New-York daily tribune., 1861-09-09
TIE REBELLIOUs PRESS.

The Grand Jury of Westchester County, be-
fore adjourning on Saturday last at White Plains,
presented to the Judge of the Circuit Court sitting
at that place, The YoRkers Herald, The Highland
Democrat, The Eastern State Journal of that county,
and the Stats ZsituHg and the National Zeitung Of
this city, Gas disseminators Of doctrines which, in
" the existing state Of things tend to give aid
"and comfort to the enemies of the Government
"and to prevent vigorous prosecution of the
"war by which alone the supremacy of the
"Government is TO be maintained, and national
"peace and prosperity again witnessed in the
"land." And they furthermore call upon the
District Attorney Of that county to prosecute
the editors and prOprietOrs of those Journals il,
after this public notice, they shall continue in
their evil courses; and they also request that a
copy of the presentment be forwarded to Mr..
f. ID. Smith, the United States District AttOr.
ney in this city, that he may commence proceed
ings against the two German papers presented pub
lished here, and further request that a stop may
be put to the circulation Of those papers in
Westchesser County.
The Grand Jdry--of which Mr.. Lyon of Bed
ford, Democrat was foreman-in taking this
step have performed a. simple but important
duty. The legal power to suppress journal
upholding those who are striving by force Of
arms to subyert the Government is as unques
tionable as the right to suppress obscene publ
cations dangerous TO the decency aud good NOR
ais of the community. 1t is question not Of
the liberty but of the license Of the Press, and
q regard for the liberties of the people impera-
lively calls for the exercise of q wholesome re-
straint. timely caution aud halfway meas
ures are proper at the outset, but these failing.
a resort to more vigorous steps TO suppress tho
evil ia imperative. ForbearaDce carried too far
becomes O weakness, and Government ceases
to be respected that fails TO enforce the law.
Mobs are always bad, and always weaken
authority while they usually grow out of that very
weakness. The warnings we have already had
in various parts Of the country of the dangerous
tendency to this spirit Of disorder should not be
passed by unheeded. 1t is fOstered by any SEEM
ing hesitation on the part Of legal authority to
suppress an obvious and crying evil aud Tor the
sake of the peace and good order of society the
law should not longer tolerate an eyl Whlch Is
recognized to be such. Even if to stop news
paper be dangerous power, it is much more
dangerous to suffer the continued existence Of
one which has become on open public enemy, and
may become an incitement to riot. For the sake,
then, of the journals here indicted by the West
chester County Grand Jury, as well as of others
of a like character, here aud elsewhere, and for
the public welfare and peace, it seems to be
clearly the duty Of the officers of the Law to
put an end to an unquestionable wrong.
We publish in another column the presentment
OF the Westchester County Grand Jnry, and it
is to be hoped that an example so clearly pru-
dent aud wise will be followed by similar bodies
elsewhere Insurrection in theory only needs
time to become insurrection in fact, and the last
is serious enough in one part OF the country, at
this moment, to warm US Of the danger Of toler
ating the other anywhere.