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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1825 Excerpt: ...and should they find a criminal awaiting his trial for some capital offence, then, inasmuch as legal proceedings are mere matter of form ond the punishment is the substance, they will have a perfect right to bang the poor wretch upon the nearest tree. Sir, I do not pretend to say that the gentleman from Adams has pushed his theory, in point of fact, thus far, but I appeal to every sensible man whether the propositions made by him do not embrace a principle broad enough to cover all such cases. And what is the principle? It is a fearful monster, which has for the last two or three years traversed the United States with the stride of a drunken, infuriated giant, trampling down constitutions and laws and setting governments at defiance. In the city of Baltimore, in its frantic mood, it demolished the edifices of the citizens. In Charleston a convent fell a prey to its wayward humor. It is no stranger within our State, and maddened by a southern sun, its footsteps here have been marked with blood. It is the principle of mobocracy, the incarnate fiend of anarchy. For the first time it has dared to present its horrid front in the halts of legislation. The gentleman from Adams has introduced it, and upon his head be the consequences if, as I fear will be the ease, it is received with welcome. Let the gentleman remember the fate of many a necromancer, whose unholy incantations have been of power to raise the devil, but not to control him, and who, while choking in the grasp of the foul spirit, has cursed the day when he meddled with the black art of sorcery. A child may unchain the hungry tiger, but, if he does, will most likely fall the earliest prey to the savage beast. I told this body at an early period of this debate that a fearful chasm was at our feet, ...

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