Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-07-15

chisement of a portion OF thelI
own class, as an act of insuli
and oppression.Piil' sdt t~mg-e
Antiahis 'issalt siyoa have to
present for proof that war and
not peace prevails in Texas;and
hence it becomes my sddty-sO
You suppose-to set aside ithe
local cisil tribunals and enforce
the penal code against, citizens
by means of military commits
sions. ,(.s3G8g T1Yo354 ynH -Io
My dear sir, I am mot, a,law-
yer, nor has. il bedn my business.
as it may have -bccni yours, itc
study the philosophy of state
craft and politics. ButI may
lay claim, after aaf experience
of more than half ladifetiind,ito
some poor. acknowledgement men,
and some appreciation Of what
is necessary to soeialiopder and
-liappincssn And for thefutuTe of
our common couhtry,I could de-
uoutly wish that no great NAM
Der of fj0ur people have yet fallen
in with the views you appear tc
entertain. .XV6G DE to lis when
ever it shalll dome 40 pass that
the power of tlIe magistrate
civil nmiliiary--is permitted
to deal with the mere opinions
or feelings of the people. ,hI
] have Iheennlaecnstomed) to
believe that sentiments of res
pect OF disrespect, and feelings
of affection, 1--we on hatred, SO
long as not developed into acts
in violation OF law were matters
wholly beyond 1nthe iPnpitory
power)of uhumam tribanals. bue
l will maihtainithat the entire
freedom of thought and speech,
however acrimoniously .indulg-
cd, is consistentwith the noblest
aspirations Of man, and the hap
picst condition tof hisrace. II
When a boy I remember to
haze read a speech of Lord
Chatham, deliSefed%in PaIlia-
memt. 1t was during our Rev
olutionary, Var. and related to
The policyiof employing the saw
ages on the side OF Britain.
You may be more familiar with
the speech fhan u am. If / am
not greatly mistaken, his Lord
ship deinon:icea the British Gov
ernment his government-in
terms of.nnme4spred bitterness.
He characterized its policy as
revolving 10 every sentiment of
humanity and rcligion,proclaim- :
ed it covered with disgrace, and
vented his eternal adherence of
it and its measures. 1t may, l
think, be safely asserted that a
majority 'of 1.-The, British nation
concurlnA in the views of Lord
Chatham Bit whoever sup
posed thatprofcund peace was
not existing in that kingdom,
or that government had any au-
thority to question, THE absolute
right ofthe opposition to express
their objection to thepropriety OF
theKing's measures in any words
or to any extent they pleased?
1t would be difficult to show
that the opponents oflthe Gov
ernment in the days Of the elder
lhms,spnSJefferson, lor Jack
son, exhibited for it either "af-
'fection" or "respcct." :" You are
conversant with the history of
our past parties and political
struggles touching legisla-
ton on alienage, seditiou, the
cmbasge. AAitional banks, our
wars with England and Mexico,
and cannot Se ignorant of the
fact, that fol4one party to assert
that law or. system of legisla-
ton is unconstitutional, oppres-
sive and usurpatiye, is not a
new thihg in Inc United States.
'Fhat the people of Texas con-
slider acts of Congress uncon-
s,itutional, oppressive, or in-
sulting to them, is of no conse-
ddence TO the matter in hand,
The President of the United
States has announced his opin-
ionl that these acts of Congress
are unconstitutional. The Su.
prcme Court, as You are aware
not long ago decided unani'
mously that a certain military
commission was unconstitutlOn-
lOuripeople everywhere, in
every State, without reference tC
the side they took during the
rebellion, differ as to the con
stitutiuality of these acts OF
Congress. How the matter re-
ally is, neither you nor | may
tdogmatically affirm.
If you deem them constitu'
tional laws, and beneficial to th'
country, you not only have Tho
right to publish your opinions
but it might be your boundel
duty as a citizen to do so. No
lessis it the privilege and duty
of any citizen, wherever resid
ing, to publish his opinion free
BYIand learlessly on this and ev
Fery question which he thinks
Iconcerns his interest. This i