Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1861-09-07
The New York Tribune and the
Freedom of the Press.


We regret to inform our readers that
the mob spirit has at length reached our
good old Commonwealth. Last week two
Democratic papers were Destroyed
Easton Sentinel, and the West Chester
J,fersonean. These events must be de-
plorcd by all order loving citizens, and
the Inauguration of mob rule in any SEQ
ton Of the country must pain every true
friend of law and constitutional liberty in
the Nation.
In this connection we desire to call pub
lie attention to an extract taken from the
New York Tribune of Saturday last
The editor of that highly favored Repub-
lcan journal dcseanss with great earnest
ness upon the Changers of too much toler.
alton" in the press, and clearly estimates
that it would 10 wise for She Government
to "silencc those who are unqucstionably
doing great mischief, and those temporary
suspensions by legitimate power would fore
stall the possibility of illegal violcncc."-
In the same issue the editor boldly defends
the cause of Mr.. Russell, the special cor
respondent Of the London Times, whose
account of the battle of Bull Run has Civ
en- so much dissatisfaction to the North
In doing so the following language is used
by the 1yib'nc, the Italics being our own:
"Then finding that the first really i'm.
portant battle between the armies of Free
dom and Slavery is to be fought, he hast
ems to take part in it as spectator. Be-
fore be has fairly reached the battle field,
he finds himself involved in the coil of
Tying MouSanlS,and sees passing by him,
IN most PUStHanimous haste, the force up
on whose courage rested the honor of this
Republic. lie instinctively strives to stem
the rushing tide, but cannot even succeed
in obtaining the most meagre information
as to the cause of the rout, the extent Of
the disaster, or the probability of pursuit
by the enemy Finding that one of the
bolligcrent parties has thus disgracefuNy
melted oaoay IN fright that no more Of the
battle is to be fought, he turns his horse S
head toward the capitol, and follows the
dusty cloud which covers the yetreating
throng. Along the road, piled high IN
significant ds0rOier he sees valuable stores
heaps of arms-swords, muskets, and ar
tillcry. Coming once more to Washington
he finds the hotels filed with the moifa
cyopd of officers and men, each appayenth
dctuated alone by q strong desire .tor Sel
preservation, darkening the air sciM th
most abSurd stories, C0loyed and diStortet
! byJrigM Then taking his pen he write
an account of what his eyes had seen, hi
ears heard. The moderate tone of his let
ter must have struck all candid readers
The narrative is quiet, and evidently les
uncomp(intemiory TO those ,cho fed in DIS
orc1er Man Tie facts acOuM haze author
ieed."
We ask the candid reader if such a par
agraph had appeared in Democratic pa
per what would have been said of it p
The charge Of coaoardice is here clearly
made against our gallant soldiers who tool
their lives in their hands and went out t.
do battle for the Union. The lying chang
is made, too, in defence of British lette
writer, whose account of the fight, accord
ing to the Tribune, is "less uncomplimcn
tary to those who fed in disorder than tn
facts would have authorized" If evel
handed justice is to be meeted out to all
would it not be well for the Goyernmen
to apply the remedy proposed by the Tri
bune IN the Tribune, land promptly "silenc
those who arc unquestionably doing grea
mischief"