New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-06-27
OUR IAsI LIREIcNIIT.

We have waited some weeks for opportunity To
publish fuller report of the inquest taken before
Sheriff. Jury in the case OF Capt 4. Thatcher OF the
schooner Draco against TIE TRIBUNE. for IN alleged
libel contained in Teegraphie Dispatch received BY
us from cur TeegrapLic News Agent in Boston, and
inserted in our columns without suspicion on our
part that wrongng any one. The first We
ever read or heard of this Thatcher the Tele
graphic Dispatch aforesaid the next was his summons
10 respond to suit for libel The origin and basis OF
the story that he had set out candestnely pratt
cal cruise gre explained in the testimony of Capt
McKeever on this trial. lie was in command on the
Brazilian station when the Brazilian Commodore
Grenfell wrote him that this schooner Draco had
slipped away from Buenos Ayres and gone down the
coast with las was supposedly letter of marque from
Rosas then dictator of Buenos Ayres, authorizing him
to prey on Brazilian Commerce. Com. Grentell,
believing this resolved to treat the DracO as pirate,
and accordingly notified Capt Mckeeyer, who
sent the jamestown after the DracO, but did not sue
coed in finding her, as she was wrecked and totally
lost on the bar at the mouth of the Rio Negro, form
ing the northern boundary of Patagonia only three
or four weeks after the jamestown sailed in pursuit
of her. But meantime the report that the Draco had
set out Oh piIdtiCdi VI Pifetccihb cAP'"'i"h M"
become public and was transmitted in letter from
Buenos Ayrcs TO Boston, whence it was telegraphed
TO the Associated Press including THE TRIBUNE, and
published in their several papers next morning.
Now had Capt. Thatcher felt aggrieycd by this pub
icaton or had he found il obstacle TO his obtaining
further employment. what was his proper course in
the premises He had only to come to u.s. with evil
dence that he had been Inexperienced and msrepre-
scented through columns and we should very gladly
and promptly have given him hearing and helped him
to remove the false impression which we had inho-
Gently aided 10 diffuse. He need not have rested a
week under the imputatiOn he deemed so prejudcIal
for we would have printed his yndication within two
DAYS after he laid il before But he chose nste id
to commence suit against us for money, and Jury
of our fellow -ctizens have decided that this well
done. and have encouraged others who may be sub
jected to misapprehension and Obloquy under like
circumstances to do likewise. According to the
spirit of this verdict every person who has been or
shall be indicted for crime and not convicted ought to
institute proceedings for libel against the Press gene
rally for stating the fact of his arrest and the crcum
stances which were supposed to impicate him as Il
cuprit In fact, if this verdict were just one, no
man need ask for any greater windal than to be ar
rested under strong but mistaken suspicion OF crlme
for he could make enough out of the journals which
gave publicity to the fact of his arrest and the cir
cumstances which impeed to it to live in clover for
the residue of his natural life
We trust all our readers who can find time will
look carefully, searchngly through the testimony
adduced on this trial. 1t will suggest some things
which they may with perfect safety think though we
MIGHT not with equal safety say them. And il it gen.
crates in their minds thorough detestation of money
getting libesuts against the Press in cases where it
is notorious and undenabe that intent of libel ex-
isted we shall feel that the thousand dollars taken
from US in this case has not been expended in vain.