The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-12-19
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PRESS.

| The New York Times, in some comments
upon the verdict of the jury against the N
Y. Herald, in the Fry case, says;
The laws of libel, construed by our Courts,
| severe the press. In our judgment, they are un
Justly So nasmuoh as they are frequently made 60
punish the most innocent and trfne hesvi-
ly the most deliberate and intentional wrong But
| the Press has tremendous power in socety-benii-
cent when rightly used, and fearfuly ruinous when
welded by unprinclplcd and reckless men. In such
hands 1t needs the restraints of severe law and
whenever iis influence 10 brought TO bear upon indi-
viduals, with the deliberate intent to effect theh rum
no pensity can he greater than the ohenee oe'
serves
Dr. Franklin WAS of opinien that the press
ought TO be free, but that the freedom of the
press ought to be accompanied by the free.
dom of the cudgel Certainly there ought to
be some restriction upon it, other in the shape
of heavy damages in courts of law, for in
territorial and malignant wrongs, which is the
best course. or Of the cudgel aforesaid The
great power of the press can only be legiti-
lnately used for public purposes, and when
perverted by its conductors, eithcrto advance
their own private interests or to injure the
character or fortunes of other men, it be-
comes public curse and public nuisance,
which cannot be too soon abated We say
this without reference to the merits of the
libel suit against Bennett, of which we know
too httleto form an opinion. Bennett may
bereckleSs and INSCRIPTIONS enough, but he
has the redeoming trait to which some of his
critics of the New York press can lay no
claim, of showing his worst side out. If the
Herald is no better than ii ought to be, it
makes no pretences to being vestal. Can
rs mnch be said of the immaculates who cry
shame upon 1T
So far as the Herald is concerned we are
glad that the freedom of the cudger' is no
longer the remedy applied to its delinquen-
cieS. 1t was once tho fashion in New lerk,
whenever Bennett crooked his finger at any
body, to cane or cowhide him in the most
pablo and ignominious, though it must be
confessed not in cruel or dangerous, man
ner. Bennett seems never to have been hurt,
either in his epidermis, his soul, or his stand
ing, by these repeated Negotiations. lie bore
them with the calm composure with which
other men permit their servants to brush
their coats In fact, he did not seem to feel
them, and we have our doubts whether he
did. On one occasion, after an exquisite had
caacd him till he was cut of breath, and his
hat fell off, Bennett cody picked up his hat
and handed it to him A peculiarly of these
encounters was, that the assailants of this
non-combatant would sometimes boast OF the
achievement as if it had been something for
midsble and perilous, while the assailed
would uniformly bring suit for damages,
in which he would generally recover We
think ii was the New York San which once
said, Bennett would be willing TO be whip
ped every day of the week if he could obtain
damages in the courts" "Yes," replied that
unabashed and imperturbable individual,
"and every hour of the day" The damages
now seem to be taking different direction
which, we should conjecture, is not quite so
agreeable.
The freedom and independence of the
press ought to be maintained, but when its
freedom degenerates into RIGHTEOUSNESS, and
| its independence into lawlessness, too severe
a corrective cannot be applied