The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-03-04
THE LYING .woRLD."

THE LYING "woRLD."
The New York World processes to be a
tirst-class journal, and to be influenced at
all times by high and honorable motives in
its treatment Of political opponents. To
hear it sometimes speak cleverly of itself
in this particular regard, it would seem as
though pure and immaculate journalism
could only be reached through its columns,
Its explosives are immense when directed
to this sort Of self-adulation, leaving the
Herald and other metropolitan journals
quite in the lurch for the proper adjectives
wherewith to express their high apprecia-
ton of themselves and their preeminent
fairness and candor in dealing with others.
OF course, all provincial journalism is en-
tirely out of the question in the compare
son it institutes between itself and others.
Only three journals, and those issued in
double folio every morning within stones
throw of the World Office, are to be thought
of for moment as coming in competition
with itself in contesting for these high
journalistic virtues. All opinion else is
simply what charitable gentlemen, whose
ease and dignity are not to be disturbed,
may fling to beggars-a princely condescen-
sion on their part to give a piece of in
finite impertinence on our part to ask. 1t
treats all provincial journals very much as
Falstaff did the attendant of the Lord Chief
Justice, who desired leave to tell him that
she led in his throat"
"If thou getest any leave of me, hang me IL
thou takest leave, thou vert better be hanged"
But we crave no leave to tell the WOrld
it lies in its throat, nor do we take any
leave without craving it. We simply call
it's attention, and that of the public, to Its
leading editorial of Thursday, in which il
charges the administration Of General
Grant with an "attempt to crush truth with
terror"-with brandishing the terrors of
the criminal law and threats of imprison-
ment in the faces of all who dare either
to move an investigation into the alleged
frauds of the government or to testify az
witnesses. This is the grave and very
momentous charge which it prefers agains
the Administration, and quotes very
"highfalutin' " passage from Mr.. Schurz's
late speech to prove it. All who have
read that speech will readily recall the
passage to which we refer. 1t relates to
the reference made by Mr.. Roscoe Conkline
to the statute of 1893, imposing fine and
Imprisonment on any person who put:
himself in communication with any foreign
government to defeat the measures or OBJ
iects of the United States in treating with
such government. That old statute is wei
enough as it stands. 1t was not deemed
out Of place at the time it was enacted
by Congress it has never been deemed
out of place since. Only Carl Schurz ant
the World have come to look upon it a.
a bugbear of uncommonly large proper
tons. In it they see nothing but crimina
prosecutions, and pains and penalties Of the
most exaggerated character. There il
something about it that
''Whispers the oer-fraught heart, and bids
break
1t smacks of devilish Macbeth, an
bloody-seeptered tyrants generally. Nay
more it actually tops Macbeth, and smack
of " every sin that hath name" TIL
very hair of Schurz stands on end, a
Roscoe Conkling ilourishes this old statut
over his head and the World goes off in
forty-league tangent, If it does not entirel.
upset its gravity, to think of the New Yorl
Senator's audacity in making the nnoccn
reference. 1t is certain that Grant mean
mischief by it !; that it is threat of prose
cution and Imprisonment, aimed at Sumne
and Schurz, to stop investigation into tn
French arms swindle; and it demands tina
the indignant scorn of the American peopl
be at once visited, in unmeasured quantity
upon the head Of the President 70
thus menacing the movers into thi
inquiry! All this is seriously
nay, peremptorily and substantially pu
forth by the World in accusation again:
the administration of General Grant, upo
the mere reference made by Senator Conl
ling to this harmless old statute of 1895
This light and trivial circumstance is seize
upon as a most discreditable attempt T.
stihe inquiry into official malfeasance
Really, it is hardly creditable in respect
able journalism to treat such an accusation
based on so fiimsy pretense, with becom
ing derision. 1t is violating nature not I
hold our vinegar aspect and refuse to sho'