Star.
London, England, 1831-07-09 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE JOURNALS.

HERALD.—When Sir James Scarlett was in the Nu
career of his ex.oficio informations against the Press, ate
expressed our opinions pretty plainly upon political prow
anions for libel. We thought then, and we think still—.:44
I opinion ought tobe left to combat opinion, and that a minded
who dread the freest expression of public sentiment on tie
I principles or policy arena( fit to exercise power in a free ewe
•
Besides, that the Press should be really useful, as an neon
of opinion, it ought to be exempt from the influence of we,
vile terror, for any evil that may be incident to the °canoed
abuse of its freedom is not to be compared to the great and per.
manect disadvantage which the public interests would
have to sustain from that coercion of sentiment which mug
be destructive of its independence. One of the most bes,
tidal duties which the Press performs for society is the her
criticism which it exercises on the character of public meg,
sures, and the conduct and actions of public men. But
how can the political criticism of a Journalist be free if the
sword of penal law be perpetually suspended over tie
neck by the single hair of an Attorney• General's
price or arbitrary discretion? Literary criticism is poi.
vaned, so that no writer who undertakes to review a
work is answerable in a Court of Law for having dis
praised or ridiculed it unjustly. Nay, if the work were one
of the finest that ever emanated from the pen of genito,
and the critique upon it one of the most malevolent
and defamatory that could be engendered by literary enve
hatred, and malice, there would be no right of action for da.
wages, although it might for the present destroy the sal of
the work, nor would the reviewer be liable to a criminal pro.
ceeding unless he travelled out of his way to attack tie
private character of the writer; and yet the literary repot;.
tion of an author is of as much consequence to him as Inc
political fame is to a .Minister of State—and a sensitive
author is as likely to be provoked to a breach of the peace
by an attack on the one, as the statesman is by an assault
on the other ;—yet the law says, it is better that unju.:
criticisms on literary works should go unpunished, Man
that the spirit of criticism should not be free ; and so
we say of political criticism. As long as the writer confine,
himself to a free commentary upon public measures, or Or
public conduct of men in power, and does not go out ci
his way to attack and defame their private characters, to
long should bis comments have that full privilege which,
at the Bar, in the Senate, and in literary criticism, n
found to be essential to the independence of opinion....
Entertaining these sentiments, we need scarcely add that
we cannot approve of the prosecution of Mr. Cobbett tot
a political libel, by whatever ministry it might have been
instituted ; but least of all can we commend it when
proceeding from a Whig administration, many of whoa
members, when in opposition, were in the habit of chink.
ing with fervour the standing toast of patriotism, " The
liberty of the Press :it is like the air we breathe—if se
have it not we die."
POST.—We are not a little amused with the cool confi•
dence assumed in the paragraph of an Evening Contempt.
eery of yesterday, which assures us that it is now believed
that the opposition to the Reform Bill will be much less in
the House of Lords than the friends of the measure had an.
ticipated. Our contemporary has evidently been imposed
upon by some wag; but it is rather a cruel joke on a
paper which is desirous of being in good odour with the
Government to mak it insert a piece of irony which, in
the present circumstances of the Ministers they will feel
very keenly. We are rather surprised that a Journal,
not generally deficient in sharpness, should have been taken
in by so palpable a quiz ; for the author of the paragraph
goes on to say, that the Duke of ‘Vellington is much 1.4
disposed than he was to oppose the ministers, although hie
Grace's opinions on the subject of Reform may have under.
gone no change ! Is it not strange that this ludicrous non.
sense should have passed (or a moment as serious intelli.
gence ? Our contemporary has been caught napping ; had
it only referred to the Time. of the morning, it would have
seen how the affair really stands between the ministers and
their hopes of success in the House of Peers. They are, in truth
in a very great fright, and wished for nothing so heartily so
to get rid of this Reform Bill without bringing it before the
Lords, well knowing that this is their only chance of hold.
big place until the commencement of another Session, end
of giving them the chance of any thing that may occur in the
interim to enable them to keep in. But this is imposoble.
They arc too ignorant of business to be able to carry on the
affairs of the country. Blunders and failures rise up in every
direction where they have attempted to do any thing, and
the disgust against them is becoming general. They know
this too ; and, with the knowledge pressing heavy upon
them, to be gravely told by one of their own Newspapers
that they prosper exceedingly with the House of Lords, is
rather too bad.