The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1870-04-02
The AbssSe OF the Press.

Horace Greeley lately made the fol-
lowing excellent observations on the
abuse If the Press by its unworthy mem
bprs They were delivered in rep'y t"
toast to the Press at supp:r given by
the knights of St. Patrick i'll New York
city:
Mr.. Greeley was received with loud
cheers, and said:
GENTLEMEN AND KNIGHTS OF ST.
PATRICK will at this late hour as
sumo that you quite well understand as
| do, the magnificent uses of the Press.
What it has done for liberty, for intel
ligrnce, for justice, and FIR purity, j.
already written in the history ofour couu-
t"y, and in the history-iu all lands-of
advancing freedom. We know what
that is. Let us pass it By, then, and
listen to the sentiment which | appre-
hend your toast was intended to suggest
- hat is. the Abuse of the Press. We
have had Our journalists-upright, hon:
est, faithful to convictions and faithful
to duty-while perhaps no city was
more widely accursed by men who make
the Press an instrument Of caIumny,
of malignity, and of every kind Of abuse
The best things in the world are the mort
easily and the most enormously perver-
ted All evil almost springs from the
abnse of gond and here III this country
where any one can get the control OF
the Press aid tyres, and where men
fnd that in the abuse of the Press there
is a fearful power-here, think, quite
as much as anywhere on earth, has the
truth been exenpifed that nothing
can b. so abused as the Press. |
believe i'll liberty, and in the liberty Of
the Press. | believe that men who
like some Of those arc md me, are pub
lie men, who court the responsibilities,
and brave the perils, if you please, Of
public station that they should be, a~ |
know they are, ready to submit to critl-
cism, ready to be interviewed, and
criticised, and eliminated, if so it BE-, on
all sides. 1t is theirplace and privilege
The soldier might as well complain o;
the bullets flying as the public man Of
tie Press of outside rebukes But
there is an enormous sphere Of private
life. There are thousands around us
who choose to be simply themselves
to walk in the quiet ways Of simple cit.
izpnship Now, maintain that these
are never the legitimate subjects of pub.
lie criticism unless they s"me way OBJ
tru!e themselves on the public. What
light has the Press to in,inuate that
there is All unfai'hful husband or there
an uncomfortable wife What right
has it to drag people"before The bar Of
public criticism and scrutiny unless by
SINE act of their own they are made le
gitimate subjects of this same criticism
No. | insist that the abuses OF the
Press to day are the most conSpicuou
feature of the Press; that the fault i.
entirely with the public. Here. maybe
Journal may Commence a"d faithfully
do it's duty. 1t may legitima'elv AMI
ia rly canvass pablo men and measures
and there is very little attention paid tt
it. Very little harm follows that course
but let a j,nrnal commence Tomorrow
resolved to slander every one; to dras
secret things to light; to mike itstl
spicy by calli'g every shrinking per
son Def re the gaze Of the multitude, ant
tha. journal will fly Oh the waves of th
wind, boast of its circulation, and it
power will become the terror of the pub
lie and the fortune of its proprietor.
That's the fault of the public. That is tn
} fault of those who love scandal and ia
vor scandal. That is the fault Of tn
people, who don't say thing that the.
themselves have to escape, br
thinkit is only good fun to have thel
neighbors dragged DOWN in every pos
) sible way.
Friends and neighbors, have n
) more words at this late hour, | te
i YOU it is well for the Press to take Car
, of its character 1t Is just as nece>s;
| ry for you that you look we'll to th
character Of the Journals you sustain
and which, by your support, have bee
enabled to pursue this vindictive an
f mishchievous career. Look well to
[ApplauSe.l
, Other sentiments followed in quic
succession, and at late hour the con
: pany separated.