New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-07-06
The King Of Prussia and the Liberty OF
the Press.

Much as the Courier ana enquirer has
gained by the late change in its tone, and
the adoption in the ADLER portion Of its edi-
torial columns, of liberal and even popular
and progressive tendencies, it has yet there
by lost somewhat in point of consistency.
1t does not hang so well together as former
"; a vigorous and judiciOus article looking
toward Free Soil to-day, will be followed to-
morrow by one having strong complexion
of the former doughfacedness; and an earn
est appeal in behalf of Liberty in America
may be found standing side by side with
some apology for despotism, its outrageS and
frauds in Europe so wide Of reality in the
statement of facts, and so absurdly anti
Republican in doctrine, that it is difficult to
understand how it can find place in a well
Informed journal, claiming to be American
in character. Thus The Courier has been
the vehicle of propagating-and under the
Editorial sanction,-the EXTREMIST calum-
MES upon the Roman Republic, though when
invited to sustain its charges by evidence
more conclusive than its own bare assertion,
it has prudently kept silence. In regard to
the affairs of Germany also, it has again and
again-with an air of moderation and liberia
ism. which could not always insure correct
ness Of information as to events and per-
sons-taken up the defense of men and
measures, that, as we believe, History will
brand Win the UlaUAvst peisua~ az false.
heartless, cowardly and villanous. One
among these men is the present King Of
Prussia. The Courier speaks of this mon
arch in the following terms, in reply to a
brief notice of him and his new Law on the
Press, which appeared in The Tribune:
We are not Of those who would put him under the ban
solely because ho s King. EREDEhck WILLIAM
10 The lawful sovereign Of Prusss His royal power lacks
noa SINGLE uue or a suge sanction. IL was inherited
om thai crest FREDERIcK, who sgeIh ihe PeIy eiec
established and confirmed by the popular Constitution OF
l89 and to THIS day MO spa non
same right then, be Judged imrasy 50 any other ru'
Ter on tah in spite u eli The oigory and inoerance
of iaecohIics Ihaslism, can afford 10 praise aim
vsl ~ bis character md his sets commend themselves
The Tef,o qualities or lhs anecedents Of this king in
The mSin proposes bis favor tie has long had me
,enptS,io bolb Al hon ard abroad OF being anisbe,
yuouF liberal minced man. lie was the first sovereign
on the continent who voluntarily promised ConsunnOn,
and was the first WHO idenuhed himself WIN 'ne gres!
cause u German Nationality Through all OF the msd and
mAddeDug Of The Revolution be sustained himself
with frmnt and gT ana he has ever since adapted
he nocy Of bs admins ranon TO the Institutions aud
the spirit ard wants Of ihe times lie al th, very mo.
snt dong noble battle In favor of German rights against
The TeAcopary tendencies and arrogant assumptions Of
Austria He Ia the last Of temperate progress and re-
hand and ANARCHY on The other We do deny that
be committed a, certain perois Oh late commo-
ton With The sol constantly rocking beneath him, ever
threatening TO epRuph him and The best interests OF the
State ruin, be would have been more than
poise sui we believe Thai through all those terrible
trials his purpoes remained pure and bis aims patriotic
We quote this paragraph, that we may do
no injustice to cOtemporary rather than
for the purpose of discussing it in any de-
tail, our main business being with another
part Of The Co,uier'S article. The above is
not however deficient in provocation to con-
troversy, as for instance, the assertion that
this Kings power lacks not single title nor
a single sanction. To our Judgment it lacks
every valid title and sanction, save that Of
brute force. 1t lacks the sanction of free
Election by the People, without which no
ruler has good right to rule. The asser-
ton that he sustained himself with tirmness
and integrity during the revolution, is even
more curious, as is the other that he volun-
tarily promised a Constitution. If the
promise of Constitution were voluntary
thing with him, he is greater villain than
we ever took him for, since in that case, he
must have caused the slaughter of the Days of
March at Berlin for the pleasure of the thing.
But the reverse is the truth. lie only made
that promise because he dared not do other
wise. We know that few days afterward
he told body Of army officers, whom he
had assembled at the royal chateau at Pots
dam. that the Constitution was free con-
cession on his part, but that was palpable
lie and his conduct since has steadily proved
it. His own wishes and designs were
through the whole, the same as the previous
year, when he told the assembled Estates
that no written piece of paper should everin-
tervene betweenh his God, his people and him.
sef-or words to that effect-meaning OF
course that he would never suffer the prerog-
atiyes Of royal despotism to be limited by the
inconyenient restrictions of Constitution.
And how has he adapted his policy since
the revolution to the wants and spirit of the
times In peculiar way, to be sure.
Why he has retracted one by one every
grant Of popular liberty, annulled concession