The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-03-25

A MANLY ARTICLE.-The editor of the
Union, we Judge from the following article
in his paper this morning, is beset by indis-
Greet advisers who wish to make his paper q
vehicle of personal abuse. 1t is a well-known
fact that the kind of people who would use
him and his paper as q medium of personal
abuse and Islander have ruined large num-
Der of editors in this city in the same way
ruined them because they had not the moral
courage to control their own columns. The
following proclamation ofthe Union, to these
sort of people, ought to relieve the editor from
the pressure now being brought to bear
upon him: @&
Some people have an idea that an editor is
sort of public pack horse to bear all the burdens,
grievances and sins of a community, both public
and private. He is expected to say something on
side or other of eyeryquestion that affects the
public interest, and it, in doing So he inadvertent-
ly treads on somebody's corns, or don't agree
with every petty politician who lmagines himself
a public regulator, he must expect to be punished
for his folly and temerity. He is put in sort of
mental straight jacket and expected to do penance
by making ample apologies to the public and TAX
ing back his ownshonestly expressed opinions
lie Is expected 10 publish d paper IoI the oeHeHt
of his party, making his own interest and the
public good secondary matter entirely. Yet if,
while striving to serve his party, he interferes
with the plans Of some petty factionist, or the
plans or the private interests of some selfish in
dividual member thereof, he may expect to be
regulated" as above.
Some people also are all the time wanting to
use a newspaper as a cheap vehicle for carrying
their peculiar notions and their personal interests
into the public market Others want to use it as
a shield Behind which to fight their private bat
ties. If he allows his paper TO be used for such
purposes, the editors denounced by one part the Of
community; if he don't, he is denounced by the
other. If he takes up the private quarrels of his
friends, himself, he is personal; If he don't, he
is 'cowardly."
Now VIC don't want to be personal in thess
remarks, nor yet "cowardly." We recognize the
obligation every editor is under to serve his per
sonal and political friends and patrons. We hay'
an abiding consciousness of our youth and mex
vice--as odrice. We may and sometimes do re
frain from saying things we'd like to say. w
are always ready to discuss the propriety of ar
article about to appear in the Union.
But we cannot be driven into saying a thing
we believe TO be wrong. When a thing must b
SAID, and the saying of it involves moral respon
sibility, we must be allowed to say it in owl
way, and IN accordance with our own ideas O
right We must he allowed some independence
We cannot submit our honest opiniens to an,
procrustean operation We will not run our pa
, per in tho marrow rut of anybody's notions no,
saddle it with anybody's peculiar hobby VI
must be allowed an opinion as to the matter offer
ed for publication in our colamns And Will
laboring for our own interest we mean to labo
for the advancement of republican principIes. he
lieving that thereby we advance the public good