The Iowa patriot. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1839-1839, 1839-06-27
We Captain should labor expose rec

< : 1. t
it should labor to expose or refutc, and
sinks, alone, into an engine Of mischief,
vehicle of reckless invective, and gross
misrep presentation, and vulgar abuse. The
Press, is either a spotless apostle Of truth
and sound principles, speaking with its
ten thousand tongues the language Of wis
dom and discretion, hydra headed
monster, with its unnumbered heads, cog
itating error and misrule, and breathing
forth RIGHTEOUSNESS, and moral and politi-
cal poison.
The independence, and RIGHTEOUSNESS
of the Press, are as distinct things, as
harmless wit and malignant calumny.
While one preserves itself from all impu-
rity--the other feeds upon, and trafflcs In
it. While one is chaste in motive, and
never wounds the feelings Of others-the
other wounds from malice, and poisons
the instrument with which the wound is
inflicted.
There is no country on the globe,
where the Press is capable Of effecting SO
much good, or inhicting so much evil, as
in our own. This single circumstance
should admonish its conductors how high
ly responsible they are, for its proper use.
In country where it is right and proper
for men to form and express their opin-
ions fully, it is not to be presumed that
they will think or act alike. Nor are men
amenable to censure for this difference of
opinion, but they are for the motives up
on which they are formed, and the man
ner iii which they are uttered. And when
we look around us, and witness the rude
fashions of the day, we confess that we
think our habits might be mended and
our manners improved.
What man in society, who claims the
rank Of gentleman, an honest, or an hon
orable man, would represent to his neigh
Dor what he kneac was not true, or mis-
represent what he knew to be true, mere
ly for political effect, or indeed, for any
cause without feeling himself degraded?
How few men are there, who, if charged
with such base conduct, but would resent
it, as an insult of the highest character?
And who, let me ask, can cast his eyes
over our numerous papers, without wit
Messing, daily. such gross improprieties?
And is the moral turpitude any greater in
the man who goes into the streets, and ut
tiers deliberate falsehood to dozen per-
sons--or who willfully misrepresents a
transaction that duplicates Others than
1t is in him, who publishes the same
things in the columns Of a newspaper, and
spreads his SANDER before the world' One
would think not. The evils resulting
from falsehood and misrepresentation, are
in their malignant character, and in the
extent of their circulation. How much
greater is the evil to individual character,
to morals, and society therefore, in the
case of him who, diffuses his calumnies
through the whole community by means
of the Prcss-than it is in him who tells
his falsehoods to the few he may happen
to meet in his limited intercourse? Charge
a man with doing the first, and he would
probably buster, and look big, and say,
sir, do you mean to charge me with false
hood-to intimate that l have lied! And
yet, charge the publisher of newspaper
with doing the second, and there are hum
dreds who would laugh at you for your
scruples, and plume themselves upon it
as though they had achieved some praise
worthy act. He would probably reply
Oh, this was only for political efect--a
mere hoax-nobody but the ignorant will
believe it. That is, indeed becoming too
true, for the character of the Press for in
tegrity and tluth--e65oay believes 1t.
How severe a reproach! Who, believes,
at the present day, the 1.-THE of what he
daily sees emanate from the Press? Who
feels himself degraded by its denuncia-
tons, or rebuked by its censures? Who,
that reads our political philippics, who
does not throw them aside with disgust,
and exclaim, "mere party trash''' Who
even looks at any of the exposures of
gross corruptions, and fragrant violations
Of public confidence and abuses of power,
Wlth Whlcn the press mas groaned Tor
years past, if they affect his party, but is
ready to exclaim, ssthe hand of Joab is in
this thing and why is it.so? The rea-i
son seems to me, to be obvious. The in
:egrity Of the press is weakened-its can
1or is no longer fe!t--it has become too
icentlous to be any longer, implicitly re-
led upon for veracity or justice. It is !
90 5ndsscrsnai,sate in its censuge-too IN
temperate in its dbuse-too general in its
ze'a1nciations--too unjust in its conczu-
'ions-too ardent in its prejudiccs- too
'5r,slent towards its opponents agJfo,'-
girsng in its temper-too scarrilous in
is spiyit-too ready to ampugn the mo-
'ices and limitations Of others-and too!
careless in guarding its own. In short,
he Press is quite too free in its manners,
too proeigate in its ha5its-and too
~ i.