M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1861-08-29
THECONSTTTUTION--FREESPEECH
AND A FREE pRESS.

III ENONNIllDIl IlON--I hEE SEEENl II
AND A FREE PRESS.
Judge Miller, Of the United States
District Court Of Wisconsin, in q late
charge to Milwaukee Jury. said:
Eternal vigilance is the price of
liberty and 'the free communication
Of thoughts aud opinions is one of the
invaluable rights Of man, subject to
responsibility for its abuse These
.prineiple0 are engraited into our very
nature as free American citizens. |
mean the liberty OF the press and free
discussion among men, upon all sub
jects relative totheir duties and their
rights as free citizens ; but no licen-
.tiousress of the press and factious and
scurriious abuse and m!srepreseuta
ton Of men in places of public trust
which is the bane Of free governments.
In this time of excitement, and dis.
position to cast off restraints of law,
some men, under the disguise of ex-
treme love Of country, may be dispos.
ed to indulge their envy, hatred, NAL.
ice and ill.wiil toward others probably
much more worthy and patriotic than
themselves. Men may assume O
standard Of patriotism and loyalty for
themselves, but they cannot be permit.
ted TO pronounce othor men traitors
who do not, in their opinion, come up
to that standard.
The Constitution and Laws of the
United States define the crime of trea.
son, and by which every man is to be
tried. Tiers is no propriety in this
free North, where every man is loyal
to the Government, anl where We
hold no person in bondage, of iuaug.
urating a system Of secret police. In
times Of excitement, as men are apt to
be jealous than wise, we should keep
before us the example Of France, when
the reign Of terror became so intolela.
BILE that all classes Of men were glad
to seek refuge under a military des-
pot. In this country it is proper and
perhaps necessary that there should
be variety Of sentiment upon every
subject ofgovernmental policy. Here,
where the voice of the people rules
the nation, free discussion is necessary
and proper for public instruction. =
From the Declaration Of Independence
to the present day there has not been
one great principle of public policy es.
Itablished without free, open and man.
ly discussion, and it is not probable
that there ever will be, SO long as Che
people continue to be free citizens I'M.
der q constitutional form Of Govern.
ment. Congress is prohibited by the
Constitution from passing any law
abridging the freedom of speech or Of
the press, Men at this time of excite.
ment should avoid personal crimina.
ton aad recrimination."
That is the way an upright and in.
telligent Judge will talk to a Grand
Jury on this subject, and rebuke those
who are so ignorant or regardless OF
the constitutional rights Of the people
as to make such a presentment, which
might do in Austria or France, but
cannot be tolerated in q free govern
ment. We have no doubt this New
York Grand Jury was selected With
special reference to this action, and
that care was taken that they should
all be Of a certain politica! stripe, and,
in addition, shoulc be men of snail
caliber, Of violent prejudices and IN,
scrnpulous character. The perform
ance is Of no importance save to'show
tho animus of those who got it up and
now sustain or apologize for it. 1t
was hoped by them that it would lead
to sensation against the papers
struck at but they are likely to find
that it will have precisely the oppo.
site effect, and that they have loaded
their gun SO heavily that it will rather
iniuFe those who stand behind it.
There is scarcely a Republican paper
in the land that did not, during the
Mexican War of 1916, occupy pre-.
cisely the same position that the New
York journals alluded to do now. A
large majority oftdo Republican lead.
ers, including Presiden! Lincoln HIM
self, we're opposed to that war, and
went much farther againstit than any
body has in the present instance !
Shall they also be indicted and sub
ject to a coDdign punishment for 9
past ofense l--Enq.
P A New Hampshire editor was
lately robbed while travelling. How
much the thief made by the operation
may be discovered by the indignant
epistle he Immediately sent to his vic.
tim, returning pocket book:
"YVu miserable cuss, here's your
pocket book. l don't keep nc such,
For man dressed as we'll as you was
to 90 round with wallet with moth.
in in it but a lot of newspaper scraps,
a pair OF newspaper stamps, and a pass
from a railroad director, IS contemp
l.l1o ...,o,,L,or ~, fnn ,onbl,o A =