The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-05-21

dom OF the press Is the best security or free
government, and Ia far more necessary TO II,
existence than the law of treason. But II one
or other Of these fundamental laws must be
abandoned, who would dare to propose to
sacrifice free press, whose beneficial influence
Is continual, in order to give wider scope to q
law which does not come into operation once
IN half century, and Is by no means essential
to the preservation of the government The
constitution has left the punishment of
treason to the discretion of Congress.
which might make it fine or Imprisonment.
But as regards the press, Congress has no dis
cretion-it cannot abridge its freedom. The
freedom of the press, therefore, stands upon
broader basis and upon higher ground than any
treason law
How absurd is the doctrine of the Tribune
the case, then no matter how unjust and how
disastrous to the interests of the country war
might be, and if it lasted for ten years, no one
could advocate peace without being indictedas a
traitor and mourning the penalty of capital
offence. Was Lord Chatham regarded as
L
lament the war against the independence Of
the American coloniess Was Horace Greeley
traitor when he denounced the war with Mex
leo, and expressed hope that our troops
might be cut to piecess
To object to Mr.. Woods articles as treasona-
BILE, because they advocate peace, comes with
very bad grace from the editor Of the Tribune,
who last fall, Immediately after the Presiden-
tial election, published editorial articles day
after day, of which the two following extracts
are samples
II the cotton States unte1y and earnestly wish to
withdraw peacefully from the Union, think they
should ana would be allowed TO do 30. Amy tempt TO
compel them by force remain would be contrary the
principles enunciRed Ia the immortal Declaration of In
dependeneecontrary to the fundamental ideas which
human liberty is based-N. Y. Tribune, Nou, 1860.
Unexpectedly asked those who dissent from view
OF this matter to tell us frankly whether they do do
not assent to Mr. Jeersons statement in the Deciara
ton OF Independence that governments derive their just
powers from the OF the governed and that when
ever any form OF government becomes destructive TO
these ends is the right Of the people to alter abolish
it. and to institute new government, Co. &c. We do
heartily accept this doctrine believing II ntrnscally
sound benefcent, and that universally accepted, Is
calculated to prevent the shedding of seas Of human
blood And justified the from the British
empire of three millions OF coonsts in l776 do not
see why it would justify the Of five millions
Of Southerners from the federal Union in lS6lN y.
Tribune.
Up to the very bombardment of Sumter the
editor of the Tribune continued to write in this
strain, while the HERALD pressed on Mr.. Blu
chanan's government, as it afterwards did on
Mr.. Lincoln's, the necessity of marshalling sixty
thousand men on the Potomac for the defence
of the national Capitalize policy which the
administration has now adopted, and which has
saved Maryland and Washington, and will pro.
The Tribune advocated the right of peaceable
secession, the right of the Confederate States
to break up the Union, and pronounced any
attempt to interfere with them as !" contrary to
the immortal Declaration of Independence,
and the fundamental basis of human liberty"
For expressing this idea in mitigated form, in
fact for less than this, the Tribune holds up Mr.
Wood to public odium as traitor. What was
Greeley, for the five months from Novem-
Der to April, during which he championed the
cause of secession ? Is he not now worse than
q pot calling q kettle black He accuses Mr.
Wood of selfishness, and talks great deal
about bis lottery policies in the South. How
do we know that Greeley was not actuated by
a motive equally selfish in encouraging rebel
lion or how dc we know that his motives are
now free from selfshness in adv ocating a war
of determination to put it down? Certain it is
the editorial articles of Horace Greeley are
quite as uncertain as the lottery tickets of Ben
ianiin Wood.