New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-11-20

his puta.iye uncle when they moved down 10 de-
eide the day at Waterloo. The magic qulll ana
more potent pencil Of Mr. Punch evoke shadows
which strike more terror into his soul than coun
the substance of ten thousand men. The half
official warning which he lately gave through the
Monitor to the English press is significant enough
Of this. II shows the instructive dread which he,
in c,-mon with all tyrsnts, whether they WELD
sceptrr, .. ear..-vhips, feel Of the Press-tha'
engine more terribl. in their eyes than bssta'ion'
of infantry squadrons of cavalry, or parks oil ar
tIery. But its being only balfoficial il sigaif-
cant of another thing and that is Of the progress
which the Press has made, not only in power, but
IN recognized freedom from the very qualified lib
erty Of half q century ago.
The Powers of Europe fear and hate the Enshsh
Press az much now as they did thep, but they DO
GOT now demand the exemplary punishment OF those
who take their names in vain. 1t is not much more
ehan fifty years ago since Peltier was tried before
The Kings Bench on an information filed by the
Attorney. General for libel on Napoleon Bonaparte,
then Fret Consul, published in L. rnbign. This
was done in consequence Of representations made
10 the Addngton Ministry by N. Otto, the Minister
resident of Bonaparte Peltier was ecquenty de-
Tended BY Macintosh, but convicted Of the crime;
Lord marlborough charging strongly against him.
II must have been rather against the grain to he
obliged thus to take action in behalf Of usurper so
de:ested as Boraparte then was by all loyal En-
glisbmen. even during the peace of Amiens. But
State policy and the customary law Of libel as 1t
then existed demanded the submission. Two or
three years before 1799) Mr.. Perry, the editor of
The Courier newspaper was convicted, on similar
information of the Attorney.General, Of libel on
the Emperor Paul. for saying Of that remarkable
sovereign that "he was tyrant among his own
subjects and ridiculous to the rest of Europe!'
For the utterance of this trusm Mr. Perry was
seotenced by Mr.. Justice Grose t. fine of flOO
and imprisonment in the Kings Bench Prison for
six months, and to give security for his good be-
havior fer e We years after the expiration dessme
vnt the printer, and Ross, the publisher received
he mder doom Of one months Incarceration for
their share in this crime.
About q dozen years earlier Q7S7), the half
crszed if not wholly lupatic, Lord George Gordon,
was convicted of libel on the Queen OF France
touching the affair of the Diamond Necklace This
WAS done at the instance of the Court Of France,
through the Count d'Athemar, then ambassador az
ST. James. He was sentenced to be imprisoned two
YEAR,. pay a fine Of $500, and give security in
flO 600 for his good behavior for fourteen years.
Imagine The Times, or The Examiner, or Punch,
tried for their leaders, or squibs, or carcatures
touching Nicholas, or Francis Joseph, or the King
Of Prussia, or this very Bonaparte himself! And
set the Ebels on which the British Government
felt itself called upon to take proceedings against
these editors were but "cakes aud ginger,
bread" as Sancho says compared to what has
been scattered by the tun by the London press
Of later years about all SORTS of Continental
dignitiss While this muttered warning to the
British Press shows how keenly its denuncis-
tons its sarcasms and its gibes are felt by Bona
parre, vet probably the idea has occurred to
him Of the possibility of invoking through his Min
ister the interpositiOn Of the law. The Fourth
Estate has established itself in England on founda
which had Only begun to be laid at the beginning
Of this century. 1t has built up its power through
much tribulation aud many hardships but it is be-
gond the power of any Continental despot to shake
beyond even his hope TO modest.
Punch, of course has not neglected this provo
cation Of his wits. 1t will keep him in matter until
The ms citing Of Parliament. In the last number
Lord Palmerston is portrayed as a newsman in
paper cap made of Moniteurs, with his hand at his
mouth bawlipg, "Moniteur, Moniteur," while
below is Panchs version Of the Imperial Warning
10 the English Press-rather marked by bitterness
and sefo M IN % than nv satire or wit. But in the
cartoon, BonsParte is depicted as giving lesson in
harmony to John Bull, who is beaboripg huge
bass. VOL, while the First Fiddle" exclaims, look
ing fiercely at him out Of the corner Of bis eye
Now Mr.. Bull, take your time from me-" The
air is Nespolitan one, and the puzzled and lugu-
brous look of poor, fat, stupid Mr. Bull is cOmical
enough. 1t is plain to see that it IT, acco riding to
The legend Of the cartoon, quite new tuae" for
him. If the endurance of the cordial understand
ing between the allies depends on putting hook
into the nostrils of the eyiathan of the English
Pres, it is doomed to speedy interruption. No
Ministry could stand an hour that should aow at
tempt to intiDdate that lower on earth by any
threats or actually of prosecution from saying
what it thinks best of airy other power
There is no more striking proof of progress than
the tone of the English newspapers forty years ago,
when compared with what they hold now. The
law Of libel was always suspended over their heads
and they wrote under the knowledge that it would
not take much to part the hair that held it. In
1910, Goblet was sentenced to pay fine Of 900
and to be imprisoned for the space Of two years.
and TO give security afterward for good behavior
for. rticla ia, ia.