The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-05-24

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liberty o the press are abuses o, which, il Is said Be
claim this general sccusshon sgaipst the shole
Of cur eouLuy2 10 this just appreciation OF facts
slicn ~ lssire p,vce srov.d a. ana wacn We Gao
cannot cor tine the nseves TO exploring tase
nestors; ihey must c. ndeu.n Them and put stop 10
them Bat s,o fhsy the work 81 those vino rske
Of he Hearty OF he prefs coosscratei BY updsme
tai pacT To put lbe quesi u you, geuteman, VINO
live by hs sce If tbs Be gan prssst PIT the question
TO you - to solve IL ct onc-, sEd do thirk tas.
there exist in Belgium two opinion regards
truth OF csc accusations The e~ organs Of press
fuence they e, with you know how little they
nopize with public opinion. Have guaranteed i
s ers'i ,aIly enforce III Does punt srise from
any Of these csusss? the law q dead letter. Why our
legislation was ghensd and compls.e1 bu recently
to satJ an international duty Often ,es against foreign
sovereens, fen against the heads of foreign cover
rents, are they no, liable t, puDishmsnt wih in
virtue law which passed precisely to provise Tor
that duty towards Europe whi,h have just aaied
moIe than ofepces-more than wicked attacks sgaust
the authority foreign goverpmen,stook place with
more serious facts greater acts Of ostiy-ocsurred
on our soil our not poweess to III them
our govsrru emit pot without Is 1t qussti Of
government, or for ssinatipR foreign egn
Our penal code 10 there; government invoke IT,
wSua here De 'ucss or jury IN Belgium who would
MOREOVER peremptory reply be given TO Tins
sston II Belgium had been called upon to defend her.
self when ACQUIRED, reply would doubtless have been
gwen The governments Of Europe showed themselves
satisfied they geve in this respeet unequivoca marks Of
sss cton after the passing OF the law OF 1852. And who
constituted Judge In equence Of the law of 1852 Of
The CUES ion to bnow whether wicked ATTACKS eiraced
sgsipst foreign governue were produced in Bssnm
n Z? Foreign governments themselves. And where
Is the foreign government which 1852 has invoked
without finding an echo in BdeGh, in tae law which
the complaints tina. have not been atsndsa tor Wasre
sre the tscs denounced thst have not been nves-
tgsteo9 Where the jus gc,en's that have re-
Thee attscks, 1t has been said have . character
cs'vey hostile to every European government to the
MT Of great neishborirg nation, with walsh
our Interest and our sym pathies command to snse
tain frier dly relations Hs this ION any batter
four escn Than the o,bers Is It not just as cay 20 set
1t rghtp Have the abuses OF the Belgian press
hurt the feerps OF otoer Esropssn governments aod
has the alone in Begips been guilty OF there
bursts If language against foreign governmental Mt
Only The pre,s but In This very tribune o the very
public iDgs which allowed in Belgium for loog
Of the government have heard words uttered
Of far more violent cta-ac err than those pusb had
in cur Journals and these words were addressed
that account ard whore representa- ives the
zion to wbih a,lude show ed Tor Belgium and her
ssyrpehy Tor which she publicly her grail
tuoe Dtes the Belgian press alone deserve The
tcn brought ainst IL? READ the journals oshed ia
French in othe foreign countries except France D, not
which few organs Of the Belgian press reproach
&C? Read the French journals published in Switzerland
na
position and ir uence have already characterized but
articles which the Belgian press Was wrong only in
Inc legislation, said to be insufficient, for the
defence Of Ter own constitution, OF her govern
ments under the law attacks against the
government OF Belgium. Let it not be said, by thus
afsimating foreign Governments and Princes with the
government and The princes OF Belgium, that Belgium
encourages attacks beyond frontiers which do not
with 1t known nat attacks have bsen made
against free institutions and against the Prince
called upon to presloe over them-aganst that Prince
who PIT en- crown freely offered, and who for Ave and
order ard liberty. the glorious and magnificent
s.r. ana hns sss
which all Belgium halls With gratituds-which Is some.
