Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1845-05-10
RICHMOND DAILY WHIG,
Disiatereaedness and freedom Of the Pres
SATURDAY MORNING. MAY 10. is.s.

Disintcreaedness and freedom Of the Press.
The Washington Union, (the new organ) II
laboring assiduously in its vocation. Ii com.
rnences an article after this characteristic fashion
''we have now been one week in washing,o and wa
have had some opportunity OF seeing the machinery Of
euuve power. s rash Judge positively form first i'm
pressoos and Lord Chatham that coincidence plant
OF slow growth in aged BOSOM" Butwe have much
in the short time that have been Washington; and
eioseness ii observation has, in measure supplied
the place OF amoe enlarged experence We do not heal
tate tn then, first impressions, that they
cidedy favourable the efficiency, energy and eapaci
ties OF the administration. Ia is business
to hstier the grcatnor 10 IL pea.unor dare
hope, character We have little opinion oi
our own-some le respect for ourselves; and have
too much regard for the people, aer the vanity
color the services OF their executive The editor
10 DID, he hopes in that Of the term exchange
his hsbit Of Independence or the livery Of parasite lie
has been too long freeman nmons reenen, shift his
character nj this time OF e aud the when he uds
that his business Washington and his arc
Incompatible with each oheT no will attempt to retrace his
steps the Potomac, aud seek the land
OF frcemeu.
Let in Washington. therefore, mistake our Do
snon Let suppose that are now writing 4 pua
the power and that in giving
sions OF the Executive We curryng their favor
counting their patronage. Much may value their
good opinion, place much higher upon our own
self-respect"
After this very appropriate protest of disinte.
RESIDENCES and freedom OF thought and action, tho
Union proceeds 10 bestow a column of laudation
upon the President and the chiefs of Departments.
Well, no exception can be taken to that il the
laborer is worthy OF his hire, il is equally that
the employer is entitled to remuneration for the
outlay of his money But one very natural in.
quiry suggests itself in perisiug this protest If
the bold and disinterested editor otthe Union had,
in his Investigations, found matters of the gravest
..I.... a.
volunteered, would he have dared TO publish them
10 the world! Is he not, in the strictesi sense of
the word, dependant on the E1ecutivel Is not
his editorial existence owing entirely To the will
and pleasure of the President! Wouldhe not, by
uttering one harsh word agans, the powers that
be, forfeit the rich compensation, the hope of
which has constituted the sole inducement 10 the
breaking up his home and sundering the ties of a
long life! In word, is he Ro; the hireling at Till
ofthe President, and in honor bound to do the be.
hesis Of the man who pays himl We employ this
language in no personally offensive sense but
SIMPLY to Illustrate the position ofthe Government
organ. Ii would be expecting too much of f all
human nature TO suppose that an editor thus sua-
ted would, at ali times and under all circumstan-
ces, utter eariessy and freely the honest convic-
tons of his soul-unless peSchance, he should be
endowed with that happy pliability of soul which
enables its possessor 10 regard with favor all the
acts power-however contradictory they may
be. Protests then, of dislnierestedness and all
that, is mere mockery ana insult to the public un-
derstanding. The people are not quite soft enough
to be taken in by such stuff. They have sense
enough TO understand, that the Government press
eats the bread ofthe Government, and will he ex.
pected to praise the hand that feeds il. The pub
lie viii therefore look TO the Union" solely for the
hes; defence. which can be made for the measures
Of the Administration. This will be regarded and
justly Us its sole and peculiar duty. As to Gov
eminent editor speaking the sentiments of free
man, when they clash with the views Of his en-
ployer-trheuri