The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-08-28


is wholly uncalled for. As q remedy, were the
case different, it is inappropriate and useless.
There Ia not government In Europe, including
that Of France, which does not possess the
power to eject from its dominions those who
offend against its laws, or are even suspected
of hostility to the public peace. This gives
the means of detailing punishments, and OF
course of reaching these who may be guilty
The denunciation therefore, Of a whole class,
without reference to guilt or innocence, is both
oppressive and unjustifiablc, certainly 80 as
far as the journals interested are concerned,
and the persons to whom they are ad-
dressed. It is SO again, because no
discrimination is made between the papers
which habitually tradace and yillify the French
government and those that treat it with can
dor and fairness. This leads us to a view Of
the subject still more insulting to the people
Of the United States. 1t is evident from it
that the blow 10 aimed at general ideas, too
peculiar opinions upon governmental policy,
liberal sentiments, republican theories, and
current criticisms upon European rule and
management; that these, in fact, are the
objects Of hatred and Introduction. If this be
true, it involves questions higher than even
the violation of our laws, the abuse of our
hospitality, and the comities Of Intercourse
subsisting between this country and Europe.
1t is the prescription of the people of the
United States-an offensive and insulting
effort to degrade their government, their jour-
mails and their fellow-citizens in foreign lands.
Louis Napoleon ought to know, and does
know, that Americans abroad do not require
American newspapers to enable them to utter
liberal sentiments on proper occasions, Or to
critcise with severity even his or any other
cal opinions and ideas already settled. 1t is
idle to attribute the slightest disturbance to
the American press. It communicates with
its countrymen, gives the current history Of
the times, and there its Office and influence
cease. If, then, it is proposed by establishing
foreign censorship upon our journals, to in
terdict the utterance, even to Americans in
France or Europe, of liberal sentiments, we
have only to say that the remedy is partial,
inadequate and useless. To effect this there
must be non-intercourse of men-American
travellers must be stopped, the channels of
commerce closed post offices suppressed, pri-
yate correspondence inhibited and a great
many other impossible measures enforced.
The suppression of papers, merely, will have no
other practical effect than to excite indigna-
ton in the minds of the American people, sub
ject their citizens abroad to annoyance aud
their press to injury. As n mere preeaution-
airy measure of police, then, it is obvious that
the French government has simply made
mistake. Certainly, it has not weighed with
proper Judgment the consequences of persist
ing in acts so useless to itself, SO offensive to
us, and so injurious to one Of the most effective
organs of public opion in America. The sys-
TEN Of journalism in the United States is an
institution with scarcely less power here than
that exercised by Louis Napoleon in France.
There is and has been since the revolution. an
active sympathy between the two governments;
but it is evident that if such plan of pro-
scription is carried out against us--if we are to
be degraded by an attempt to suppress the
most potent Of all mediums of American
thought by putting our citizens abroad under
the ban Of suspicion, by invading our soil with
a clandestine policcthen viii be seen an end
both Of our friendship and our forbearance.
As measure of government, it is insulting to
us as people and violation of our laws as
police remedy, it is peurile and inadequate;
rs fling at our institutions, it il in bad taste,
and will find no sympathy. The sooner it is
removed the better for all parties.
TnE Sort SHELL DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION AT