Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1864-05-14

IzdEe RaFnaKd's CharRe-Rreedsm af
Bpetehs
Rrem she New York Journal Of OommErssl
The charge Of Judge Barnard, delivered last
Thursday in tho eourT of oyer and tarmlner is
ore observing Of attsntion. Whatever else NAV
be thought Of it, he certainly has done good
SERVES in stigmatizing as they deserve some Of
the political excesses Of the day, and above all
in defending the right to freedom of speech.
BE says:
For some time past Il has been the constant
practice Of portion Of the individuals con-
sscted with the city press TO ssigmaliEs al whs
differed with them in their views as 10 the acts
Of national Administration as sseessionisss, with
the intent to degrade them in the ayes of the
community by holding them out ss traitors 70
their country, and 50 70 leave them with a rep
uiAiiOn as sulliiea e. that Of Benedict Arnold
This, l charge You, constitutes libel Perhaps,
in soE,e few instances out Of 3 ihOusaud, =
charge may be true, and publication Of il be for
q Jussinable purpose; bui this doee not excuse
the paTading bsfors the world Of q man as
traitor because he dissents from some views en-
teTtained by newspaper or ventures 70 doubt
the propriesy of soms measure Of the Admins
tration.
Government is one thing administration is q
totally diff srent thing. The theory of . repub-
liean Government is that II is controlled By the
through the ballot box. Il, therefore, majority
OF the psople should signify their viii through
the bAlot-hox that the present war should no
longeg DO prosecuted, tsst majority, although
they have mistaken the tTus policy, cannot be
Justly said to be traitors to the Government. Il
il the esssncs of republican freedom thas every
citizen should have, tho unsrammsled right &c
endeAYor by his vote to have those measures
carried ont which hs considers most conducive
10 the welfare of tho country. But does his
freedom stop here L he eondned to dropping
his silent ballot Is his mouth gagged Ger
tAinly not The right to express bis Visws by
ballot carries with it the right TO induce BY fair
argument and persuasion others 10 adopt his
views. The prevention Of intsrehEngo Of visws
in any body governed by the viii ef nsisniy
would indeed be tyranny.
Next 10 the interference with elections and the
dTsgooning of voters by military power, moth
log is q slrer index Of the dAWnfAll of = Tepub-
lie than the total prevention Of an interchange
Of views, Or the prevention Of the sKPEassiOp Of
any views other than those In support Of some
proposed measure or candidate for ofico. Il is
essential to the political freedom of .slic
that every citisen should have the ri. = 70 ex-
press his views on any political measure or any
act Of tho Administration, and endaaYor, by Ar
gumsni or persuasion, 70 bring others to adopt
bis views Anything which disturbs this right,
whether il be By armed interference or printed
articles, holding one up % public obloquy for
entertaining any particular opinion, tsndT 70
sap tha very foundation of republic. It is fer
these reasons thst I yieW the indiscriminate ap-
plieston of the epithei, sscsssioni5t, 30 all who
do not yield implicit faith 10 every act Of an ad
ministrstion-to all who do not subscribe 10 the
party tensts Of soIae public Journal % extremely
pernicious and deserving Of your attention"