Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-02-19
THE WAR AGAINST FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND
OF THE PRESS.

OF The PRESS.
Were one to be guided by the contents of the
government paper in this city and its fellow labor
ers elsewhere he would conclude that this Govern
ment was designed not for the common defence, but
for the purpose of waging destructive war upon
helpless and PROSTATE adversaries; not for the ge-
neral ,celfare but to raise hundreds of millions of
money by taxation of the People for the purpose Of
pandering to the lust of those who have set their
hearts upon wrestling territory by arms from neigh
boring Republics. War! War! is the. continual
cry of the organs Of the Administration. More mo-
ney more money and more men more men is
almost the only recommendation or demand address,
ed by the Executive TO Congress. When, at
one session, all the men and all the money asked
for are granted and supplied for given period of
time then, at the next session, is the fact at this
moment the estimate ofmoney is found to have been
short by at least twenty millions Of dollars Of the
requisite amount, and thirty thousand more men
are required by the President to carry the war
!" into the yitals' Of the enemy's country Yes.
at the very moment when the comparatively pal.
trest sum is refused by the Executive for any pur-
pose of benefit 10 the People of our own country,
/
and money is that the conquest of Mexico by these
means is to be of advantage to the People Of that
country, within the bounds of which we had no
proper business to have set foot or expended a
dollar!
And when the Representatives Of the People OBJ
ject to these projects Of undisguised Executive
ambition, they and those presses which Sustain
them arc met by the most insoent revilings from
the organ Of this Executive, the mouth-piece Of the
Administration. Not content with this outpourng
of the walls of Presidential wrath upon those who
have declared (and proved by evidence MT less
strong than holy wriD the faseness of the Dretexts
on which this war was begun, and the unhoilness OF
the purposes for which it is sought still nrther to
drag our fellow-ctzens from home to perish by
disease and death in foreign lands, new means of
overawng the freedom of Debate in tie Capitol as
well as the freedom of the Press is reorted to.
The result which we have all along apprehended
and predicted has indeed already come 10 pass in
part and those who have been called into the field
for the purpose of ruthless invasion Of a neighborng
Republic are already showing the disposition to
turn their pens and ongues--not get the sword and
the bayonet-againstt the liberties OF their own coun
trymen, amongst which none is held more sacred
by the Constitution, as well as by all true-heared
and honest Americans, than the Freedom Of the
Press. Hardly day passes in which the denun-
citation of the freedom of speech and of the press
by some Military or other is not paraded in
the columns of the government paper, to prove that
passive obedience, and submission TO all the disas-
ter and disgrace which bad government can bring
~
debauched and corrupted people. Ii things 60 on
at their present rate, we may be thankful that
Civil Courts being yet permitted TO perform their
functions, and Judges themselves yet unmprisoned,
the Press at home cannot be entirely subjected to
Martial Law.
l. We are glad to that in this conjuncture the
spirit of the Free Press is rising and that, whilst
the privilege OF complaint and remonstrance still
remains to us, it is disposed to resent as il ought
the intrusion of the sword in questions merely po
4litical, which the people of this country have TO
settle with the rulers who have unnecessarily and
unconsttutionaly, and for purposes not desired by
them, involved them in this present war. OF en-
tirely the same opinion with the veteran Editor of
the Louisville Journal, we do not think that the
opinion of Locofoco in Mexico is entitled TO
any more consideration than the opinion OF an
other such person in the United States" "The
: mere fact Of mans belonging to the army" az
that Editor very justly remarks, does not endow
him with sagacity and wisdom above what is pos
sessed by other men, and hence his opinions are
OF no more value than those of men of his own
stamp at home"
To the same effect but expressed at greater
length, we have the sentiments of the Editor Of the
Cincinnati Atlas, in an article in that paper of the
9th instant from which article the preceding hasty
remarks were penned TO introduce the following
extracts, well worthy TO impress themselves deep
ly upon the mind of every man who sets proper
value upon his own rights, liberties, and duties as
an American citizen:
FROM THE CINCINNATI ATLAS, OF rERRUAnro 8.
OPINIONS OF THE WAR
| The Washington Union finds but little consoa-
ton in the result Of the elections and the judgment
which the Representatives of the People have pro-
nounced upon the war; and turns for relief and COM
fort TO collect from some OF the officers Of the army
sentiments more favorable to the conduct of tile
| President. We know that none of
these have rendered any very surprisingly
important service since they became officers of the
army and if they have, we do not see why the
opinions Of mere military men should be made 10
dal;erato ~ ,ho