"Free Speech"
--Quite an excitement was created in front of the
Centre Street M. E. Church,
Philadelphia, on Sunday night last, by the arrest of
Mr. Thos. Young, a member in good standing of the
Church.
It appears that
Mr. Young, previous to the commencement of the service, with several other persons, was standing in front of the
Church, and when one of the party said something about the arrival of a privateer in
N. York, and at the same time denouncing the officers and crew of the vessel as pirates, Young insisted that they were not pirates, but men engaged in a lawful rebellion for their rights.--At the same time he remarked that
Col. Ellsworth was a thief, having stolen a man's property, and he was served right in being shot.
This created an intense excitement, and Young was ordered to leave, which he did, the crowd following after him, until he took refuge in a private house.
The mob insisted that he should be brought out, which was finally done, Young being in charge of a number of policemen, who took him to a station house where he remained until Monday morning, when he underwent an examination before
Mayor Henry.
The
Mayor, after hearing all the witnesses had to say, remarked that there was not any testimony that justified him in holding
Mr. Young to bail on the charge of inciting to riot, and he must discharge him. The defendant was only expressing his opinions, and however others might differ with him as to the correctness of entertaining, or the judgment of making them known, he nevertheless had the right to entertain and express them, if he saw proper.
He should be sorry to see an attempt made in
Philadelphia to emulate the example of other communities, to abridge the freedom of speech.
The expression of a mere abstract opinion was not a violation of law, though it might be very imprudent to give utterance to it, If the right of speech is denied to one to-day, it may be denied to another to-morrow.
The
Mayor then ordered
Mr. Young to be discharged.
