American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1862-01-25
The Freedom OF the Press.

The Richmond Examiner has obtained a
copy of the bill reported by the military
committee in Congress to establish a surveil-
lance over the press of the Confederacy
The bill provides that ii shall not be lawful
for any person to publish, or cause to be
published, in any newspaper or other printed
publication, intended for circulation, any in
formation or communication giving the num-
her, disposition, movements, or destination
of the land or naval forces of the Confeder-
ate States or the description, destination,
cargo, or armament of any vessel engaged
N the service of, or employed in the trans
portation of troops, dispatches, or munitions
of vrar for the Confederate States or the
description of any battery, fertilization, en-
CINE of war, plan of attack or defense
employed. or to be employed by said forces :;
or of any signal, badge, banner, flag,
which may have been, or may temporarily be
employed or adopted by the commanding
officer of any post, district, expedition of
the Confederate States, unless the publica-
ton thereof shall be first authorized by the
President or Congress, the Secretary of
War, or OF the Navy, or of the commanding
officer of such post, district, or expedition.
Persons violating this act are to be fined in
sum not more than one thousand dollars,
and may in the discretion Of the court be i'm
prisoned for a period not exceeding twelve
months. We are truly glad to see that the
papers of the South unanimous in their
condemnation of this eacroachment of the
liberty of the press Is the freedom of the
press to be abrogated under a government
protesting to be based upon the true princi-
pies of freedom? Is the war on our side to
be a sealed mystery? Is the press going to
appeal to the people to be patient, when it il
not permitted to give them that information
which is so essential to patience at the pres
ent timer
The press is but the reflex of public opin-
ion, aud when it becomes so corrupt and
detrimental to our cause to demand
abridgement by the Government, the star of
republicanism is set, sand the people
ready for Dictator
The liberty of the press is sacred palla-
dunn which no influence, no power, no min
lister, no government, nothing but depravity,
folly or corruption, can ever destroy. 1t
should be we'll guarded. 1t is the great SEN
tinel of the land, that grand detector of
public imposture. Let Congress pass this
bill and the freedom of the press would be
an empty sound No man could venture to
write on that subject in which we are so
deeply interested, however pure his purpose,
without an attorney at one elbow, and a
counsellor at the other, lest he should trip
with his pen an unlawful expression. From
minds thus subdued by the terrors of pun
ishment there can issue no mastery compo-
sitions on the general nature of government,
by the help of which the great common
wealth of mankind have founded their es-
adjustments. Men cannot comm unicate
their thoughts with a lash held over them
they must be free from restriction to form
and influance public sentiment and dissem-
mate good among the people. Liberty is
the last and best gift of God to His creatures,
and must be taken just as she is. Curtail
her of her fair proportions, shape her into a
perfect model Of severe law and she is lib
hold of the reins of liberty, and the cohesion
is loosened-everything hastens to decay.
We trast that there are statesmen in our
Congress who have not forgotten or ignored
the FIRST principles of Anglo-Saxon liberty
men who win not permit the Government to
lay its hand upon the freedom of the press,
so long as the people are capable of self
government We hope that He whose
guardian spirit has lowered over us since
our troubles began, and whose providence
has guarded and superintendent our transac-
tons, will direct and fortify the judgments
of those whom we have sent to Congress to
guard our affairs. -