The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-06-25
MOTHER GROSS MISREPRESENTATION.


ANOTHER GROSS MISREPRESENTATION.
The New York Courier and Enquirer does US
ross Injustice in the leading article Of its Tuesday s
baper. l, ushers in the misrepresentation with the
Words
hal important instance Of suppression Of the truth has re-
emily occurred in the Washington Union the special ex'
cutye organ"
Il proceeds to state, that the Democratic Associa-
ion of this city had requested of its president the
Indication Of the remarks which he had delivered
n Thursday evening; that copy of these remarks
Vss in type, in the "Union" Office, to accompany
ne proceedings Of the association, "when 1t was
cedentslly discovered by the business partner of
hat PAPER, who stopped the press, and posted to the
dtor. That gentleman, in turn, posted off to the
President, who summoned to council his official adj
isers. The speech was laid before them, and the
.sult of their deliberations may be inferred from
he fact that the speech of Mr. Rives, though in type
/ the Union Office, has never appeared in that or IN
nv other paper 1t was decided, by the executive
uthority, that certain facts should not be laid be-
bre the public, and forthwith the press is muzzled
The censorship Of the press in Austria in Italy, in
Cuba, and other countries, ruled by the will Of in
viduals, has long been theme Of democratic re-
broach and denunciation; but it never surpassed
bis instance, on the part Of our democratic ru-
krs.n
The New York Courier and Enquirer 10 pleased
attach great importance to these remarks of
he president Of the Democratic Association;
avs that they relate to the course of Mr. Polk
owards the Globe paper and to General jack
Son's Disappearing of that course; and con-
ludes by stating that "the spectacle exhibited
" the Union, in submitting to the dictation of the
Executive power, and suppressing, at its bidding,
.ndoubted and important facts simply because they
we're unpleasant to that branch Of the government,
certainly worthy of attention. Under the alien
ind sedition laws of former times, the law of libel
was considerably stretched to shield the government
officers from public reproach; but even those laws,
oudly as they have been denounced by the 'democ-
acy, stopped far short Of the point to which Pres-
lent Polk has carried his interference with the lib
erty of the press"
Now, it happens that the whole charge is
Without the slightest foundation. The press
was not stopped-nor did the editor post off
% the Presdent--nor did the President summon
lis official advsers-nor did he arrest the publica-
on--nor was there the slightest "dictation of the
Executive power" in the whole transaction. When
he editor the speech in proof-shee, he did adj
ress letter to the author, in the "impulse Of the
moment" without the slightest consultation with the
President, and begged him to suspend its publica-
on and took the liberty of suggesting in his letter
hat certain statements in the speech were not at
his time in perfect harmony with the prevailing
ment of a mourning people--(which, probably,
Under the peculiar circumstances of the case, had
escaped the attention Of the author and the as
|ociaton.) The application was received with
reat courtesy by the president of the association,
nd the speech was suspended; but Mr.. Polk was not
consulted about the letter, and was not aware that
was written. We submit il to the good sense
ind good taste of the people to say how far it COM
ports with the decency Of any paper, which pro-
esses any respect for itself, to catch up the gossip
the streets of Washington; to retail it in its
columns; and to found upon it the most reckless
attacks upon the character Of the editor of another
baper, and upon the administration of the govern
ment.