The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1857-04-01

and Adams, having been turned, against
him and his administration, his opinions ON
the press were revobutionized, and he had
the injustice and wart OF magnanimity. to
denounce the newspaper press in the follow
ing strain III is a melancholy truth, that
n suppression of the press could not more
completely deprive the nation of its benefits
than is don by its abandoned pros t~itution
10 ialsehood. Nothing can now be beiiev-
ed, (which is seen in a newspaper Truth
Itself becomes Suspicious, being pnt in such
n polluted vehicle.
81 Will add that the man, who never locks
into q NEWSPAPERS i, 1c;ivt informed imam inc
who reads them; inasmurh as he who
knows nothing is nearer TO the truth than
he, whose mind il filled with errors and
falschoods."- Letter 10 John Norrrlk, Jun
IL, 1907.
On reading the exposition of AR. JET
PERSONS widely discrepnnt opinions about
the press, and his cbullition Of spleen
against it, will not Judge WIrHERs feel
rather dissatisfied with his model =! The
Judge was himself an editor, in early life
was the press, under lis auspices, an instru-
mcnt Of more harm than good =! Or, was
ne n model editor, ~ Mr.. JEFFERSON was n
model politician Judge WRITER'S has re-.
Gently had the arrows OF the press directed
against himself, in common with the MA.
joritv of tho Court of Errors for n decis-
ion, which leads to tho unsettling ct legal
principles, and doing away all confidence in
the adjudications Of our State Court of
final rrsort-has he made Mr.. JEFFERSON
his model i'll the application Of the ier tail
on;s :
] am at n los TO know, Nhat could have
induced his Honor to laun n such n philip
pic, from the Bench, against the newspaper
press--i; was out of place. uhcallrd for, and
did infinite prejudice TO the Plaintiffs righ-
tcous cause so far as the question Of dam,
ages was concerned. From ono of the
Jury, in particular, | observed il provoked
Il laugh, and chucklc. of delight, and cXul.
tution, and, | doubt not, that il was the
c0updc grace, in respect Of damages. am
disclosed TO think. TINT mere way wardncss.
caprice, or pleasantly, is ;he real solution of
the Judges course, TN the occasion but
Lis Honor should have remembered, thai
what WIS sport TO him. might be death 10
principle, To right. and 10 justice. AT all
events, as his Honor has seen fit. freely 10
exercise the freedom of the tongue and Of
the Bench against the newspaper press, |
trust hc will have the magnanimity 10 en-
Gurc patiently this exercise of the freedom
OF the pen, ana Of the press against the
Bench.
At the conclusion Of the Judges change.
the Jury retired, ard, after II brief interval.
returned into Court. with n verdict Of S25
against T.. j.. Arthur, and Ct cents against
John Burdell, thus discriminating between
the principle wrong doer, and the mere min
istrIial agent Of the wrong-mulcting the
former in more than double the mount.
Necessary TO carry costs, and letting off the
latter with "a song of siNpcuce'-a discrim-
nation, just in principle. although actually
shabby, (as respects the %jurors) in amount
The triumph Of principle. therefore, is
with DIR. Gibbes. lie has boldly stood forth
as n champion Of the freedom of the press {;
he has been sustained, in law and principle,
by the Court, and n verdict in his favor has
been wrung from a reluctant Jury-a YER
diet, which crowns him with the laurel Of
victory a.d principle. but vii live in the ar
chieves of oui Court, 10 the %rcrpo"ch Of
those, who so bclitt.cd n great principle, in
the way of damages for its invasion. DIR.
GIbbes has had his legal right established to
beard the Know Nothing Lion in his den.
Under all the circumstances OF the case, con-
sidering the high character and many virtues
of DR.. Gibbrs, his literary and scientific at
tainmcnts, his honorable and useful life, his
position in society, rs n benevolent man, n
skillful and Mind physician, and n public
spirited citizen, an a man Of letters, and n lib.
cral patron Of the arts, and, above all, his
attitude in the case Just tried, AZ an injured
and outraged newspaper proprietor and ed
tier, and rs n successful champion, in right
and principle Of the liberty of the press gen.
orally. and Of the newspaper press especial.
~; aud in view Of the scnnty justice done
him, in the damages awarded by tho Jury,
would II not be graceful in the newspaper
press to present him with either n gold pen
md handsome ink.stnnd, or both, in ,esti-
monia, Of their approval of his course, and
of their sympathy with him in his triumph
of principle.