Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1871-11-01
"a MERcENARY PRESS"


The Press and Herald of yesterday takes
occasion to reflect the falsehoods Of the
Banner in reference to the CHRONICLE,
and speaks of us as being mercenary. We
are perfectly willing for this community,
where the facts are best known, to say
which of the two Knoxville dailies ia the
mercenary sheet, Here, where the Press
and HerdLd's nominal editors and proprie-
tors are known, let candid public say
what their character may be in that re-
spect. Respectable men in theirown party
do not hesitate to say that they pursue
whatever course pays best. III IL
would pay them TO give publicity
TO vile SANDER on the best friend they
have on earth they would do it. The pub
fishers of the Press and Herald, while ut
Chattanooga, were connected with an ex-
treme radical paper. One ofthem attested his
zeal for the party by joining the Union
League at that place. When they found out
they could not succeed there, they came to
Knoxville and commenced the publication
of an extreme Democratic sheet, and al
though they are Northern men themselves,
they have INDUCED in more filthy mean
abuse of men coming from the North than
any paper in the State. In this they have
shown a mercenary spirit, of the meanest
and most disreputable character. We
ask, is there a man in Knoxville, who be-
lieves that if their paper should fail in re-
ceiving public patronage, in which event
Is publication would cease, that they
would remain here twenty-four hours !?
What have they to keep them here
What interest have they in common with
the community? But so long as it pays to
do so, they will keep up their slanderous
articles. They not only SANDER men,
but they SANDER communities and when
their statements are proven false, they
have not the manliness to retract. Wit
ness the case where they uttered vile false
hoods about the best men in Blount coun-
ty, more than a year ago, which to this
good day have not been corrected. They
pursue such a course because they think 1t
pays them to do SO. They risk nothing in
doing it. They are wholly irresponsible
and rejoice in the fact. They are destitute
of moral and physical courage, and wish
the public so to understand it. They fear
nothing from libel suits, for if the courts
were to render judgments, the sheriff
would have to get out q search-warrant to
find anything upon which to levy an exc
cution. They glory in all this and think
it makes them impregnable heroes. Des-
titute of every principle of honor or man.
hood, they are fit, suppliant, mercenary
tools of men, who delight in seeing dirty
work performed, but who have too much
pride and self-respeet to engage in it them
selves.
What shall we say of the editor who
penned the wilful falsehoods contained in
the editorial in question. t-
While he charges that we belong to
and our humble journal is mer-
cenary in its character, he is living off the
bounties of the State, the hard earnings of
honest taxpayers, dealt out to him by his
Democratic masters at Nashville, as a re-
ward for his ceaseless abuse Of his Repub-
lican friends and neighbors-- assaiIinp not
only their honest political opinions, but
their personal character violent
ly and Unfortunately. But we beg par
don of our readers for noticing this matter
at all. 1t affords us no pleasure to speak
Of such characters. Again we say, let
candid public, in possession of the facts,
say which is the mercenary sheet. q