The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1868-02-27
A FREE PRESS.

We remember soldier in the service,
who, when Abraham Lincoln was shot
down in cold blood expressed the opinion
that the explosion of that pistol would
eventually destroy the nation. We hope
he was false prophet, but at times it
seems as though he had reason for his
assertion that mo matter how dearly low
ed president might be by the people,
there would always be found some des-
picable villain who for the sake of noto-
rlety would slay that President, thus in
volvlng us in perpetual war" That the
soldier saw far into the future, is fully
demonstrated by events which are now
transpiring. We do not assert that
the nation is now being destroyed, but
we do say that there are unhung villains
seeking to attain such aconsummation, and
that the government is making no effort
to thwart their designs. Previous to the
murder of Abraham Lincoln man in an
Influential position, residing in this State
counseled and advised that the said mur-
der be committed, through the columns
of a newspaper. The Government was
informed Of the fact but treated it as the
etfervescence of a frothy blockhead whose
mouthings were wholly unworthy its at
tention. Oh fatal mistakel After the
murder the villain who counseled it was
again the subject Of comment, but it was
said his article was only remarkable CO.
incidence. His being in the army as a
spy was another coincidcnt probably, and
his assertions now. that unless a man.
suited to the tastes of such men as he is,
shall be elected to the presidency, that
the man who is elected will be murdered,
is probably another.
Newspaper men are much given to the
laudation of the freedom which our gov
ernment allows the press in the express
sion of any views publishers may enter
tain. No one can place a higher esti-
mate on such liberty than we do, but we
think when man abuses that privilege
he Is deserving of the scorn and rebuke
of every other paper in the State, and
when he goes SO far as to counsel open,
outright murder, then the point is reached
where forbcarance ceases to be virtue
and the press should be suppressed with
out so much as an explanation. Mark
VI. Pomeroy-or. as the villain delights
to style himself, Brick Pomeroy ed
tor of the La Crosse Democrat, is the in
dividual we are writing Of He seeks no.
toriety: we think he had better have it
such as the police gave a scoundrel in
Washington the other day; they labeled
| him Thief" and marched him all over
town. When Pomeroy counsels murder,
he is murderer, and should be known
as such all over the land and what little
we can do to make him appear so we will
do, for we consider him foe to the gov
ernment. disturber of the public peace
publisher of indecent, immoral and Sc
dltious doctrines, and a man who would
| sell his soul for a very small recompense
If there was any hope that the govern.
ment would arrest him and hang for trea
sVirginia hung JohnBrown, and toe
| for a much less soffense-this article would
never have been written, but it won't
If our next President should be murder
ed in accordance with the suggestions O.
the La Crosse Democrat there would be
| no fault found, but the Freedom of the
Press" would be maintained Now lei
us ask, for Gods sake havn't we hat
enough of war, murder and devastation.
must the land be again deluged with blooc
simply that the freedom of the press bt
maintained?
This matter Is all the more serious be
cause other papers are beginning to how
in the same strain with the Democrat
They see that it pays to publish obscenit,
and corrupt principles-that is in pc
cuniary point of view-and they propos,
to have their share of the spoils. Tha
this case should have the immediate at
tention of the government, we think ever,
man who suffered the privations ant
dangers of a soldiers life, has right t,
demand. We call especial attention t.