Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-07-03
THE LIBERTY AND LICENSE OF
THE PRESS.

HE LIBERTY AND LICENSE OF
THE PRESS.
The frequency with which prosecu-
tions-both criminal and ciyil-are being
instituted, or threatened, against the
conductors of the public press, must
have attracted public attention. We,
recently, reported verdict of twenty
five thousand dollars rendered against
the editor of New Orleans paper,
while, on Friday, Charles A. Dana, edi-
tor of the New York SIN, was held to
bail for libel on a member of the board
of public works of the District of Co
lumbia, and, yesterday, we were in
formed that Oliver Charlick had, or was
about to commence ten separate suits
against the New York Times for as many
alleged hbels. The friends of Henry
Ward Beecher have, formonths, been urg-
ing him to pursue similar course, and,
yet these are but few of the many in
stances that might be cited. 1t is hardly
possible that there can be so much smoke
without some fire, from which it is pro-
duced. Are our citizens and public men,
just now, over sensitive, or is the news
paper press, in its comments on passing
events, public men, ETC., overstepping
due bounds 1t is, as we all understand
difficult to draw the line between liberty
and license, but it must be somewhere
drawn. If conductors of newspapers
will not draw the line; if they think
more of party and cliques, than they do
of principles and truth if they prefer
sensation to fact; if, to further certain
ends, they are willing to strike down
private character. without regard to
truth or decency, then the courts must
step in, define the distinction between
liberty and license, teach the sacredness
of private character, and protect the
| community. There should be no neces-
sity for any such line being drawn, OF
for any appeals being made to the
courts. Men-public men, especially
are not over-fond of resorting to the
courts for the redress of this kind OF
grievance, but the practice of so doing is
becoming more and more common.
Our ancestors, for centuries, suffered
from fettered press, aud, therefore
among their first acts, provided for the
freedom of the press Their idea-ant
undoubtedly the correct idea-on this
subject is expressed in the constitution
] ,,f .
that "every citizen may freely speak
write and publish his sentiments on al
subjects, being responsible for the
"abuse of that right; and no law shall
''bc passed to restrain or abridge tho
elderly of speech or the press" The
I greatest freedom is granted in writing
and publishing ones sentiments Legis
latures are prohibited from endeavoring
to restrain this liberty, but the court.
may and must protect the people from
its abuses. The courts have, in most in
stances, been extremely lenient in deal
ing with prosecutions for libels, when
ever prosecutions have been instituted
against the conductors of newspapers
as they should have been, but the tim,
seems to have come when the question
should be considered whether or not, W,
gentlemen of the press are not abusin!
our privileges. We stand in peculia
relation to the community. In a grea
measure we supply The place of teache
and minister If we but do our duty
we instruct the people, lead public senti
ment, compel the adoption or abandon
ment of particular lines of policy, shap
legislation, force the execution of tn
laws, etc. We can be all of this to tn
community, if we but will it. Gu
rights are assured, our freedom canno
be abridged we can only be punishe,
for unbridled license. That course 70
which we can alone be punished, is til
only course that can throw us out of til
proper sphere of our influence. 1t j
not sensation, or attacks upon the pr
vate character of public servants tina
the people desire to read, neither ca
they be educated to like it, save b
vitiating their morals and tastes. Civ
an American citizen news, facts, princi
Piles and intelligent comment, and h
will give the go-by to scandal and pei
sonal attacks. The freedom of the pres
can only be abridged by the people, bu
unless they are forced to take thi
course by malignant attacks upon a
that is held sacred in public and privat
life there need be no fears.
would be only forced upon them b
the direst necessity, which, probably
never will come. A villifier that She
tiers himself behind a newspaper
meaner aud more contemplate than
loud-mouthed slanderer, and, for Ou
part, our sympathy is, generally, wit
the assailed rather than with the news
paper that makes such wanton, unprC
voked attacks as the past two years hav