Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1865-01-04

FREEDOM OF TIE PREss.-A free press has ever
been the terror Of despots and tyrants. free
government cannot exist without it and a despo-
tism cannot exist with it Aware of its vital i'm
portance for the preservation and continuance of
liberty, our ancestors in penning the Constitution
of the United States, and States in Montgomery
in framing the Constitution of the Confederate
States, put into their Constitutions the following
clause:
Congress shall make no law respecting an es-
Enlistment of religion, or prohibiting the free ex
ercise thereof or abridging the freedom of speech
or of the press or the right of the people peacea-
bly, to assemble and petition the government for
redress of grievances"
Now, what is the meaning of the prohibition to
Congress to pass any law "abridging the freedom
of the pressr
The Gear of Russia and the President of the
United States abridge the freedom Of the press, by
Selling the editors and their presses and inprison-
ing the one or con6scating the other.
The Emperor of France abridges it by giving
warnings. through censors Of the press, Of any Of
fensive article; and after the third wara;np. the
press is seized "Abridge" according to the die
tionary, means g to make shorter in words, "'"to
contract" "to diminish, to deprive Of" to "cut
off from" Any one of these things the Consttu.
ton prohibits Congress from passing law to ef.
fec..
President Davis, in his late message to Congress,
proposes that Congress shall pass law enabling
him not only to abridge, but to destroy the press.
He may not only "dminish," contract" and
"make shorter in words" by taking away such a
portion of the workmen as will disable the press
from printing extensively or freely, but BY taking
away all the workmen, to destroy the press alto
gether. Is it possible for any man, who can put
two ideas together, to doubt that such legislation
in Congress would be palpable, outrageous usurp.
ation?
The public good-th plea of all ty,ants-is urg
ed in support of this policy. What does the public
of the Confederate States gain by such legislation
The whole press of South. Carolina does not employ
more than fifty men at the outside.
To put these men into the army, not one half o.
whom, from the nature of their occupations can be
of any use in it, is tho benefit to be obtained On
the other hand light is to be shut out from the peo
pie by the destruction of free press and base
venal factory of lfes in behalf Of the government
to be set up in its stead.
1t it be said that exemptions of the editors and
necessary employees in the press, is "exceptiona
legislation we admit it But this il the very thing
the Constitution has done. 1t has made express
exceptional prohibition in behalf of the press. To
carry out the Constitution, the legislation with re-
spect to the press must be Exceptional" Power
to legslate on other matters is given to Congress
but all power to legislature in any way "abridgins
the freedom of the press" is expressly prohibited
to Congress. Congress shall make no law abridg
ing the freedom of the press" Can language b
palmer or more conclusivei And when it is remen
bered, that whole struggle is struggle for con
stitutional liberty-can language be more impera
tive and solemn in its obligations * Charleston
Mercury.