Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1859-08-23
From the y. Y. Evening Post
The Power Above the Throne.

The notion tha, the press is 10 keep lts
hands off the sacrad reputation of Louis
Napoleon, which some writer's have put
forth, and which that snivelhng iittle Jour
nal, the New York Tunes, compiacen,ly
appreciates, Is rebuked In q manly way by
the Loadon Tunes. Referring 10 the re-
marks in Parliament deprecating the En-
I peror, and 10 the interference of his
agents IN suppressing It's circulation In
/ France, II says:
- Il Is our vocation and our very being
10 speak truly and fr-ely about all pub
+ lie characters and affairs. If we cannot
we cease to be altogether. We are
+ free press, which Is about as distinct a
thing from Conlinenunal Journalism as a
+ living man from skeleton, or forest
from a timber yard"
/ Describing then the pitiable condition
f of Il press which s fetered by censor
ships, and the moral prostration OF peo-
/ pie which suffers the organs of puhlic
thought 10 be turned into the mere rec
ordS of imperial degrees, 1t asserts for
itself, IN this naughty language. dignity
that Is older and greater than that OF the
i Bonapartes
I IF we have said what is not true. that
+ IS another question; but If our crime IS
+ that we have sometimes said that which
may hurt the feelings of an Emperor or
+ his soldiers, then we are begged 10 state
+ orr case. ITc existed before either Napo-
lean III. or Napoleon l. He are as
! much an essential nStuutf01eof thts c0I<1s-
sry as they Of theirs. We are precisely
/ what we were not ouig when LOUIS Napo-
+ leon lodged IN ST. James, but when has
uncle was sub-offiCer of artillery. We
are what we were before either Mr..
/ Bright or Lord John Russell was born
/ The era which gave France its revolution
gave England its free press. That press
/ has preserved its freedom by acting up to
itself, and speaking the truth, to the best
Of It's ability and judgment, OF everything
/ and everybody. No enc can over esti-
mate rs weight as the auxiliary and
mouth-p ece OF a free legislature and open
( Justice. Bug here II exists, one of the
chief forces of the country, now also a
heritage from our f0re-iathers, 10 be oe-
quealAed 10 our children.
! Bravo Mr.. Times that is precisely
lhe style and spru IN which the encroach-
ing despo,sm of the Continental rulers
should be met. l. Is the style IN which
creatures who rel rebate the freedom Of
The press should be rebuked. The news
papers are more Interesting than dyna<-
ues; the independence Of the newspapers
Of EngIand Is OF greater concern 10 the
moral weli-being OF mankind than the
I continuance Of any house, Bonaparte.
Bourbon or Lorraine; aud when the dy-
. nlstIes complain OF The invectiyes OF the
newspapers, It Is right to tell them blunt
I ly that they are an inferior affair. They
may yield many swords and control great
/ deal of wealth but the newspaper will
laugh al The sword and drsplse TIE wealth
/ Ii the crowned heads had their preroc-
alive, founded on prescription and the i'm
+ Piled consent OF their subjects. SO the ed
nors have their prerogative. founded on
right and the convictions OF civilized man.
The prerogaIIve Of the editor is absolute
freedom TO discuss questions OF public IN
4 terest according 10 his own views of ius-
ice and truth. Without that he and his
function are both annihiia;ed withou,
that there is 10 longer security for the
people or hope OF progress; and withou,
that the world reyerts mo barbarlsm and
darkness. The society Of the nineteenth
century could very well spare an unlini,-
ed number Of Emperors, Kings, Grand
Dukes, and even Popes, If hey were 10
be found and perhaps be li,iie the worse
for II; but the free press the society of
tue nineteenth century cannot spare al ALL