The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-02-15
From the Aurora, March l. isoo.l


cannot bear the test of inquiry admit of defence by the
same medium.
The longer period men are intrused with power the
Great Britain acquired double scceleation from the
period when the sepiennia bill was passed-A"oro'
March 4.
Queries TO a senator.
Do the un6osnded privileges Of legislator extend to
Do they extend protect him in the exercise of pvi-
legged defamation against unPrvheged individuals -h"To-
IA, March o.
would ransiuse the Senate of republic Tor nothing
but poence make senatorial assertions cred
ible.--durord, March o.
Tim oMMrorEScE OF PARLnMESr-It appears thai, in
geung rid Of the aecursed government of Britain, have
not entirely escaped Its yanneai exnmpe.-Awora,
March 6.
Ten DAYS have the Senate of the United Stes been de-
batting and their committees reporting IA part upon
spisr Cisizen of the United States, this fact is an useful
one you apply property shows you the importance
newspaper, why folks concened' Why do they
send TO this paper denial fteafion OF the ncts al
legged 9--Aword, March Is
The senate's Attack Freedom Of the Press.
The more we reflect on the bull of accommodation
which Illuminated against Saturday by the
Senate the is conviction strengthened, that it
bold deed of usurpaton, which struck at the first
principles OF free government, and which, if permitted
pass unrebuked by the people, will form of the
alarming and dangerous presidents that ever blind fac
ton or exasperaed fury engrafted the legislative Jour
nails.
1t for this sole and exclusive reason, because we
deem it high-handed effort to cripple and restrain that
great instrument of lberty-the press-that we consent
to dwell upon it. If the subject involved only the doubt
fu honor of treading occasionally on a senatorial carpet
and olling for half an hour on privileged sofas, we do
assure our readers that would spare it ten lines
=, With b.l
been wasted The honor of associatng with senators in
their own chamber may appear comparatively less when
it is recoected that have been in our day no strangers
to other great men who have graced this landthe
tive land of Jefferson and of Madison We could well
BEAR therefore, the melancholy prvaton of being cut
off from an official association their privileged floor
with of the present senators of the United States We
have associated with gentlemen before, and could find
other gentlemen associate with besides the of
the United States their own floor The coalition in
the Senate may attempt to deprive of this mighty priv
ilege-which however, we do not estimate so very high
w as to be willing to sacrifice for it the privileges of the
press, nor even our personal honor But we con-
ceive that the subject involves principles which mmeas
uraby transcend in importance the poor privilege we
have enjoyed printers to the Senateprincpes which
even that body with all its high claims to intellectual
perorty cannot cleave down, without reapng in return,
at the hands of the people, rich harvest OF just rerbu
ton.
The freedom of the press has long been the pride and
boast of the American peopeone of the chief pillars
of the far fabric erected by the of the revou
ton To preserve this invaluable boom in all its strength
and power has been the constant of their descen
dans The tabled guardian of the Hesperan fruit could
not be more jealous of his trust than the builders
of our government OF this precious inheritance. They
hence extended it, not alone the shield of the
stituton of the United States but the supeadded protec
ton of most of the State constitutions. Knowing how
despots and tynts in every age have dreaded the nfu
of free press and how, under the pretex of curb
ing its RIGHTEOUSNESS, they have ever sought to de-
mosh its freedom, the American people have ever chung
to it as to the ark of political safety Why, even Hume,
the apologs of the Suarts admitted that free press
and free people were synonymous terms-as were
shacked press and shacked people In the calmness
of philosophical speculation, he deliberately expressed
the belief, that, with free press, the subjects OF
the Turkish Sultan would soon burst their letters One
of most eminent statesmen, now high in office,
has said "Beter that the noble vine should shoot into
rank luxuriance, than plant canker in its root,
which would destroy the tree commit it to the
care OF vine dresser, who would op away all its fruit
full branches. and leave it a naked trunk"
Deeply to be regretted that of the most vital
sabs aimed at free press in this country has ea-
mated from the Senate of the United Stes-the body
which ought to be the first uphold the last to assal it,
That the vote of Saturday attack the freedom of
the press and does assal one of the most important ee
ments OF free government so clear that we won
der how even the misguided allies on the Senate floor
could overlook disregard it,
In what consisted our offending Not in nterrupng,
by presence the Senates deliberations, or any way
obstructng its proceedings Not in I'M
harmonious noises-loud -indecorous behavior
or any offence of that nature Nothing of this But
simply in publishing in newspaper, printed at the
other end Of the avenue, article condemnatory of the
course of certain the great question of the war;
gravey construed into pubc LIBEL upon its charac-
ter and, the punishment of contempt of the body
repealed our privilege of coming upon its floor
Now stripped OF all the fimsy guises in which it is
yelled, what does this proceeding mean Why, nor
more nor less than that the Senate of the United States
is a PRIVILEGED BODY--whose proceedings are not
only secure from public anmadversion but which also
the power exerted by no other tribunal in the
land of sitting in judgment its causes-itself
playing the various characters of accuser COUNSEL wit
ness Juror, Judge, and executoner Such high toned
might have suited well enough for the Star
Chamber nqusitors OF the mother country, but it is
wholly and dramatically with the letter and spirit