San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1880-10-30

government and yield to it an m
willing obedience" Nevertheless,
you concede they do yield it obedi-
ence. You proceed:
"None Of this class have any af-
fection for the government and very
few any respect for it. They regard
the legislation Of congress on the
subject of re construction as uncon-
stitutional and hostile to their inter
ests, and consider the government
now existing here under authority OF
the United States as an usurpation
of their rights. They look on the
emancipation Of their late slaves and
the Acknowledgement OF portion OF
their own class as an act of insult
and oppression.
And this is all you have to present
for proof that war and not peace
prevails in Texas; and hence it be-
comes my duty-so you suppose
to set aside the local civil tribunals
and enforce the penal code against
citizens by means Of military COM
missions
My dear sir, I am not lawyer nor
has it been my business, rs it may
have been yours, to study the philos.
ophy of statecraft and politics. But
I may lay claim, after an experience
of more than half q lifetime, to
some poor knowledge Of men and
some appreciation Of what is neces-
sary to social order and happiness.
And for the future of our common
country, Icould devoutly wish that
no great number of our people have
vet 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 or
military-is permitted to deal with
the mere opinions or feelings of the
people.
I have been accustomed to believe
that sentiments of respect or disres-
pect, and feelings of affection, love
or hatred, so long as not developed
into acts of violation Of law were
matters wholly beynd the punitory
power of human tribunals
I will maintain that the entire free
dom of thought and speech, how
ever acrimoniously indrlged, is con-
sistent with the noblest aspirations
of man, and the happiest condition
of his race. -
When a boy, I remember to have
read speech of Lord Chatham, de-
livered in parliament. 1t was during
our revolutionary war, and related to
the policy of employing the savages
on the side of Britain. You may be
more familiar wirh the speech than 1
am. If am not greatly mistaken,
his lordship denounced the British
government-his government-ln
terms of unmeasured bitterness, He
characterized it's policy as revolving
to every sentiment of humanity and
religion proclaimed it covered with
disgrace, and vented his eternal ab-
horrence of it and its measures. 1t
may, l think, be safely asserted that
a majority of the British nation con
CURED in the views of Lord Chat
ham. But who eyer supposed that
profound peace was not existing in
that kingdom, or that government
had any authority to question the
absolute right of the opposition to
express their objections to the pro-
prlety of the kings measures in any
words, or to any extent they pleased!
It would be difficult to show that the
opponents of the government in the
days of the elder Adams, or Jeffer-
son, or jackson exhibited for it
either affection" or respect. You
are conversant with the history of
our past parties and political strug-
giles touching Legislation on alienage,
sedition, the embargo, national banks,
our wars with England and Mexico,
and cannot be ignorant of the fact
that for one party to assert that a
law or system of Legislation is uncon-
stitutional, oppressive and usurpa-
tive is not q new thing in the United
States. That the people of Texas
consider acts of congress unconsti-
tutional, oppressive or insulting to
them is OF no consequence 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 you are aware, not long ago
decided UNANIMOUSLY that certain
military COMMISSION was unconstitu-
tionaL Our people everywhere, In
every state, without reference to the
side tney took during the rebellion,
differ as to the constituuonality of
these acts of congress. How the
matter really is neither you nor 1
may dogmatic.iLy affirm.
Ii yon deem tiiem constitutional
laws, and boneiiclai u the country,
you not only Lave the night to pub
Esn your op.niOns but 1t might he
your bOunden duty as a citizen to do
80. Mt Iess Is IL the privilege anu
duty OF any ami every cluzen, wiier-
ever residing, - puDiish hIs opmIon
iree.y and leSI.esssy on TINS and
every question ElDcn he tbInks con-
cerns ms interest This Is merely N
accUrdznce with the prnclpses Of
our Tree government; and neither
yOu nor would wish TO I'VE under
s.ny other. II Is tune DOW, at the