American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1866-03-24
IFrom the Mobile Advertiser and Register.
THE PRESS, NORTH AND SOUTH.

THE PRESS, NORTH AND SOUTH.
Prudent men everywhere are just now
a good deal exercised on the subject OF
the tone Of the Press. as bearing upon
the hopes of all patriotic Americans for
an early and complete restoration OF the
United States Government. This solicit
tude, acknowledging the great influence
of the Press, is natural, and in the pres"
ent crisis of public affairs. altogether
praise worthy. We have felt the force OF
the duty imposed on us. as one Of its mem
bers, and have tried 10 aequit ourselves
of it fairly and faithfully. In the case
before US, it is not sufficient to know that
the Southern people are earnest and SIN
cere in their publicly expressed wishes to
return to the Union, to acknowledge It's
Constitution and laws as the supreme law
of the land, and to bear true allegiance TO
its Government. The South is expected
in this emergency, to be, like Caesars
wife, no. only pure, but unsuspected-to
avoid not only evil, but the appearance OF
it, This is hard task, when 80 many
busy brains and fingers are at work to
seize upon and distort to her prejudice
every word and act and "tride light as
air" that squjnts at discomfort. No de-
gree Of meekness, on its part, can fore
stall such evidence as General Grlerson
saw fit to give before the Congressional
Committee Of Fifteen, nor prevent MIR.
Summers scrap book from being filed
with erparte and anonymous misrepre'en-
tatons and distortions.
But still the duty is upon us, and we
earnestly recommend its careful consider
alton TO our honored brethern OF the
Southern Press Our political and civil
future are on trial at the bar of Northern
suffrage, and while the President, the
Democrats and the Conservatives are ar
gung our cause at that bar, and the Rad
icaIs are furiousy contending for decree
Of disfranchisement, confscatiou and exe~
cution sgsnstus. we can not be too careful
in all that we say or do to help our friends
and not to give aid or comfort to our enc
mics. Let it not discourage US that the
burlhen Of moderation is wholly shifted
to our shoulders, or complain that Gen.
Grants order Of censorship would, If i'm
partially enforced, find more subjects
among the Radical papers Of the North
than among the most indiscreet OF the
ctL X
The New York Round Table, a paper
that commands respect alike for its aoll'
ty, its independence and its general con"
servatism OF tone, gives the Southern
Press some good advice on this head. and
and suggests that the Southern people
owe it to themselves to discourage by all
proper means the expression of all sentl,
ments calculated to keep alive the bitter
feelings engendered by the late sectional
conflict And while it cites some ia,
grant instances Of a departure from the
course advised in the press, it does justice
to the newspapers of the South as
whole, declaring that their "tone is all
that could be desired. and more than
might have been expected" When our
respected New York contemporary shall
find il in its conscience to write the same
Judgment Of the organs Of Messrs. Ste
yens and Sumner, in the North, so far as
the newspaper press is concerned, we
shall be able to hail the dawn OF the po
litcal millennium, when radical and FIRE
eater can lie down together, and the Rev,
Dr.. Cheever, Of the N. Y. Church Of the
Puritans, and the Protestant Episcopal
Bishop of the diocese OF Alabama can
touch their straw stemmed glasses and
drink political prosperity, health and hap
pass D., aarb gibpy