Volcano weekly ledger., 1857-03-14
Law of Libel.

| to prevent breaches OF the peace, is now be-
fore the Senate.
Its intention is to suppress the publication
of scurrilous, defamatory or abusive" ar
ticles, such as are a disgrace to the press.
Heretofore these murderers of character
have taken refuge behind their poverty. The
proposed law renders the type and press with
which the libel was printed, responsible for
the damage awarded by the court
The following sensible article on the sub
ect we copy from the Chronicle. 1. is from
the gifted pen of Frank Soule.
In another place we publish to-day the
proposed Law of Libel, as expressed in Mr..
Cosby's Bill, upon which some remarks were
made yesterday That the principle of the
bill is correct, we think all just minds capa-
! BILE Of Judging will admit AS we intmated
then, we do not think the bill perfect. 1t
may and should be amended But that there
should be some more certain protection for
reputation than is now furnished under the
law of libel as it now exists in this State, is
evident to all except those who having no
character to lose except that which is infa-
nous, have none worth protecting, and who
desire the privilege of abusing that which
they have not the virtue to initiate, To the
honest man there is nothing of so much val
ue as an unspotted reputation He can stand
poverty, pain sickness, the ills of life in ev-
cry form better than the blast from the lips
or pen of the vile traducer, who by word
has brought his character in doubt. The laws
of this State afford little or no remedy for
this outrage Any scoundrel who by accident
or any other cause has command of news
paper, possesses almost unlimited power in
abusing whomsoever his malice his avarice,
his jealousy or envy indicates as the object
of his calumnous spirit. He steps from be-
| hind bulwark of laws and technicalites with
an impunity unparalleled OF this fact the
history of this city for the last year has given
abundant evidence We have seen twenty
eight citizens most if not all of them among
the most respectable and honored of the city,
stigmatized in one issue Of paper, as liars
and cheats, because they disagreed with the
editors views upon certain subjects This
utter disregard of all the decencies of life, of
all the rules held sacred heretofore in com
munities claiming to be civilized and decent,
may hunt in vain the history of the world
for parallel. There is now no security for
the character Of any one. Papers of fash
character violate all the decencies of life dai-
ly. Not alone by cuts tending to ridcule
people, is this done Such things generally
do little harm in comparison with the written
and the published slander. TO punish the
offender by legal process is but a poor re-
compense for reputation blackened by SANDER
er. 1t is so in all other cases of punishment
for crime The trial, condemnation and ex-
eeution of a murderer gives no recompense to
the victim, bind up no broken hearts, bring
no hope and happiness into the family circle
made desolate by the bloody act
1t is so in cases of SANDER and libel. The
fine cansot repay for the injury. But the
punishment is needed ms protection TO 9th.
ers, as a check upon the vile tendency of the
unprincipled to abuse and vilify. And to
make the law effective, it is necessary that
the citizen shall have the privilege of a some
what summary process. He who has no de-
sire to misrepresent, has no fear of any law
likely to be passed under our form of govern
Iment. To publish the truth and for good
purposes viii never be considered libel, nor
will any jury ever find verdict for libel un-
less falsehood or malignity appear evident in
the publication. When either is proved, the
guilty party deserves punishment and should
receive it,
We haveno disposition to reply to those
who substitute scurrility for argument, and
use the words of the blackguard because
they lack the feeling and instincts Of honesty
and truth. Let those who are incapable of
a higher sentiment turn argument into per
sonalities. Life is too short and precious to
waste it thus, unless continued and unproyoked
abuse force it, The Legislature has the sub
ject unde. consideration, and we hope that
without passion or prejudice it will perfect a
bill which will give security to the citizen aud
check the scurrility of the vile, and then pass
it into law.
CLEVER JUDICIAL DoDGE-The San An
dreas Independent in explaining the reason
why eleven Cinnamon, in that vicinity, were
fined $500 each for a violation of the gam
bling law says:
The eleven Cinnamon, who were so heavily
fined for gambling, two weeks ago, have all
been released We understand thev paid
S64O to get out of the scrape-qute a suf-
fcient outlay in the school of Experience.
We are informed that had the Chinese shown
a disposition, on their conviction. to pay
fine, a greater part of it would have been re-
mitted; but had the Judge fined them but
500 each, they would have preferred paving
it in Jail, at $40 per day, to planking down
the cash.