The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-03-13
The Liberty Of the Press.


The Liberty OF the Press.
After the sentence OF accommodation had been pro-
nounced from the Senate chamber, commented upon
the extraordinary transaction, and content to
main seatgving only such extracts as we could catch
from "The Spirit OF free Press" we had great conf
dence in the people and the press we willing TO
trust the cause quietly in their handsbut the excitement
has so far stripped any calculations which we had made
upon the subjective have received many letters
the course of the Senate has been denounced by many
meeungs-the democratic press has spoken with such
trumpet tongue upon the occasionhat find the ques-
ton entering less into the politics of the country
and constituting important issue between the two par
ties We not at liberty therefore, to throw it aside
but we feel ourselves called upon to devote reasonable
.pace TO our letters to public meetings, and to further
illusions from the press Did deserve this blow Was
the attack upon the Senate outrageous call for
punishment that intended to brand us with disgrace
Yet that blow not confined to ourselves 1t struck
through ourselves at the administration and struck the
same moment at the liberty of the press
We were in the midst of war with Mexico She had
been guilty OF numerous ouages which she had visited
for years past upon people We had orbone to de-
clare upon her But during the last year. she waged
the by crossing into territory and dying our
soil with the blood of citizens The President met
the crisis became him. He recommended the measures
which recognised state OF war between the countries
fused TO do us justice and waived all overures for peace,
the President compelled TO recommend at the last
session OF Congress further supply of and of
money TO prosecute the with vgor. The rights and
honor of country demanded this support before the
vomo, fatal than all our enemies might come in
to parayze arms, and sweep Oft gallant odiers
before the threatened attack in the vicinity of Saltlo
might make it desirable to throw reinforcements nto the
north, sufficient not merely to repe the enemy, but pur
sue him to his stronghods at
1t was in this stage of public affairs that the blow
wa. aimed at ourselves We had zealousy co-operated
with the President in all his important measures We
appeal to the columns of the "Unon" for the evidences
of our industry and dare say of energy and our
enthusiasm We have been faithful to the principles of the
republican party, and true we hope, to ourselves We
had attempted to pursue far possible, Cancellation
towards all the sections of party, attempting to bind
up its union closely, far could do in the
support of the measures which we deemed essential to
the public welfare. But when we saw Congress vast
ing their precious time in idle debate going off upon
dangerous and irrelevant topics-when the re-
sources of the falling the time OF active campaign
about waste away, and the honor of nation at
stake, could not resist the impulse of the obligations
which we owed to the country. Had we continued
with folded and with sealed lips at this crisis,
the press itself would have violated its duties and dis
graced its functions 1t would have been less even than
empty brass and tinkling cymbal" We could not re-
main silent With the strongest disposition to cultivate
the kindest relations with the members of Con-
gress, it was neither our wish policy TO offend
them. But we were bound to speak ana we dared to
appeal to them in the language of an honest friend
We reminded them of their duties; and warned
them of the solemn responsibility which they were
about to encounter. We spoke repeatedly, and we
spared them not For these admonitions, meant, of
course, in the best spirit, have been charged with
reading them ecures-and of the honorable rep
resentatives Of the people pleased to give the
soubrique of Mrs Caude." In the other house we
experienced stener trbulations. For publishing the
strong potestaon of free citizen against the rejection
of one of the most important military bills which had
come before them, were thrust out of the Senate
chamber. Mr.. Calhoun declared himself unwilling to
associate with libeller dsgraceful effort was made
to disgrace The Federal members went against us
With them, the fury of party is everything
extnguishes the of decorum and the be-
hests of principle What is the liberty of the press to
them, when they have to strike down an editor who
stood in their way, and who through his whole life had
warred against Federalism in all its phases and under all
its aliases
We met this gracious dispensaton in the spirit which,
we hope, became We knew they could not disgrace
u.s. We appealed at to the people, not in behalf of
ourselves but OF the great principle which attacked
in person. We appealed to the liberty of the press
to defend itself Most nobly have the people rallied to
Its rescue, and most admirably has the press rushed
the defence of the baements which protect it from the
arm OF power We have published various extracts in
the "Unon to show the spirit of free press; but
little readers aware, from these numerous ex-
tracts of the extent through which the fire has spread
and OF the enthusiasm which the press has exhibited
We have been curious enough to cut out the variety
OF extracts which have appeared in the democratic press
and preserve them in scrap book. 1t forms sizeable
volume already; and may probably in the course of
the summer, publish them all together dedicated TO the
Freedom of the Press" Exclusively of the several ex-
tracts which we have already thrown into the "Unon"
we have before additional from 1853 other pa
pers and the number is not yet exhausted The spirit
and power which they display, equal to their number
They all marked with enthusiasm and many of them
fortified with Strong argument and graced with thrilling
and indignant eloquence. This is indeed noble moral
spectacle, which hail with delight because it shows
how true free press is to its dignity and privileges
is like the power of the electrical wiretouch it at any
one point and the expanding element flies through the
whole
We shall continue to make further extracts from the
press and to lay before readers such evidences of the
popular sentiment may tend to exhibit the healthy
state OF the public mind the vital subject of the liberty
Of the press.
The State banks
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