The sun., 1873-08-16
yHE ATrEMPrED UrRlGE.
"Liberty OF the Press

r. rom the D. Tfrc { tWiSJ NeWN.
The attempt of the Washington Rnig
IN iudicinlIy kldnap the Hon. Chas. a. Dana, cdi-
tor OF TIM SUS. and to drog him before 2 w "sn-
ington Police Court for a pretended libel on one
Of he WashinSt1n S1ng Ia Snt of Eespotsll
ever attempted in this country, and had ~ hot
been fcr tge conseryatiye and nonis s.h'u rr sder
DlstrlcY e iurt. a prominent citizen OF New ork
would have teen bundled OIL to the WHshlhItun
Tower. where thieves aud their hcnchmcn keep
yiyil and To be dragged before a cut-apd-dried
municipal court the very creation ana tooI oil
the rulnt dynasty. ,,...,,.o
fore tile court. and Judge lIlatchford's decision
turned GpOn the trial by jury. II would hnNe
boon fortunate tp have Ind n decision on the
former Il ~ uncertain sirnhcanIc, i"r !, ls niIn
time our people should undor tand whether the
Declaration Of lndcpcndcncc was mere Giuih-
bling cauarl. or whether IL was Just f''iNt -
Gcir.,s thc 1hirI for "tr.n-uprting US beyond
the seas for pretended offences
Iibcrty cannot exist in "a country where par
ties are subject to dep r;ation 10 some central
Ring Of power. and far istant from home Wit
nCssc.. and friends. ndcr ne autvrrallc power
claimed 10y the Washington Ring, the cHtur oI
this, or any other paper, may be seized a! tue
dead hour Of midnight. and bastiled IN wan.
Ing thousand miles away from wltnessc' ana
friends, and without mint "l money ne
could not procure witnesses to dsproNc the
false accusations Uf ydssal1cd and subsidized
30, this won't do! our fathers offered their
lives, their fortunes, and their sacred huuolH. to
secure for Us trial 10y Jury, in the District were
alleged oircusr- were committed. II is going
back to the tyranuica' days Of King john t. bun
die men uU TO Washington % bc tried Tor speak
in, "di-rcs especially Of officials in power.
The same role Of dcsputis IN was attempted
under tho elder Adams on tic eth If JulY,
ligS, In the passage u the sedition law, a copy
vided for the punishment in the Federal courts
OF all who should "wlite, print, utter OF pub
lish any false, scandalOus, aud mali
ciOus writings against the Government dhc
party ia puwcr) Of the United States, or either
House Of Congress Of the United States. OF the
said President. or either Of them, or to bring
them into contempt or disrepute, or to excite
the United states, or TO stir up sedit'on in the
United states &C., Ac. Under this sedtiun
law, Matthew Lyon uf Vermont was Imprisoned
for "Gpeaking disrcpectful Of the President"
The Oirs Branch of ISL says that " culprt'
"was found guilty Of and punished in New jersey
for the simple wish that the waddiug of a gun
discharge on festive day had nade an inruad
into, or pierced The pOsteIiur Of Mr. Adams, the
President, Sc.
These and few other prosecutions Of the
Kind were enough not only to hill the law, but
1t hurled Mr.. Adams from power, and forever
sank the Federal party.
Aud now, in the eve Of the nineteenth cen
tury, the same practices are galyauiH"d into
life. giving the most painful approhen-iuns that
strike at the liberty uf the press. We iuliy
a-rce that liberty does not mean license. We
ask no immunity for the press over any other
craft. We are quite willing its sins should he
punished as other civil sins. by due process Of
law Nor are We bewaillng any hardship to
MIR. Dana ~ an individual hut the principle in
yolycd Is monitOry to all, aud all We Will add Is
pcnt is safer than to encounter the ma;ured
monster.