Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1880-07-15

tb0lr interests, aOO cODStoor tue
Government now existing he,e nm,
der authority of the United States
as an usurpation of their right.
They look on the emancipation of
their late slaves aud the disfranch-
isemeut of . portion of their own
class. as m act Of insult aad OPP
preston"
And this is all you have to pre-
sent fnr proof that war and no
pence prevails ic Texas; aud heuoe
il becomes my. dntv-so you snp-
| pose-,O set aside the local
civil tribnnaIs, and enforce the
penal code against citizens by
means of military commissions.
My dear sir AN uot n lawyer, nor
has it been nv business, as it may
have beer yours, to study the phi
losophy of state craft and politics.
Bnt may lay claim, after an ex>
2erieuce of mo,e than half life
time, to some poor knowledge of
men, and some appreciation Of
what is necessary t. social order
and happiness. And for the fu-
tu,e Of our common country, |
could devontly wish that no great
lumber of our people have yet
fallen in with the views you ap.
pear to entertain. Woe be to us
whenever it shall come to pass that
the power Of The magistrate-civil
or military-is permitted 10 deal
with the mere opinious or feelings
Of the people.
I have been accustomed 70 be-
lieve that sentiments of respect or
disrespec', aud feelings of affection,
love or hatred, so long AS not de-
veioped into acts in violation Of
law, were matters wh oily beyond
the punito'y power of human til
bunal<. will maintain that the
entire freedom of thought and
speech, however, acrimuuiuuslv iu-
duIged, is consistent with the nob-
lest aspirations Of man, aud the
happiest condition of his race.
When hoy, l remember to have
.ead Il speech Of Lord Chatham,
delivered in Parliament. 1t was
during our Revolutionary War,and
related to rbe policy of employing
the savages ou the side Of Britain.
You NAV be more familiar with the
speech than l am. If | am no
greatly mistaken, his Iordship de-
nounced the British government
his government-ln terms fuf un-
measured bitterness. He charac-
terized it's policy AS revolving to
every sentiment of humanity and
religion; proclaimed it covered with
di>grace,au vented his eternal alb
horreuce of II and it's measures. 1t
may,l think, he safely asserted that
a majority of the 8 ilish nation
concurred in the views of Lord
Chatham. But who ever supposed
that profound peace was not exist
in iu that kingdom, or that Gov
e, nment had any authority to
question the absolute right of the
opposition t" EXPIRE SIS their o. c.
tious TO the pr"priety of the k,ug's
measures i'll any wo,ds. .r to any
extent they pleased? 1t would lie
difficult to show that tie oppc-
nents of the Government in the
days OF the elder Adams, OF J. IF ,r
sou, or Jackson, exhibited for
either 'atf ctiou' or "respect.
Ycn:are couve.sant wi b the history
of our past Parties aud political
struggles touching legislation on
alienage, sedition the emb~rgo, Ia
,innal banks, our wars with Eng
land and Mckee, and cannot be
ignorant IF the TACT, that for one
party to asset that a law or sys-
tenn of Legislation is uncnus.i.ution-
al, oppressive aud usurpative, is
not new thing in the UIi,ed
States. That the peopls of Texas
consider acts of G ,pgress uLcon-
stitutioual, oppressive or insulting
tc them. is of DO consequence to
he matter iu hand. The President
OF the United States has uunounc-
ed Ills opinion that these acts oi
Congress are unconstitutional. The
Sup'em. Cou't. as you are aware.
long ago decided unanimously that
ce, tain military commission was
unconstitutional. Oar people eve,x
where, III every State, without ref
erence TO the side they took during
the rebellion, dlffsr rs to the con
st,tutioDality of the. acts of Con :
giess. How the nntter really j.,
nei'her you nor ] may dogmaticalIy
affir N.
II you deem them constitutions al
laws, and beur6c,al TO the o"uutry,
you net only have the right to pab
iish y"ur opinious, but II might be
your bounden dnty as c,t'z-n to
do co. N It less is it the pri, lie re
and duty Of ahy and every citizen,
| wherever residing, to publish biz
opinion freely and fenrIsssly ou
this and every question which he
thinks concerns his intsres'. This
/ is me e'y in accol dance With the