The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-08-22

FILLMORE, August 22d, 1861.
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The Hon. EDWARD EVERETT has determined to
cover himself with glory. At the Faneuil Hall |
meeting, in February, he was all for Cancellation,
and for letting our disconnected sisters depart in
peace, if they had made up their minds to go. On |
the 18th of July he pronounced cancellation and |
peace TO be madness and wickednesS, and cried |
aloud, in paroxysm of metaphorical enthusiasm,
for armies and cannon, to prevent our sisters afore-
said from neutrality-suspicious. in peace or other
wise lie has now taken a farther step onward
and-downward. lie has written an essay, for
the New York Ledger, in favor Of subverting the
freedom Of the press. We find it in the New York
Times Of yesterday-copied in full and gloriied--
one more unhappy illustration of the truth, that
close beneath the epdermis Of your genuine
PlyIOuth-Rock Puritan-nne times IN ten-you
have the material of prosecutor and tyrant.
The argument Of the biographer and eulogist of
WASHINGTON occupies column of phraseology
1t may he condensed into nutshell. at is an
"old proverb," he says, "that the laws are silent
"amidst arms" Laws, for the most part, are
''nqes}e for Il 2'qfs Of g,cacc. y y When a
Stit OF Var 1850, tiIc hSNSSstNl!'e
"un3orgocs a great and sometimes a rapid change;
'tie quiet pursuits OF society are, 10 some extent,
checked, and in the immediate vicinity of the seat
'or war suspended and with them tie lars which
CIRCULATE those pursuits must for the time, giDe acay
fo lie stern necessities Of the ReaO state Of Uings."
This IS the fundamental philosophy of the article
The rest is a matter Of course. As the laws have
TO i'give way the patriotic magistrate, of what
''ever rank, must, whenever it is necessary, exert
"that moral courage-quite equal to the courage
''reQuired for the risks of the feld-whch is
'ineeded for the discharge of the unpopular duty Of
disappearing tie lars" Now newspapers which
question and assail the policy Of the Government
which comment freely and unsparingly on its
measures--which, of course, are busy in ''misrep-
Presenting and vilifying it, necessarily very
much in its way. They make men think it is in
the wrong, sometimes, when it is more convenient
that they should believe it to be in the right.
They hamper and interfere with its doing as it
pleases-they keep watch it, when it wishes
not TO be seen-they warn the people, when it de-
sires the people to have no warning at all. They
are, therefore, infinitely dsagreeable, and not TO
be tolerated, and it is one o: the ''stern necess-
ties to silence them, along with the laws which
prohibit their being silenced. There are in the
Border States-and farther North, Mr.. EVERETT
hints-a good many presses ofthe sort referred 10,
which he thinks ought to be suppressed at once.
The Government, thus far, has been very merciful
in the premises, lest it should make the sinners too
important, by martyrdom. "Such" he says, 'fs
'he all but superstitous devotion of the people to
'he liberty Of the Press, that these pernicous Jour-
Al.
Gin st. Louis, never been interfered with" He
is very sorry, indeed, for this. He thinks that it
is all wrong, and it is high time the
Government had put an end to the ''sys-
tite,natic and licentious abuse" Of ITSELF in
Not TO be without q historical authority, he
well known champion of freedom The Governor
Of Malta was censured in Parliament for some
"alleged severity towards All editor in that
island, and the weak-minded enthusiasts in the
House committed the folly of declaring that the
liberty of the press was in danger. The Duke
replied that "he was as friendly as any body to
f'the liberty Of the press in London, but free
''press, IN the Island Of Ma1ta was as much out Of
''pace as it would be on the deck ola man-ofwar."
This observation strikes Mr.. EVERETT as exceed
ingly propos Of Baltimore. Who would. think,
he says, of publishing in Fort McHenry journal
''fed with persistent abuse of the Government,
"Gc?' And if not in the Fort, why should such
journals ''be allowed to diffuse their poison be.
'neath its walls, amid the excitable population of
"a large city?" If not on the quarterback, why
in Malta?
Naturally enough, Mr.. EVERETT then passes
from the freedom of the press to the freedom of
speecl-which he thinks, was respected in Con-
gres5 at the recent session 'tcih a mGgnGnimity,
''in 10th Houses, Of a truly romantic cast"' Mr.
BRECKINRIDGE was not burned OR Mr. VALLAN-
DIGHAN hanged, after the manner of the ''PiIgrim
"Fathers, so 'superstiiious' was the reverence Of
Mr.. LANE and Mr., THADDEUs STEVENS for the
freedom of debate! Wonderful 10 add such
generosity" Mr.. EVERETT says, "eTcieS no graf
'tnds on the part Of those toecards achom 1t is prac
'ticedr" Ungrateful wretches! The reader will
not be surprised, after this, that Mr.. EVERETT
should conclude his benefcent observations, on
the point in question: with classical allusion to
the Roman dictatorship. He admits it to be Gun
''llnown to the Constitution" but he obviously
thinks the Constitution will have to make its ac-
quaintance; for he expresses nothing stronger
than ''devout LOPEZ that ut will never be
"called into exercise by perils too formidable to be
''otheraeise aCerted!'' Obviously he already sees
imaginary lictors, bearing the fasces, with their
axes, before the august form of Mr.. LINCOLN!
But the subject is too solemn for levity. As
man Of action or of policy, one, in New Eng
land or out of it, attaches any Importance to Mr..
EVERETT. He is a man of words only; and in
such productions the present, and his Fourth of
July Grafton, reminds one sadly of the declining
days OF Athens or Rome, when sophsts and rbet-
Orleans tickled the ears and corrupted the integ-
rity of degenerate people. But he speaks, TO
find an echo. He writes, for what he believes to
be the sympathy and applause of his section, and
he would not link his name with this disgraceful
cry for n censorship of the press, or assault on
its freedom, If he were not convinced that his peo-
pie favored the scheme. Can he be so short
sighted, indeed, as not to see beyond the tempest
OF to-day's madness and wrath? We should be
glad to believe that he knows no better than what
he teaches. He does know better. He knows
that bis argument is but the wretched and COM
mon sophisiry of power-sophstry a. thousand
times repeated, and exploded as often. He has
too good n memory to have forgotten the ordnan-
ces Of CHARLES N--the last memorable instance
perhaps, of just such logic his, leading to just
what his will lead to, if adopted. He remembers
the memorial of the Polignac Ministry which ac-
oompanied those Ordinances, and especially that |
part OF 1t which assaied the freedom of the press
1t stated that 'the periodical press was but an in
'&frnnent Of disorder and sediion; that tile Kiaq's |
o''n sentiments had been disrespecu1y discussed
IN me journals; that the expedition to AIgiers had
'0een endangered by the disclosures andcriticisms of
Ihe press: That lie (Inro.,...s.. II ~ =,