banks. our wars
with Eugland and Mexico, and cannot
be iguorant Of the fact that for ooe
party to assert that law or system of
legislation is unconstitutional, oppres-
sIxe and ursurpative, is not q new
thing in the United States. That the
people Of Texas consider acts Of con-
gress Unconstitutional. oppressive, or
insulting to them is of no consequences
to the matter in hand. The President
of the United States has announced
his opinion that these acts Of congress
are unconstitutional. The Supreme
Court as yon are aware, not long ago
declared unsDimously that a certain
military commission was unconstitu-
tionaL Our people everywhere in every
State without reference to the side
they took during the rebellion. differ