Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1863-02-25
Severe but JUST.

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Severe but just. @s.s''
Referring to Tie renlasks fMr.. Co1nd, Of
Louisiana, who spoke in the lower house Of
the Confederate Congress the other day; in
relation to the exemption Of newspaper men,
the Mobile Tribune is only justly severe. Ar.
C. declared that the newsPapers,hs thought
it probable, are " doing more harm than good5
and as for the ministers. le;atclared that be
believed they could be better employed Id
the army {" than in preaching to empty meet
ing houses, or to old maids and grannies."
In reply to the attack npon the press, the
Tribune Says:
If the exemption ofprfnters gives no equiv.
alent for their services in the army, let them
BIZ placed there withoutdelay. But that-man
is q fool, or has some especial personal eriev-
ancc against the craft, who cannot see Tint
hey are Of almost indispensable use7tbat
is, when they are honestly performing the
duties Of their vocation and we are glad to
say that we knoB 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 bali
the members of the Confederate Congress.
Their enemies are those who lack the ability
to achieve the Importance which their smbi-
ton Graves those who are envious OF the
me:i: which has KS due applause through.
their columns those whose lnercenary pur-
poses are exposed and thus checked. The
officer who has crawled to q place by servili-
t. or fraud and whose value is tested in bat
tie, ieies,s a newspaper. and would also. if
his power were equal to bis desires, back.
or hang all those who have mastered the re-
cun.i;.e arts Of reading aid writing. The
hangers on OF stiess ofiicers-the pickens up.
of the crumbs which fall from official tables,
and there are many of them everywhere, they
are indignant when their masters ere MEN
~lionedin print, unless it be in disgusting by
perbole. Politicians who have girded on their
sword aid are usi:g it as au instrument to
exhurne and recreate their dead regulations p;
these aud scores OF others believe that a free
press is q great evil, and ought 10 be snhjec-
led 10 military slrreillapce-Th -pstriot-ons
|rilsSoHtarsy scesi IN ahe newspsper an @instga.
ment WHICH MISUNDERSTANDING tie
country in a brotherhood Of ayUIsthy; sees
in it Il means Of appealing to, and a%rousing
and encouraging the general patriotism sees
how it keeps the charitable feelings Of our
people alive sees how it gives heart to de-
sert ; sees how. it rricks reputation which,
without it, might be blown up to SO great pro.
portions Us to bring ruin on the country ;sees
how it is constantly on hand to intercede for
the wronged apd 10 snstain the right sees
how welcome it is to the thousands of house
bolds that wo,ld he.in the suspense cf igno-
rance witLoulit. Its good uses are manifold and
could only.be properly appreciated iii were
stricken ont Of existence. But these char.
acteri,tics are obvious and need no display.
They who deny them may very justly be sns-
pec,ed OF holding positions which they are
not fit ior-rhe sooner such men find the;,
level-are reduced to the ranks of military
or civil life-the better it will be for all OF us
who are working in dead earnest to achieve
the emancipation of our country from the
sorlid tolls of Yankee ~despotism.