The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-10-03


When JOHN MILTON penned his famous nlea in
behalf of the freedom of the press, he based upon
strong grounds the rights he advocated, though
he claimed to exercise them within the narrowest
limits. 'Since, therefore," he said, ''the know
ledge and survey of vice is in this world so neces
sary to the constituting of human virtue. and tn
scanning of error to the confirmation of truthe
'how can we more safely, and with less danger.
scout into the regions of sin and falsity, than
by reading all manner of tractates, and hearing
''all manner of reason ?" Two hundred wears
have passed since these words FIRST rang through
England, and though despotic princes and servile
ministers have striven, meanwhile to crush the
growing strength and influence of the press. until
at times IFS canse seemed well nigh hopeless. they
eventually recoiled before its power. Now the
people OF two great nations count it as their
proudest privilege to speak freely of their political
rights, as well as of their rulers That this Iib-
erty has been oftentimes abused and that most
grossly, none will deny; but while we sum I'D the
errors Of the press let also take account of the
untold services it has rendered to the world, in
many long and dreary struggle against tyran-
-NOSS
flee for the maintenance of truth There are
some men, who, overlooking the enormous bal
ance of good with which it must be fairly cred
tied, are for ever telling over the comparatiyelv
triing amount of evil for which it is responsible
Nor do they pause here for ignorant or forgetful
OF the past, they assume that it is degeneratinp
daily, and assert that it misuses its power more
now than ever. They hold up their hands in
affected horror, when it ventures to criticise in
plain and perhaps unpalatabe terms the neglect
or incapacity or dishonesty of public officers, as if
II was, Tor the first time, setting scandalous
example to the world. They refuse to admit what
the history of two centuries tells them, that the
press has never waived for single moment the
right to speak unreservedy and harshlv. and
scornfully if justice so requires of those who
WELD authority only by the consent of free peo-
pie. 1t has ever held that they can plead no ex-
emphon from its censures. Even in the darkest
and most dangerous times, the
Thoughts that breathe and words that bur,,,
nave gone forth unchallenged, to remind corrupt
and arbitrary rulers of the tribunal before which
they might be called to answer for misdeeds
whenever public opinion should choose TO summon
them
What laughter threat could be uttered to a
monarch than that which JUN1Us dictated. and
WooDFALL dared TO publish, when GEORGE the
Third was told: ''That the sovereign of this coun-
TRY is not amenable to any form of trial known
''to the laws is unquestionabe. But exemption
''from punishment is a singular privilege annexed
ITO the royal character, and no way precludes the
possibility OF deserving it. How long, and to
''what extent king of England may be protected
by the forms, when he violates the spirit of the
constitution deserves TO be considered. A mistake
I'm this aterproved fatal to CHARLES and his son
Nor did such bold language proceed from hidden
consprators and common lbellers In tracts
and journals, and poems of which the authors or
printers were perfectly we'll known, sentiments
were uttered almost daily that were equally point
ed and condemuatory. Though the Government
at that and succeeding periods endeavored to curb
what 1t called licentious ISLANDERS, the sympathy
and support which gathered round the few victims
1T was able to overcome, showed the determination
OF the English people never to relinquish their
great prerogative. WILKES and TooKE, and hum
dreds of better and worse men than they, were
wont to express their views with perfect freedom,
and, for the most part, with absolute impunity.-
Neither could the false and abandoned GEORGE the
Fourth silence thevoice which his father had yainly
attempted to stfe. As in his hourly life and ac-
tons, he disgraced the nation and caused it to su
fer the thousand evils that misgovernment entails,
his character was criticized without scruple and his
deeds judged mercilessly, though not unfairly
Who does not know how the press teemed with
satires and foundations? MOORE poured out his
bitterest anger against him 'whose life" was n
''sck epcure's dream, $50 incoherent and pross''
as to have made him 'despsed" throughout En-
rope. BYRON launched his terrible invective also
against GEORGE the Despised," and in no meas
ured terms, as this stanza sufficiently proves:
"spread-spread, for vitellius the royal repast
Till the gluttonous despot be stuffed to the gorge
And the roar of his drunkards proclaim him at last
me Fourth OF the fools and oppressors called George
LEIGH HUNT not whit behind these other as
saiants of the Regent, in the vigor and open
ness of his attack, spoke out in the Examiner.
In commenting upon some fulsome lines ad-
dressed to the Regent the Morning Post in
which he was addressed as the GLORY of the Peo-
pie, and Protector of the Arts, :" who wherever
he appeared, conquered all hearts wiped away
call tears, excited desire and love- and won beauty
"towards him." HUNT said
What person unacquainted with the true state of the
case, would imagine in reading these astounding euloges
that this Glorycf the People the subject OF millions
of shrugs and reproaches that this Protector of the Ats
had named wretched foreigner his historical painter in
disparagement in ignorance of the merits of his own
countrymen that this AGcenas Of the age patronized
not single deserving wrer!-that this sBreather of
Eoquence could not say few decent exempore words
If We to judge at least from what he said to his
ment its embarkation for Portugall-tbat this Con
O ut
EIcner Of desire lbravol Messeurs of the Post-ths
Adonis ." loneliness was corpulent man of fy,-in
short, that this delightful bliSsfd, rise feasarable
honorable rrtIous, true, and Immortal prince was VIOLA
tor of his word ibertine head in disgrace
and demreps, man who has Just closed half century
without one single claim the gratitude of his country
or the respect of postertyl''
The Tory reaction, which the French Revolu-
ton had excited, was strong and active at the
time this article appeared, and though HUNT was
indicted for libel, and underwent two years i'm
prisonment, no one had any hesitation about re-
publishing the offensive paragraph in the lifetime
of the Regent.
We have not cited these quotations either
for the purpose of commencing their spirit or sug-
costing their style as the properest for imitation
We only desire to illustrate, by few familiar ex-
amples, the latitude which ancestors allowed
themselves in their speeches and their writings.
The coarseness, plainness and even brutality with
which they were accustomed to express their feel
ings and opinions, find no parallel in our genera.
ton. Like the manners of each successive age.
the tone of the press has continued steadily 70 i'm
prove. On the whole, its freedom has been nohlv
and benefcialy used, and none are entitled to more
praise on this score than the public journalists
Their labors chiefly contributed to the victory
which emancipated human thought, and upon
them devolves the duty of maintaining the prerog.
atives so hardly earned Nor are they to be dis.
couraged by the fippant sneers with which some
seek to disparage their vocation They can point
to the great results they have achieved If the
strongholds of error have fallen beneath repeated
and multiplied assaults; if, by persistent retera.
tons of the TRUTH its cause has been won at last
the triumph is not lessened in our eyes because
weak hands and unskilful tongues contributed to
gain 1t. They who by furnishing "all manner Of
'tractates'' and 'alI manner of reason helped
to vindicate the right, share the general honor
And thus only can the right be yindicated
Without full and free discussion of the motives
and the acts of public men, that public opinion
which should check or direct them is seldom,
or manifested. To evoke this fairly is the bns;ness
of the journalist and, far he has not labored i
vain 1t may be said here now, as it was in En-,