The herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1835-1837, 1837-01-13

In the Courier a Enquirer of yesterday, Mr.. PhGnix
the District Attorney represented to have made the
following statement in relation to the Hamblin rob-
berry and outrage
mr. Phoenix stated also, that he made the present
application, because Bennett in his paper had charged
the court and public officers with acting under cor.
rup influence, and that his complaint would be allow
ed TO sleep forever and he never obtain justice; in
stead OF which Mr.. p said, Bennett himself shrunk
back, and kept aoofro giving the required evidence
| to support the charge he had made"
If this is correct version of the Sayings" of the
District Attorney pronounceit essentially Inaccurate
and challenge him to shew where charged the Re-
corder or himself with acting under a corrupt in
huencc" On many occasions the Courier o. En-
qurer and other papers have made these ndiscrlmate
charges against the administrators justice, and there
is general belief in the community, that improper
influences frequently reach certain precincts of certain
courts. What did and what still charge the Dis
trct Attorney with, is neglect of his Duty in permit
ting the first daring violation of the liberty of the
press to pass unnolced thus far-I mean the case of
James Watson Webb.
The District Attorney will find himself called upon
for his whole ingenuity and all his TACT if by availing
himself of the Juggling of criminal law, he
trive to put me in the attitude of criminal and an Of
fender and under the smoke raised by that mastery
process permit such daring violator of law as
James Watson Webb to escape. If public opinion is
worth rush in this community, it will never cease
to be agtaed by me, till the attempt to put down he
liberty of the press by brute force shall be punished
and dsgraced as it ought TO be. The editors and
newspaper employees of New York have been so an
noyed at the remarkable popularity and success ofhc
Herad-the independence and spirit of it's course that
series ofpersecutlons have been framed and insga
ted against me without parallel in the history of the
newspaper press. Without daring to enter with me
IN the field OF argument of reason of learning, they
have had the gross brutality to attempt to silence my
press by brutal outrage. On two several occasions,
without any cause, the proprietor of the Courier &
Enquirer made these brutal-these dastardly-thsse
cewardly attempts. II was followed up by Hamblin,
who has interest in the New Fra, and it has been
set on and encouraged by many others connected
with the press. Even Major Noah, who Ike the ami
NAL in the lions skin, Is at this moment enjoying
literary reputation that wrote him into counseed
Hamblin TO make that attack, after having sent out
his own penny-a-liner few months before on SINH
lar brutality.
These are open, palpable undeniablc facts. NowI
ask, what is the reason that Mr.. Phoenix who has
such cary regard for the due ADMINISTRATION of the
laws, omitted or delayed, spirited away the COM
plant against the prime and ns,gator of these
arocious barbarities-these brutal attempts to put
Down the liberty of the press? If he thinks that
will submit quietly to the juggles of law he will find
himself mistaken. 1.-The neglects his duty, will not
neglect mine. appeal to public feeling and public
justice. There never was such series of brutaites
attempted in any civilized country against the liberty
of the press, as those commenced by Peter s. Town
send and James Watson Webb, and closed by Tho
mas s. Hamblin and gang Of blacklegs. If intel
lect and education, and unstaned moral character,
and attainments equal at least to any-and neral
courage genius and spirit that will not quail TO any,
is TO be put down by such weapons age of civil
zaton time for the District Attorney to take up his
papers and walk away-it - time TOR rnc
leave the bench and give il up to ruffans7it 10 time
to let the gentlemen Of the Five Points alene here
after honor the halls justice and occupy the haunts
oflaw.
Amid such a series of ourages, where are the laws
where the vengeance of juscc7 where the sentiments
and impulses Of true civilization? Is the District
Attorney afraid of James Watson Webb, that he has
forgotten or thrown aside the charge made against
hint Or does he sanction silently this species
ofregulatng the liberty THE press in free country
AT my slightest neglect TO obey subpoena, he flares
up-issacs an attachment brings me up os a culprit
and by an ingenious movement Of legal practice,
throws me before the world the assailng and cri-
minal party. This will not do.
Mr. Phoenix wns apatron of the complimentary be-
net OF the very ruan who perpetratcd one Of these
daring and BRUTAL outragcs. lfhis moral sentiments
sanctioned his and positionin that affair he very
naturally magines that the same kind of virtue will
place him before the community as injured man,
entitled to the same sympathy which Webb, Hamb-
lin, and others deserve. He has already wound up
these daring outrages-these gross violations of the
liberty of the pressno singular piece Of mysterious
and ingenious net work. Bat we doubt very much
whether the moral eye Of this great community can
not penetrate its folds-cannot detect the right cha
racier of each and every labyrinth and the spirit that
has dictated the whole
expect Of public justice, and shall have IT, an
instant and immediate investigation Of the whole Sc
res Of these attempts to put down the liberty of the
press perpeuated in open day before this community
by Peter 8. Townsend, James Watson Webb, Tho
mas s. Hamblin Jared w. Bell, and others. II is
time that full and final settlement should be made
on this question. II am TO be fined $3.50 for INSIST
ing that Webb should first be taken up, be il So The
money can be placed side by side with the 1855 OF
which have been already robbed or, il can be add
ed to the proceeds Of the Hamblin benefit Of which