New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-12-28
ton A. perfectly fair and legitimate which other'

cauuot see 10 tLat light. we ASK vi !ou' "''"io
gard 10 public officers aud public Transactions
liberty 10 criticize and characterize tlen As We
link they deserve at lsast 20 lnpg as we sccorh
20 tfofe whom cur stric.1res offend the use - our
columns in reply. How can such corruption as
low ro,oriou,ly tester. arouDd our Coy Hall be
exuosed snc eEsd csted il TIE Pres. Is to oe mdz
zied as il must be By tie law Of libel as formerly
expouuc e. BY the S.Hrene Cours of our s'a'e
Ii We cool1 oay have tribunal such az Que
Reformed Constitution pro7ides for. before witch
ell libel and kindred suits could be brought in
the fret instance, ard settled without delay or
Formally, we should feel that our liberty to re-
prove wro1ewss compar itivey assured. To every
nanwho considers im;elf 81 gresed by our state
men,s or structures, we say, "Giye US your ewn
"version of the nctter-make il brief aud
pointed if possible, 90 as lot 70 involve Us IN
new controversies with others, and we will
" pitt your side Ct the story and let the public
"iudee between w. if We remain un,onvincei
- that you are in the right. Or ii this does not
satisfy YOU. let US 90 at once before some im-
partial and intelligent citizen, state the case 20
him on either soe, and we will do whatever
our chosen umpire sball say is right Do not
.put be matter into tie hands Of Quirk, Gam
non and Snap, for their bite is deadly, aud VS.
wish TO have as little TO do with then as posi-
4" ble but lei Us do you justice without cost, and
" at oIce. Ifyou have been wrODged, nOro Is the
time for redress-rOt next year; If we owe you
"dpything, now is the time you ought to have il,
ana we ere wiling TO payit live have dons you
"iliustice we wan. to redress it forthwith; but
ave do not ask to be the Judge In the premises,
"nor can we copsent thst you should be. Ifyou
really Jelierc you have been injured by us, how
"ca. you object to an arbitration without cos.
" AID ct once ?"
A lAwsuit for libel against the Press is lot
terry in which the lawyers get nearly al the prizes
and the defendants have sc,rcelys chance. The
psintG is always ready for trial-he has nothing
to prove bu. the fsc- ct publication, which is not
disputed, AID there his case rests But the luck
less def, nisnt must gather up testimony from the
four ends Of the earth, and in nine cases out Of
ten it will f,ii him AT the critical moment. One
witness has gone TO California smother toEurope;
third mas slipped over into Jersey and snaps
bad this luck even with our main wis1ess-the
very man on whose information and at whose sug-
ges,on We made charges against public officer.
In another case-fOr human meanness is Infinite
in its manfestaions--we found ourselves sued
into q distant County for libel-damages 81, 600
arG bad not the most glimmeying notion of whist
we were sued for. On investigation, we found
that man in this City had advertised in our col
umns a note OF the plaintiffs for sale, and this
advertisement constituted the libel. We had to
pay he 0Grc,fiscr ten dollars 10 induce him to 20
Up into that County AID GRE testimony in this suit.
Ard 'hiF is but one Gaze in a thousand.
We Gsk of you, gentlemen legislators such
amendment Of our laws as will fret give vitality
snd effect to that clause of our Constitution
which troyides for Courts of COncilistion
secondly, Is will compel the Jury on oath to
fud that there was on actual and pos i've, not
mere legal and iectnc j, intent to libel ia the
premises, before the plaintiff ear recover. We
ask that every plaintiff and PLAINTIFF attorney in
libel snit be required expressly to swear tina.
be believes such intent existed, before the suit
con be maintained. We ask that the dcfenlan.
lie enabled TO meet such allegation by counter
slidsyit, stating under what Circumstances and
Nth what motives tho alleged libel was pub
li,hed. We ash that the question of intent be
distinctly submitted 10 the Jury, aud that in case
70 malicious purpose is shown, then the plaintiff
be enabled to recover only for such specific injury
sc Ne car prove thar he has suffered by the publ
cation in ssue-ts allegations being proved essen
italy mistaken and Injurious. In short, we ask
you, gentlemen to vindics.e and shield the Lib
erty of the PEGS from crying injustice now
cloake1 by the forms of law-injustice as dam
seiDg to the Public as to the Press. Will you
not hear ard heed u.s.
II-VA y SHAH WE E4Yl