The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-11-26


feed to the guilty passions Of King David,
who sent him to the army with letter to
the commander, saying: "Set We Uriah in
the forefront Of the hottest battle, and re-
tire " from n that he may be smilten
and die''--a fate easily visited on an obnox-
ious editor under the detail system.
Under the Virginia Bill Of Rights the
freedom Of the press is guaranteed. Wedo
not believe that the State of Virginia will
quietly permit her Press to be wholly de-
stroyed. The only pleasure yet left to con-
duciors of Press Is the kind and cheerful
support yet given them by the people,
They have uncomplainingly borne with all
the embarrassments that have beset the
Press, and aided and sustained us in all our
permit this last disgrace to be visited upon
the Press.-Richra0nd Enquirer.
THE FREEDOM OF THE pREss-JErF. DAVIS
FIRST STEP TOWARD DICTATORSHIP.
The Press of the Confederate States would
have felt securer in Its future freedom had
the House Of Representatives on yesterday
seen proper to have adopted the resolution
of Mr.. Foote, Of Tennessee, against the re-
commendation of the President to substi-
tute details for exemptions. But the large
vote given for the reference to the Military
Committee can not but be accepted by the
Press as leaving its future condition uncer.
tain. The members who voted for the as
surance of the continued liberty of the press
will only have to regret that more Of the
members were not willing to quiet the anx.
iety Of the country upon this important
subject. 1t is not Only among the conduct
ors of the Press that this recommendation
has created great anxiety, but many of the
people believe 1t to De the initial step to
dictatorial powers. They can not see how
the cause of the country will be improved
Dy changing exemptions for, details but
they readily understand how every sem.
blance of liberty must depart from the
Press when conducted by Government de.
tails. The construction put upon this re,
commendation Of the President was de.
nounced yesterday in Congress as that Of u
madman." Il am not mad, most noble
Festus, but speak forth the words of sober.
ness and truth" We would have been
most gratified If the honorable member " he
thus denounced our construction had sup.
piled the Press with sounder views as te
what the President meant. This paper ha,
never exhibited any spirit of factiOus op
position to the President, and We received
his recommendation with the deepest re.
/! regret; but we have been unable to dis.
cover any other effect for this recommends
ton than the dependence of the Press fol
continued existence upon the pleasure o.
the President, should the Congress substi
tute details for exemtiOns. We are writ
ing only Of the effect, not Of the motives
of the President; these are known only t6
himself aud his God. But If he is seeking
dictatorial powers, what more certain way
Of accomplishing his ends than the unlim.
tied control Of the press, which the power
OF detailing the editors would give him ?
Ii the dictator scheme has friends, what
better way Of advancing it than the refer
ence Of Mr.. Foote's resolution to the Mill.
tary Committee, there to slumber until the
/ I'M - io q
to be sprung upon the country.
Girardin tells his readers that scheme
Of making Patrick Henry Dictator was
talked of in the Virginia Assembly in 1778
Archibald Cary, meeting with Colone
Syme, the half-brother OF Henry, in thu
lobby OF the House, accosted him: "Sir
am told that your brother wishes 20 bt
dictator. Tell him, from me, that the day
OF his appointment shall be the day of hi
death; for he shall find nay dagger in his
heart before the sunset of that day" AnC
the scheme was abandoned, for all knew
that Old Iron" would have made good his
threat. There are descendants Of "Old
Iron" living in Virginia yet.-Richmone
Enquirer.
DAVIS BOLD ATTEMPT TO MUzzLE TIL
| PRESs-HE oUTDOES LINCOLN.
The proposition of President Davis, il
his late message, to place editors and prin
tes of newspapers under the thumb Of thu
Executive-so that that Department may
have the absolute and entire control of thu
whole Press OF the country-meets will
no favor ont Of doors, whatever may b<
the disposition of Congress. 1t is no nov
city, having been tried once or twice be-
fore by his Excellency, and been rejected
almost without consideration, by the Con
gress Of the Confederate States. 1t is thl
| boldest attempt to muzzle the Press, or t.
make It speak such language as the su
preme head may like to hear, that has beer
made on this continent. Even In the Yam
kee Congress no such thing has been at
tempted. In the Yankee nation whenever
an editor says any thing the dictator or hi.
satraps consider Objectionable he is taker
into custody, his types distributed or dis
persed, bis presses broken or handed ovel
| 10 some loyalist and himself left to medi
tate, in q bastile, upon the grandeur of the
great republic and the tender mercies o
the best Government under the sun. Bu
he il not insulted with the reproach of hav
| in0 acted against law, and heing, there
fore, Justly clapped into prison in pursu
ancp Of law. He is told. and he knows il
without being told, that is there for hav
| ing taken the name Of Abraham Lincolr
| in vain-for having criticised his measures
or rfliculed his person; for having at
tempted to bring the ruling power into
contempt, or having said what might ex
pose it to execration. He knows that there
| is no cause for his arrest and he is not toic
that there is any. In fact, his prosecutors
do not hesitate to point to their epauleis a.
their warrant, and to their swords as thell
| Justification. Press and law, they are CIV
en- to understand, are alike silent IN wal
| times.
The case here is very different. We have
President who is remarkable Tor the con
scientious scruples with which he executes
the law. especially when our enemies are
to be effected by it. Not for all the worlc
would he do anything for which he had mo-
law to show. When he wishes to DO any
thing arbitrary, he considers 1t better &c
get law for it. It was in contemplation
at one time, we heard, to suppress the FIX.
aminer newspaper, and this journal, fol
certain differences of opinion with the Ex'