Maryland free press., 1866-05-03
SALUTATORY,

| 'S"~SSh huhuieu anu siAty-tWO,
that little craft styled the "Mury1and
free Press" was launched For A few
months the little craft scud right merrily
and saucily over the troubled waters, de-
llvering its weekly cargo of truth to an
expcctant, and eager people. But, alas
wicked hands had misplaced the buoy of
the Constitution, and the "Ftre Press
was wrecked on the rock Of ..NIilitsry Ne
cessity." The wreckers were on the qui
rice. and with alacrity sped to the scene
of disaster, to secure, each, his share of
spoil, first making sure that he who COM
manded the little craft was certainly '.be-
yond the lines The celebrity and dexteri-
ty with which the spoil of the wreck was
transferred and distributed attested the ex-
pertness of the wreckers, and gave evi-
dence of their being adopts in the school
of Beast Butler, or his prototype, Jack
Sheppard. What that was contraband
was found upon the wreck, or what was
added therefrom to the ill-gotten spoils of
the wrcckers, will, doubtless, only be di-
vulged at the the final settlement of ac-
counts before 'thc Judge of all the Earth"
Now that the 'rude red hand" of war
has been stayej-that Peace, gentle Peace
spreads her white wings oc'r the land
that the "reign of terror" has ceased, and
civil law resumed her sway, we purpose to
Reconstruct" the Free Press" and to
that end, to-day, issue the initial number.
relying on discerning public for only
such encouragement and countonance as
we may justly merit through proper per-
tormance of duty as Journalist.
In taking this step we are we'll aware oe
the epithetic ordeal through which we shall
be called upon to pass, but we feel no dc.
sired to shirk the responsibility. We shall
be denounced as "Copperhcad," Rebel,
Traitor" and, perhaps, even worse, but
such terms have long since become to us
ms familiar as Household Words" and
cease to so much as rufilc our temper
Exhaust upon us the entire Bllingsgate
vocabulary and we shall not feel aggriev
cd, but in pity spare us from the suspicion
OF being an AbOlitionist, Radical, n
Shoddy Contractor. or Beast Butler.
Our Jealous advocacy of the constitution,
of law, of order, of Peace, had rendered as
"ddngerous" to ''the best Government the
world ever saw" and 'otlious'. to 'loyal'
people, for which reason we were ruthless.
ly torn from our business, our family.
friends and home, and doomed a wanderer
among strangers in strange land
There we found brave people nobly struc
Cling for their national existence their
homes and their fircsides, and suffering all
the trials and privations incident to s.crucl
war;" and yet they had to spare to the
way-worn wandcrer and stranger exile,
food, shelter, sympathy and encourage!
ment. For such people our sympathy
was soon enlisted, and we hesitatcd not
long in making their cause our cause, and
in lending them our feeble aid in their un
equal struggle, and we had been very
poltroon and migrate had we faltered or
delayed in so doing. If in this we have
sinncd--make them most of it. We have
no apologies to offer, no concealments to
make, but one thing to regret, and moth
ing to rctract. ,... n
We endorse, and to tile best of our abil-
ity shall sustain the present policy of
President johnson. Whatever may have
been his shortcomings heretofore, he now
stands on onr platform-tle platform of
the Constitution. nnd We have no dispose
ton to hustle him off. Thanks to him =
there's life in the old land yet" lie has
nobly thrown himself in the breach to save
the life of the nation from the despotic and
destructive rule of radicalism, from whose
ruthless raids upon the Constitution, great
er danger is to be apprehended than from
all the Rebel hosts Lee or Jackson ever
marshalled. For this he deserves our
grateful thanks, and will receive our con-
stant and cordial support.
We hope to be permitted to personally
observe the strietest courtesy towards those
who differ with lis politically. Their pol.
icy and principles, however, we regard as
so csregiously erroneous as not to be CEN
sured in soft words or silken sentences.
In the performance of this task, it is pos
sibie, we may give offence to those pos
sessed of tcader hides, but this shall not
deter us from exposing their fallacous and
deceptive doctrines, or, as occasion may
require, rereting to tie i,nst, in which we
shall find much that was bitter to be en-
dured, but may be s,ccet to De remembered.
yGE- Prussia lias prosecuted one hundred and
scventy-four editors during the past year. .
That liz almost as bad MS the United STATES in