Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-02-02
aEYERR RuT IUaT.

Referring to the remarks Of Mr.. CONRAD, Of
Louisiana, who spoke in the lower house Of
the Confederate Congress the other day, in rels-
ton to the exemption of newspaper men, the
Mobile Tribune is only Justly severe. Mr.. c..
declared that the newspapers, he thought it
probable, are " doing more harm than good =
and as for the ministers, he declared that he be-
lieved they could be better employed in the
army " than IN preaching TO empty meeting
houses, OF to old maids aud grannies." In re-
ply to the attack upon the press, the TTi5uae
says:
If the exemption Of printers gives no equiva-
lent for their services in the army, let them be
placed there without delay. Bat that man is a
fool, or has some especial personal grievance
against the craft, who cannot see that they sre
of almost indispensable use-that is when they
are honestly performing the duties of their voca-
ton and we are glad to say that we know of
few exceptions to this high virtue within the
Confederate States. We venture also to assert
that even the least of them may be considered
of as much value to the general cause as any
one of half the msmbeTs Of the Confederate
Congress. Their enemies are those who lack
tie ability to achieve the Importance
/ WHICH llGlI aIlDlLlD4 GEdfEbf klG5D Nlo GIb Oh
/ vious of the merit which finds its due applause
through their columns those whose raereensry
purposes are exposed and thus checked. The
officer who has crawled to 8 place by servility or
fraud, and whose value is tested In battle he
detests a newspaper, and would also, if his
power were equal to his desires, " back" or hang
all those who have mastered the Teeondite srts
of residing and writing. The %hangeTs-on Of
l these oficers-ths pickers-up of the crumbs
which fall from official tsbles-and there are
many of them eYerywhere-they are indignant
when their matters are mentioned IN print, IN
less it be in disgusting byperbole. Politicians
who have eirded on their sword and sTe using il
as On instrument to exbume and reereate their
dead regulations these and scores of others be-
lieye that 8 free press is 4 great evil, and ought
to be subjected TO military surveillance. The
patriot, on the contrary, sees in the newspaper
an instrument which unites the different parts
/ of the country in a brotherhood Of sympathy
sees il it a means Of appealing to and arousing
and encouraging the general patriotism sees
how II keeps the charitable feelings OF our
people alive; sees how It gives heart to desert
sees how it pricks regulations which, without
il, might be blown up to 80 great proportions as
to bring ruin on the country sees how it Is
constantly on hand to intercede for the wronged
and to sustain the right sees how welcome it
is TO the thousands Of households that would
| be in the suspense Of ignorance without it. In
short, its good uses are manifold and could only
Be properly appreciated if 1t were stricken out
Of existence. But these characteristics arc OBJ
vious and need no display. They who deny
them may very Justly be suspected of holding
positions which they are conscious they are not
ft for. The sooner such men find their level
are reduced to the ranks of military or civil
life-the better it will be for all Of us who are
working il dead earnest to achieve the emanci-
patton Of our country from the sordid tells of
Yankee deEpstism.