Daily national Democrat., 1861-10-09
The Freedom of the Press.

Government, are Of late greatly exercised be-
cause some of their organs in the North have
been roughly handled. They have suddenly
become great defenders of the freedom of
speech and Of the press. They say that it is
the right of every citizen to advocate any
measures he deems best calculated to pro-
mote the public interests, whether those
measures are in accordance or at variance
with the policy adopted by the powers that
be-" They deny that to advocate the dis
are crowding upon the borders of the loyal
States, and even upon the Capital ltseli, Is
treason. The loyal masses hao~ that the
traitors Of the loyal States all advocate non
resistance by the Government simply because
they dare not openly 90 further. The seces-
sion press of the North is as faithful to the
rebel cause, as is the Charleston Mercury; and
when the people, goaded and exasperated
whs ssch tilinly-veled treason, put forth
their strong arms, unlawlully, and take sud-
den vengeance the victims Of the "wild jus
tiee" Of the mob, are fondied and caressed
by their secession brethren who still remain
unh0rmed, and the cry of persecution is
raised. They tell us that the freedom, of the
press is guaranteed by the Constitution of
the United States. Let US see if these gen
tlemen are honest. 1t is admitted by oil
Southern Rights men that any State may pro-
tect or prohibit, the institution ofnegro slavery
within its own limits; that each State has
absolute control over the subject. The State
Of Arkansas had in 1850 white population
of l62,lS9. Of that number 5000, only,
owned slave property OF this last number
| 4,G99 owned less than ten slaves each; 1884
/ owned less than five slaves each, and 1888
only owned one each. 1856 1870 owned no
slaves, while 8, ,099 did own one or more -
The State could, it is admitted, abolish slave
ry within its own limits, by Legitimate chang
es in its Constitution. ltis lamfut, for cit
izen Of Arkansas to "advocate any measures
be deems best calculated to promote the pub
lie interests, whether those measures are in
accordance or at variance with the policy
adopted by the powers that be-" The free
dom of the press is guaranteed by the Consti
tuition of the United States. SO the Secession
peace mongers, who still )inger in what they
call the Black Republican States, tell u.s.
Now if any citizen of Arkansas should issue
number one of paper advocatinga change
in the Constitution of that State, having in
view the prohibition of slavery after one
year from such change, does any sane man be
lieve that number two of such paper would
ever appear or that the editor would escape
tar and feathers, and baniahment, if allowed
to live at all? And yet it is the clear right
of any citizen of Arkansas to advocate such a
change. Only one in twenty seven of the
whole white population owns so much as
one solitary slave, and yet SO small faction
have contrived to make all the rest afraid to
respect the Constitutional clause concerning
freedom of speech and of the press. While
the country was at peace, the mob0ing
Of Northern men for offences, (many times
purely imaginary,) was a common occur
renee in all of the Cotton States. Yet
there never was any howl raised about
it by the editors who now turn up their eyes
in meek horror, when some such concern as
the Concord Standard is foreibly stopped
| from insulting the volunteer soldiery called
! to defend the nation i'll its hour of peril. We
hope to sec every man protected i'll the speak
ing and publishing OF his sentiments so long
as he keeps within the bounds of the law ;
but we hope the Legislature of this State
will at the coming session, forbid the pub
lishing of reasonable matter, calculated and
intended to weaken the national cause, and
to encourage traitors Already we have "A
statute abridging the freedom of the press.
Let the man who dares, advocate its repeal
We allude to the law for the suppression of
obscene publications. Our great American
law commentator - Chancellor Kent - in
speaking of the amendment to the Federal
Constitution, concerning free speech and the
freedom of the press, says:
THAT this amendment was intended to Sc
| cure every CSllLtu an uDSOIuLG IISllb W SJCuh
or write or print whatever he might please
without any responsibility, public or private,
therefor, isa supposition too wild to be in
dulged in by any rational man. This would
be to allow to every citizen right to destroy,
at his own pleasure, the reputation, the
peace, the property, and even the personal
safety of every other citizen. A man might,
out of mere malice or revenge, accuse an
other OF the most infamous crimes; might
excite against him the Indignation of all his
fellow citizens by the most atrocious calum-
nies; might disturb, nay, overturn all his do
mestic peace and em6itter his parental af
fections might infict the most distressing
punishment upon the weak, the timd and
the innocent; might prejudice all mans
civil and political and private rights; and
miqht stir up Scdition, rebellion, and treason,
eyen against the Government atSef an tie wdt-
t0nneSS of his passions or the corruptneSS Of
his heart. Civil society could not 90 on ander
such circumstances. Men would then be
obliged to resort to private vengeance, to
make up for the deficiencies OF the law; and
ussassinations and savage crueities would he
perpetrated with all the frequency belonging
! to barbarous and brutal communities 1t is
! plain, then, that the language OF that amend
ment imports no more than that every man
has a right to speak, write and print his opin-
ions upon any subject whatever without any
prior restraint, so always that he does not
njure any other person in his rights, person,
property or reputation. and so always that
he does not thereby disturb the public peace
or attempt to subgeH the Government"
We hope to see law enacted at the next
session of the Legislature defining the rights