The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1862-04-03
Government Censorship Of the
Press.

| I,
since the commencement Of the war, has
assumed a censorship over the press Of the
country. The ostensible object of this
was said to be the prevention Of the publ
cation Of army movements and other in
telligence, the knowledge of which would
be Of benefit to the enemy. Although
anything like governmental interference
with tho liberty of the press is justly looked
upon as savoring of despotism. and utterly
at variance with our free institutions. yet
the American people acquiesced in the
policy of preventing the enemy gaining
Information detrimental to the public in
terests. through the medium of the press.
and submitted to the censorship. however
odious and despotic it might be, as . mill
tary Eecessi,y. The privilege allowed the
government in this censorship has, how
ever. been abused. and a committee ap-
pointed to investigate the matter have
revealed state Of facts that will astonish
the American people, who have been In the
habit of imagining themselves the freest on
earth. 1t is shown that Secretary Seward
has usurped power over the press that
can never be tolerated in a free country,
and assumed more rigid censorship than
would be submitted to iu despctic France
or Austria. No dispatches have been al
lowed to be sent from Washington. which
criticized the conduct Of the Cabinet, or
contained aught to show the American
people that their affairs were not well
managed, or that Secretary Seward WAS
not The greatest statesman that ever shone
or earth The facts were all proved By
The testimony taken by the investigating
committee.
Mr.. Wilkeson, Of the Tribune, testified:
The general result Of my observation,
since | have come into contract with this
new institution of the censorship Of the
press. is that | am not permitted 10 send
anything over the wires which, in the es-
timation of the censor. the Secretary o!
State, shall be damaging TO the character
Of the administration, or any individual
member Of tie Cabinet, or that would 5e
injurious 10 the reputation Of the Office
charged with the prosecution Of the war,
and particularly those Of the regular
army" Mr.. Ben. Peley Poore. Uf the
Boston Journal, understood that he
could not cri;icise the everyday conduct OF
a Cabinet officer Mr.. w. b. Shaw
testified that it was held that lie ought not
to animadvert in any particular upon the
government OF any of lis officials. That
seemed To be the lea which controlled
= The censors. We were not permitted to
crilicise the officers Of the Cabinet. The
committee say: Very few dispatches
rejecting on members Of the Cabinet OF
other civil officers were found among the
t suppressed dispatches. The witnesse.
{ explain this by stating that they seldom
. prepared such dispatches, because they
understood that they would no. be per.
mitted to send them over the wires
, And this is the liberty of press vouchsa.
fed to US by the idols Of that party which
used TO be 80 clamorous for free speech
/ and free press No criticisms on the
acts OF government-the press to be muz
zled--dispatches suppressed--papers stop
ped. and their publishers threatened with
! incarceration in our Bastiles Was evel
5 such an outrage perpetI ated on free peo
i. pie?
l Mr. Seward is unfit for his Office, or fo
any other Office in free republic. lie can
] not comprehend freedom--except 30 far al
I negroes are concerned-an 10 totally ig
norart Of or bitterly opposed to free insti
tutions. He is despo: at heart. and hs
trampled on our liberties in a way that
e atte npted by sovereign would have cos
: him his crown. if not his lfe The cen
: sorship of the press is antl-democraic ant
j. opposed To the public rights--it is liable L
!, abuse. aud has been most vilainou.l,
n abused and ought at once to be put a stol
n to. 1t Is power that the people shoult
n tolerate only in cases OF great nations
emergency. and then it should only b
II placed in hands capable of welding
J honestly and Iighteousiy. The presen
e administration has shown that it is incapa
n ble Of using the power properly. and unii
v 90 he entrusted with it, 1t is time fo
'e the people TO speak out. and insist on al
e end being put TO Stewards arbitrary despot
m ism. aud restoration Of our once boaste
freedom Of the press.
We should take for our guidance tn
maYims Of Jefferson, who said, "The diI
fusion Of information and the arrangement
Of abuse at tie ba, Of public opinion
- freedom of religion freedom of the press
freedom Of persons under the protectio
- Of habeas corpus; and Trial by juries i'm
,,,r,;ally oolactaI -tLoSa p,;n.;,,Ioa e.,