Natchitoches spectator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1867-18??, 1868-03-26
NewsDaners in Franca.

he has done it under the pretenses of
granting to them the very widest
freedom. Nothing can be more admlra-
bic, in it's way, than the machiavelian
ingenuity with which the emperor has,
contriyed, in the new law for the regli-
lation of the French press, to hold him
self ont to the aImiring gaze Ofthe world
as the man of liberal ideas, as one who
knows his people and is not afraid to
trust them, and as ruler willing to per
nit the freest and shaTpest criticisms
upon his policy; and at the same time to
set in operation a system OF coercion
over the press, deadly and Irresistible,
but quiet, insidious, and almost satanic.
q Hitherto, as every one is aware, the
French press has groaned nneer "a
weight of odious restrictions which nave
been an open scandal and a constant
satire upon the freedom of the empire
It was necessary to obtain the permits
sion of the government to estahllSh a
newspaper; when tliis permission was
obtained tine proofsheets ofevery article
were subjected to the rey-isionS Or eNpnr-
cations ofthe official censor; the printing
and publishing OF. newspapers WAS a
monopoly held iealously. and indiscreet
writer's or editors were liable to impri-
sonment. e ss5ase sSiliT.a -
All these restrictions are abolished by
the new law. The man in black is to
appear no more; no Journal will be
suppressed or confiscated: no more
polite little notes, continuing that
gratutious advice which editors every
where are so fond of receiving, will be
laid upon the editorial tables of the
Partisan editors with the compliments
of the minister of the interior. In the
plenitude Of his power, and with
sublime and touching confidence in the
attachment of his subjects, Napoleon
| Third announces that the hour has
arrived when ali these barriers shall be
thrown down. You have clamored for
years for liberty in you newspapers,
says he; and now give it you. Take it,
my children. and be happy! Much good
may it do you, when you get it. Only
look out for the correctional tribunals
and do not offend them. Say what
you please of me, mesenfaRfS, but for the
sake Of Won own pockets do not offend
the magistrates OF your commune. j..
| Now it happens that newspapers in
Paris as III New Orleans are published
for the sake of making money out OF
them. Ifthey cost more than is received
| for them they would soon expire. Men
there are in Paris, as elsewhere, who
write Just for the fun of the thing,
establish organs to play certain tunes,
and who are SO happy as to have soul
above. pelf, so far as they are lndl-
vidually concerned. But newspapers
can not be printed without publishers
and printers, and these people, like
! George Silverman, are for the most part
'woldiy little devils,' who have some
regard for the condition of their pockets
and the state of their bank accounts.
! And although there are, men who VIII
write for nothing, there are few men
who will pay six hundred dollars for the
privilege of indicting sharp epigram
or slashing article. And it is with a
knowledge OF these great truths that
/ Louis Napoleon has framed his new
press law.
In Paris, and the central departments
near Paris, before n journal can be start
ed it's proprietors must deposit the sum
of about $1,000 as''caution money" The
| new law does not alter this reqIisition,
but it fixes the fines which the cOrrec-
! tional tribunals may infic6 upon news
paper for violation of the rules of pro.
priety. The smallest fine is one-fif-
teenth OF the caution moEey, about SG13;
the largest fine is one-half of the caution
money, about $3.50. Under the new
law a journal may say what it pleaseS;
the emperor is in favor of the widest
liberty, and he or his ministers will not
interfere. But the correctional tribunal
OF each reimbursement still retains Its
control over the morals of the press, and
if, under the new law, a journal offends
the keen moral sense of the magistrates
this is what viii happen: The editor is
summoned before them, and in secret
session they hear what he may have tC
say in defense of the article which has
excited their Indignation. Unless he
can satisfy them of the falsity of theil
impressions, he will be convicted
There is no chance for him to make
eloquent appeals to jury, or even to g
sympathizing audience. What he has
to say must be said in q private cham
Der, before n bench of impassive magis
trates, bound by every tie to the govern
ment, and acting, perhaps, under ms
tructions, express or implied, from the
minister of the interior, A conviction
is almost inevitable, and then comes thu
penalty. There are three fines to pay
-one for the printer, one for the man
ager, and one for the writer. Each o
the sums at the very least of $613, while
they may each be $3.50.
Now it is very good fun to write smart
! articles-but unless newspaper contrib
. utors are more flush of ready money
than they are in New Orleans there ar,