The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-02-17
Correspondence of the Public Ledgerl


The opposition to the government organ assumed to-
day very serious aspect and it seems really if Mr.
Richie is to be selected the on whom the wings,
in conjunction with portion OF the democratic party, are
10 wreak their vengeance The chair which had. par
TALLY sustained Mr. Richie by deciding yesterday that
the resolution offered by MIR. Yulee ought 10 lie at
least day. to-day reversed by of IS to 90
after animated debate, in which MIR. Badger, Mr.
Webster and Mr. Calhoun participated The considera-
lion Of the resolutions sol sxPsl the reporters Of the
poned until tomorrow; but the vote to-day, sustaining
the appeal from the chair, to be omnous OF the
fate OF Mr.. Richie IL. .ttg, otE,. ~
regret thisState of affairs from all my heart; not that
have any particular affection for the " Union newspa
per, but for the sake OF the country and the liberty OF the
press, which, disguise as you may has thereby recev
ed severe blow. h- tf 49,
For hundreds OF years the privilege furnishing lbels
for contempt has been asserted by those IN power IN or
der to put down manacle the liberty OF the press.
Whether libel is punishable as contemptis question
which the friends of freedom have always been at
with the advocates of privilege. After severe contest
in which the instinct OF the people living under free
government prevailed the case has finally been esabsh-
ed in the courts in favor of the liberty OF the press II
has been established that bes cannot be punished as
contempt Of court, because in punishment for contempt
the person aggrieved judge. juror and witness al the
tme and executes its own decree IT was decided
grand jury and trial before petty urt because liberty
cannot exist any country unless the press is under Its
protection. M ~ = l'' y i
In the trial of Judge Peek this doctrine advocated
and fully sustained, and that trial gave birth to law
(2d of March, 1871 BY which the Supreme Court OF the
United States restrained from
outrageous libel of an editor as contempt OF court
And this law was, after all, but reinforcement OF the
old law for the act relating to IT, was called an act
declaratoy of the law concerning conemRts OF court
Now, if the Supreme Court of the United States, from
Its very nature and constitutional functions independent
of the legislative and executive power except for mis-
court can it pretended that body representing merely
the sovereign people but being IN fact Their servants shall
be vested with that power The idea preposerons
the liberty of the press, but with liberty itself The nation
al legislature not independent OF the people who elect
them. The fee simple is in the people, and though the
Senate OF the United States properly represents State
soveregntes and not directly that OF the people OF the
Union. yet the link between that and the people itself is
sufficiently close not to render the Senate itself inde
pendent of the action of the people. .tt ,.sa,,
The true sovereign OF all popular governments is pub
lie opinion, and without the amenablty OF members and
senators to that most august tribunal, the most liberal
constitution in the world is nothing but farce But
how is public opnionto be formed, without the most
plete liberty of the Press To expect
country like ours the District OF Columbia is absurd
Both metropolitan Journals the lntegencer and the
on, reflect but the extremes of parties and indulge IN
the always fully compensated and atoned for by
tie other and between the two and the partisan journals
generally there is nothing but the independent press that
approxmaes at all toward the truth Why the Senate
should have selected the Union, without abiding to
the lntellgencer, is TO enigma; and yet am far,
very far, from denying to either honest endeavor to
be candid, far candor compatible with the inter-
est of the party whose they respectively advocate
L II Mr. Richie is 10 be thus made the martyr of his zeal
Tor the success OF his friends forty one years gentle
manly and faithful acquitta of the and arduous
duties of an editor are to be thus uneeremoniousy ex
plunged from the records of Congress in order to afford
opportunity to senatorial vindctiveness, we must as
limited in of my previous letters apply ourselves
closely TO the study of the history OF Venice, to see and
take warning from the conduct of that Senate, which
equally successful in its opposition to the head OF
the republic and the aspiration to liberty OF an oppressed
people s5l SOL ig'o
The blow struck against Mr.. Richie may reach any
editor proprietor OF paper which may have reporters
Congress. would
press of the country once dependent majority of
either House And it would be the House the Senate
which would decide what is true or false admissible or
improper, without the agency of the people; the egs
lature would be above and independent of the
people, the creature greater than and independent of its
creator. +" OBSERVER.