, 1873-10-02


it at the expense of any other. Dear
Mr.. Brown, close the bloody chasm; for
while you have q right to hurrah for
Seattle. recollect that reason gives no
answering echo if you wish the resound
to come from ruined interest that you
may build upon. We wish you well; let
your editorials hereafter meet you half
way in the effort to succeed without in
ju.y to our neighbors. v st.,.s.
The writer evidently has very crude
notions of the duties and dignity of the
press; that, as rule, it is controlled by
one of two motives--mercenary inter-
ests or personal feelings; that an editor,
like lawyer, may take fee to defend
the wrong or resist the right without
moral offence; and like politician to
lot considerations of policy govern his
course upon all questions CT public con-
cernment. That is not our view. We re-
gard the position of an editor, even IN Its
lowest walks. as the most solemn al d
responsible public trusts that man can
fill. With our whole heart we echo the
sentiments of another: " Woe to the bad
man who uses that place for his bad
ends! Woe to the liar who can use the
mighty engine in bis hsnds to spread
his lies! Woe to the coward who occu-
pies that post! Woe to the vile who
poisons what should be river of pure
truth and good for the esrth's refresh
ing with the poison of his vileness No
let US bear hypocrites and liars and
towards and venal time servers in tn 9
pulpets, just as soon IS bear them al
printing presses of the land"
Our motto is: "DUTY, wheresoever
found, is the first announced law for
man forever" Whatever errors of judg-
ment we may have committed, after
ne"rly forty years of editorial service,
we cannot recall an instance in which
consideration of self interest ever biased
our judgment or swayed us hairs
breadth from the course which we re-
garded as the line of duty. In the pre-
sent instance, We know of no way in
which we have derived any pecuniary
profit, directly or indirectly, from the
position which we have taken on the
terminus question, even to the amount
of the labor and money we have expend-
ed in the fight. We have provoked the
hostility of powerful enemy and gain
ed no support from any who subsiGize
newspapers, not even in the way of
business, for no time-ssrver will ever
give his aid to sustain an Independent
press, and the selfish and timid are ever
found in the rear of battle among the
camp followers, who ayCid the danger
but share the spoils. We have the very
best reasons for believing that there is
not member of the Land Ring who
believes that we could be bought or in-
Inundated; and nothing is more certain
than that if we had any inclination that
way, the opportunities have been abun-
dant in this day, when corporations not
only subsidize editors but buy up legis
latures and members of Congress, and we
need not now IN our old age. after along
life and ordinary economy, be depend
ent upon our daily labor for our daily
bread; and some Of the gentlemen who
attempt to impugn our D,otives know
this.
In defending our course In this matter
we but defend our cause, and that cause
we propose to sustain only by such facts
as can be srbstantisted and such argu-
ments as commend themselves to the
sober judgment and sound sense Of the
people. 7i -