Sentence:  Ezra Stiles Gannett , an honorable representative of the sanhedrin , addressed himself frankly to the issue in 1845 , insisting that Parker should not be persecuted or calumniated and that in this republic no power to <WSD>restrain</WSD> him by force could exist . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  keep under control; keep in check