Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-08-29
Gorernment Cep.or.hIp OF tic Press.

three cents single, in wrappers.
Government Censorship of the Press.
We have spoken elsewhere of the censor
ship of newspapers by the PEoPIE, the eli
max of which is expressed by the popular
phrase, ''clesning out" and now propose to
say something upon the censorship of news
papers by the GOVERNMENT. We are told
that there is some probability of the estab-
lishn snt Of a general supervision of public
journals in advance Of their publications. but
how it is to be done, or upon what princi-
pies, hes not traDspired.
We beld, in respect to the popular process,
that being one of our institutions, speak
ing of the character of the people in acts in
practice rom time immemorial, it must be
set down as right. As to censorship by the
Government it has not hitherto been at
tempted, and, therefore, we have no ancient
custom to which to refer as proof of its pro-
priety. 1t must stand or fall upon its own
merits and be accepted or rejected in pro
portion as it is or is not in consonance with
the immutable principles of justice.
We have been told several times that a
free press is the foundation, the sheet au'
chor, and variety of other things of like
character, of our freedom; and that when
our press ceases TO be free, we may bid
final sdieu to all our hopes to retain that
heaven devised and blood bought civil
liberty which we have inherited as an in-
valuable legacy from our patriotic ancss-
tors.
We believe all this, of course. How could
we do otherwise when we have been assured
of it so often? 1t must be true, somehow or
other; though exactly how it is true, is
point not so easy to be r, ached. We fear,
for example, that the press of the United
perhaps it equally true of that of the
rest of the world-lays down, upon an aver"
age, FIVE unsound to one sound doctrine (;
and states at least two falsehoods for every
truth: that it is unreliable in respect to
facts and unjust in its estimate of motives:
that 1t is constantly, and from considerations
of interest, merely selish-exalting the base
and putting down the worthy: that it
has, next to no conceptions of principle,
and Ia continually ministering to the mean
est and 7post INV orthy, prejudices that it
represents a low instead Of a high order Of
learning. Intelligence and faithfulness; and
is, in its geneFal character, trucking menda-
cious and coWerdly'
Now if the press is the palladium of our
liberty when it is free, its freedom must not
be circumscribe6; but if it is the thing we
fear, SO base, false, shallow and inconsistent,
how can it be cAe aforesaid palladium? Here
is an insoluablet question. We receive a
check at this points and must attack the
subject from some oFher direction.
The Government has interfered with the
freedom of the PRESS in the case of certain
journals in New York. They stood accused
of printing Southern:doctnues for the South
ern market-a process like that of carrying
salt to the region oi'Tthe Kanawha. The
other newspapers Of tho country pronounce
in favor of this proceeding But the ques-
ton comes up: If free press is the palla-
dum of liberty, is not the New York Day
DOok as much an inteX all Fart of the palla-
dium as the New Yorl Tr1ssi'9 And does
not a palladium, wis a StsF with itself
cease to be palladium ,grt sscome subject
to the same rules that ippiJ % other thIngs
Our palladium having losi.f@s- unity has ao
5;oo+oS end a.,eI0ed from its lofty estate
~. 49, legl9h inhabited by the commonplace
and the mechanical?
We have in the United States two presses
an ideal, imaginary or theoretical and rea
one. The former is one of the noblest O
80 nhov of
civil liberty, the organ and adjdtant of oul
miraculous material and intellectual pro
gress. the great public educator the herald
of science, the patron OF the elegant arts, the
dissemination of popular intelligence the
defender of the oppressed, and the firm anG
faithful sentinel over every public and pri
vate interest It's conductors are all learned
high minded, judicious and patriotic men
knowing the right and daring to maintain
it, studious of truth, liberal to merit, for.
bearing to the unfortunate, the promoters o
every good and useful work, and terrible
only to the boldly vile and criminal.
The latter is considerably different.
To do any act by which the influence O
the former would be circumscribed would b
to commit flsgrant error. Whether or no
the latter is subjected to censorship or sup
preston is not of the slightest Importance t
any but the parties immediately interested
1t is no more entitled to special privilege
than the Esame number of lime kilns o
soap factories
But the former: where is it2 Alas Th
signs have predicted its coming. The Worl
has long awaited its appearance. The fore
runneIs-the sham and the false, and th
PretensiOns that precede the true-haV
come and taken the honors that belong to i
Mankind is praying for its advent. 1t wi
come and be crucifedl We build the tomt
of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchel
of the righteous, but they are the tombs an
sepulchers of those whom we have FRI
crowned with martyrs diadem.
BUoHAKAE.--A letter from PHILADELPHIA
contains the following paragraph
I s,.c. Al.