The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-01-09
The Liberty or the Press.

bcihoCIdliC party, ,uldt Tic bcHioCIdtlC
members of Congress intend to enjoy an
unrestricted freedom Of debate" during
the coming session, and to find an sap
propriate remedy for the scurrility of the
Cabinet organ" That is to say, they in
tend to enjoy unrestricted debate for them
selves; but they do not intend that the
press shall enjoy the same privilege, if
they can find an appropriate remedy.
Freedom of debate is well enough; but
freedom of the press is a nuisance to be
abated.
When any gentleman in Congress,
Democratic or otherwise, feels aggrieved
by any language employed in our columns,
we shall be always well pleased TO render
him the amplest PREPARATION. We shall
never intentionally use an epithet Justly
offensive to any political opponent. If
statements of fact are offensive, we shall
unavoidabIy give offence. IF fair infer
ences from admitted facts are offensive, we
shall unavoidably give offence.
If the Free-Soilers take offence, or Mr..
BRowN takes offence, because we charge
him and them with an intrigue under the
auspices of the senior editor Of the Union,
we cannot help that. They are too SEN
sitive on mere statement Of fact.
If Mr. McMULLEN takes offence be-
cause we charge him with interfering in
Mr.. GIDDINGs's behalf, to enable that gen
tleman to proceed in scandalous speech,
the fault is his, and not ours
If Mr.. Roof, Mr. MEADE, Mr.. ALLEN,
and Mr.. VENABLE take offence because
we show, from their votes and their ac-
tons, that they are combining to break
down President TAYLoR's Administration,
by encouraging factious agitation, they
must get pleased again in the best way they
can.
If Mr.. CAss takes offence because we
respond to his charge of WIG cupidity,
by showing that he has held public Office
all his life, he is not the man of sense thai
we take him for.
1t would, doubtless, be very agreeable
to the Democratic members to enjoy un.
restricted debate themselves, and to stor
other peoples mouths, aSthe Union, in
their behalf, threatens that they will fine
some way to do. The "hcense of oppo
sition" is to be INDUCED to the full, bu
there is to be no liberty of speech for the
friends of the Administration.
We have never overstepped the pro
prieties of free discussion, and never shall
With such melancholy spectacle before
us as is presented by the editors of the
Democratic organ, who have printed
for the last six months, the most abu.
sive and scandalous journal that ever
disgraced party-we are daily remind
ed of the necessity of observing a scru-
pulous decorum. If half Of what the
Union has been publishing for the last six
months is true, the PRESIDENT of the
United States ought to be placed in an
asylum, and all the members of his Cabi-
net in penitentiary. II has applied to
them all, a thousand times, language
which decent men would hesitate to use
in discoursing of a gang of gallows-birds.
And yet its editors take upon themselves
to use the authority of the Democratic
members Of Congress to interrogate and
menace the Republic in the following par.
agraph:
From The Union Of yanuarysh
The Democratic members Of Congress desire Il
understand fthey are to be lampooned and black
guarded by the organ Of the Cabinet. whenever
they engage in debatc' We hope the Cabinet viii
cause lie organ TO enghten the members ON thi,
point. At any rate the Cabinet and the organ
will gain nothing by the policy which they ar,
now pursuing The Democratic members Intend
to enjoy unrestricted freedom Of debate during
the present session; and doubt not they viii
find an appropriate remedy for the scutrity Of tn,
Cabinet organ"
If the Democratic members of Congress,
"desire" to understand any thing on which
il is in our power to enlighten them, they
have certainly couched their interrogato
ry in language rather ill-selected TO elici
information; and have adopted a medium
Of communication something remarkabl,
for such purpose.
The Democratic members of Congress
we presume, have hardly authorized tho
Union to express for them any such "de
sire" as is stated in the above paragraph
to intimate any special "intention" tC
enjoy privilege that has never been in
vaded; or TO indulge in any such absurC
menace as points its concluding sentence.
Covert Libel.
II General CAss survives the enven
omed shafts which are sped at him from