The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-03-23

personal responsibility deters men
who thus fail to appreciate that dig
nifty and courtesy which should ever
characterize the press in christian
and civilized community. The Pc
nalties of the law against ibels, and
the strict personal accountability to
which their authors are usually held,
have generally been found sufficient
to secure a community in its social
relations in this respect, in the pro-
lection of private chars cter, virtue
and honor.
Nor can it be denied that n. Go
vernment, in the discharge of its du-
ties under the Constitution, upon
which it is founded, and in mainte-
! nance of the laws framed under that
Constitution, has right to protect
itself from REASONABLE counsels and
utterances =? And at the present juno
ture of our national political affairs,
after four years of civil strife, every
right-thinking man must admit that
it is so''ong, in the language of the
order referred to, to put forth through
the public press, either North or South,
articles calculated to keep up hos
tility between the different sections
of the country and every press that
counsels hostility to the Govern
ment, under the circumstances that
now exist-when the Chief Magistrate
of that Government and its other
conservative members are using every
effort to fully consummate the peace
initiated by the surrender of the ar
mics of the South-is not only unwise
and unpatriotic in it's counsels, but
transcends its legitimate functions
under the true freedom of the press.
The people of the United States are
sick of strife and bloodshed, and it is
their province, as it is their highest
duty, to frown down any attempt to
revive them, and promptly Withdraw
their countenance and support from
any journal making any such at
tempt.
But if the position we have taken
be correct-and we think it is-seve-
ral questions pertaining to its right
full support have to be considered.
Disloyalty to the Government and
counsels of hostility to it should be
suppressed, and, if need be, punish
ed, and that is in the rightful pro-
vince of the Government; but the
censorship of the press, when it be-
comes necessary for the veal or safety
of the State, should be kept within
metes and bounds, and exercised
with a wise prudence and sound
judgment. Tie penalties of offences
of this kind, provided by the Consti-
tuition and laws of the land, should
be inflicted on all offenders But as
Robert Hall says in his celebrated
apology for the Freedom of the
Press" ''there is no injury which
m en- will remember so long, or resent
so deeply, as that of being threatened
into silence Gen. Grant has Justly
a high reputation as brave soldier
and an honorable man, and in his
date report on the condition of the
South, and in his support of the re-
storation policy of President John
son, has shown himself to be q con-
servative statesman; therefore, we are
loath to believe that he meant by this
order to threaten the Southern papers
into silence, but that he thougi4t it q
wise precaution against any tendency
that might manifest itself to keep
| alive hostility of feeling between the
people of the two sections of the
country lately at war, OF to provoke
hostility to the Government of the
United States. It may have been an
error to promulgate his order; yet
from what the people of the United
States have learned to know of his
character as Il soldier and q man of
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