The Placer herald. [volume] (Auburn, Placer County, Calif.) 1855-1991, 1861-09-07
The Mission Of the Press.

source, to convey information to the citizen,
to comment upon the propriety Of all laws,
and the acts of public officers. So essential
WAS this right considered by our ancestry,
that in the first amendments made to the
Federal Constitution in 1889 it was declared
that congress shall make no law abridging
the freedom of speech or the press" and in
the "Declaration of Rights" affixed to the
Constitution Of this State, it is in most UNI
mistakable terms declared that "every citi
zen may freely speak, write and publish his
sentiments on all subjects, being responsible
for the abuse of that right; and no lar shall
be passed to restrain or abridge tie liberty of
speech or the press" 1t is thus secured as
one Of the inherent inalienable rights, com
ing direct from the highest source Of power
the sovereign people-announced in the
most deliberate manner, and embraced in the
most sacred chart of public record. | de
moDstrating the consent Of the people in
this fact, in this deliberate manner, it was
intended to place it beyond question from
any source and beyond restriction or change,
even at the hands Of the people themselves.
The ignorance or violence Of no man or set
Of men was to shake it; neither Legislatures,
Courts, or executive power was to impair or
abridge it. The freedom of the press WAS the
rock Of civil liberty, from whose ilumined
nights the surrounding seas were to be re
lieved from the darkness and designs Of Jes
potism, and against the base Of which the
rage and fury of political intolerance and
the mad rawlings, were to dash and be broken
into harmless bubble and froth. The thun
deis Of denunciation were to roll around this
beacon exciting no fear-the lightning stroke
of powers wrath was to glance from it, leav
ing it unframed.
The most deliberate and sober judgment
Of men have decided that it is essential to
the maintenance Of the rights of all. Those
who would scatter the type and press in
fragments to the winds, and commit indig
mites upon the writers-fnd them their
shield and protector Of tomorrow. Sur
rounded thus by guards, secured in the most
exalted niche of public regard, the managers
of the press should at all times strive to BE-
equal to its great mission. Great sacrifices
are exactel, and the reward is but measer;
but lie who would come to the martyrs la,
Dor, let him do so with clean hands and a
pure heart, relying upon his own conscience
in the sacred battle for truth as his chief
support. This is The mission Of the Press
Despite of formidable interests, against
the clamor and rage of the hour, the Herald
has endeavored steadily to stand BY the
rights of the citizen, native or foreign born,
to utter the current truths, to comment
calmly but freely upon public interests. In
1858, we took place among Democrats Occur
plying the unpopular position Of opposing
the schemes Of The leading men OF the Dem
ocratic organization of this State We were
denounced by the railing powers Of the party,
and ultimately overwhelmed with defeat
Steadily following those beacon lights, truth
and Justice, we battled through persecution
and opposition, and in 1854 saw our cause
sustained by the people. In 1855 we were
among the first papers Of the State TO take
ground against the heresy of Know-Nothr
ingism, and found ourselves again the mouth
piece of minority. True to our sense Of
duty, we battled for the cause, and saw that
organization swept from power in the fol-
lowing year From thence on we have been
in sunshine and storm, in success and defeat
now attracting to our support enemies of
the past now denounced By those once our
warm supporters Through all the rapid
changes of the times we have ever kept in
view the grave responsibility of our position
For the truth and steady rectiule Of our
course, we appeal to the calm judgment Of
our readers.
We are in the minority now, but we sol
EMMY and conscientiousy believe we are in
the advocacy Of truth and good government
Believing this we claim the right to be heard
and judged of as it becomes an intelligent
people to bear and Judge.
These thoughts have been suggested by
the late dispatches from the East, in which
We observe the press has been attacked 10y
mobs in several places, and the acts OF the
mobs either wuked at by the authorities OF
directly seconded. 1t is violence pracsiced
equally North and South, and one which il
nersistal in will sooner induca the dark ness