thing more ,han an Anniversary. because i. appears
the lawn Of hsppy and numerous days. Tor whtsh Bel
GUM viii ba indebted for long time this primes aud
honest man which it willingly styles It's well beloved
exsgGerauon of which have erdeavored to state to you
briefly posnble must be attributed TO impsrfsct
knowledge men and things in country Ipe-tectly
undeYs and this imperfect knowledge the part Of
foreign diplomast who is deceived has perhaps been
dec. ived understand it the that it is to
that nothing is done in Belgium to make the country
known In presence OF such serious dangers to the
stranger who thinks he has right to comria,n; but
, sm wrong when say nothirg Is Done It Is worse
leaves Its citizens without any profession against the
attacks Of savage press they go further, they attack
nate from o few Journals which they dare not nsme
which they must know better than any one ~ the ex
preston OF Inc Oed1 OF the Wnoe p1oS belgium
in support Of Al accusation which believes, alse
evidence is brought forward For it 10 fsse evidence
gentlemen, TO say to STRANGER afer quairg violent
passages from journals Of little i'm porarce that they
care not even utter their name, that such is the
lar gusge Of all the journals Of Belgium. ! there
ns which s the liberty s o first pa e
ting in obedience to Whist consider az an i'm
FERROUS duty in the present state Of the pubic
mind, ask the government whether any steps
have been taken t, make known, either to The
French government or 20 the governments repre-
against the atoms of which has been the OBJ
jecv and which have just qualified. Another
ton: We have bean Ispi cached with not having full.
filled international duties have been declared 10
Of doing all that those duties prescribe to In
remaining as weaIe. Before examining this new
ss,on, allow me to call to mind how often Belgium,
since her existence independent nation given
proof Of respect Tor the rigorous fulment of
all imposed upon her ss an international duty. A.
three different epochs since $780, Be gium who it is
said, does not understand her duties towards Eu-
rope has nevertheles' made important sacrifices for
art and Europe ought to keep in account she will
doubtless do 30 when the facts better known.
In 1850 We entered the career Of Independence. We
still young We possessed all the warmth Of youth
and al the enthusiasm of q triumphant revoiutis At
that eroch we reminaed Of internasi onAl
duties; in the of Europe asked not to
lin it's We'll when We were asked al that in the name
Of European interests ard the first pegs Of the indie
aton carrying revolutionary flag, our triumphant
flag to he banks Of the achelds and to Moerdyck. In
1859 were again 10 the name OF Europe, 10 5
ciice AGO GOO Of brethren who had given their
powerful assistance in achieving that independence and
in enfanchisrg our territory We consented. In l8aS
SHAH recall the attitude Of Belgium and the service
which that attitude rendered TO Europe by assuring hs
trsr guilty of rontiers9 In 1S4S strong in that
which to-day appears to be the ebjest OF re-
g1ets Of threats roDg in our institutions,
were, repeat 1t with pride-for pride is allowable Ia
the barrier which stopped the tie OF
revolution, and the European governments-greAt 60
they would not have been very
Of maintaining that tranquility II they had been left to
themseves This is what Belgium did when called upon
fulfil her international duties. And now what ia
qured ofherS Ii not that past guarantee Of the fu
tures not that past guarantee Of what che intends TO
do hereaf err Do they wish for aught elseS Do they
wish for another Belgium than that one whote con-
fittution was known when all the Powers Of Europe
recognized her Independence and her neutrality?
Neniion 10 made in the document to which have
alluded Of necessary rsiorm indispensable for the quiet
and tranquility Of European Stste-reforms which the
govern mert IN concert with the great majority Of the
reforf They are, At least We are justified In sspposng
IT, reforms in the constitution, for legal reforms Q L.
oalaiive suffioes CODai6 wOrda I