The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-06-08
What about the Liberty OF the
Press?"

Va, infer that the tuilof l. wv ~ ''' "
f. publish merely personal COMMUNICATIONS
i3ts views are entirely correct.
rhcre has much been taught the pubic.
.,,3 ,Acy have to learn much more on the
suA;rc, OF the liberty OF the press ana tue
rights Of an editor.
1st. The liberty Of the press is the Tree
dom Of ANYBODY 10 buy press ana 'sPeS
and to print ~nat he pca>cS' always 'ee'''
lecting that If he publishes libel or "ha' i
contrary 10 pubic dccency and puoiic S'!c'!
he is res ron>i1ic therefor.
ID. The rishtS Of an editor over his own
propc.;y are rs complete rs those OF Inc
owner OF any property whatever over Ills
property. lie may use his typcsand presses
As be chooses i'll the printing OF what hc
deems proper in morals. politics. religion. or
science. and he mas exciu:.c what he piea>eS
from being printed by the materials ana
machinery which are his.
This is the liberty Of The press GER
1ain Grand idea of the right of every man 10
DC heard. implies the right OF every man TO
speak through the established prcss-a right
that must be incompatible With the rights OF
an editor. lie owns his press. aud must be
the Judge of what he shall publish. The
right OF every body to publish at his own cost
and risk what he plta>ee is one thug, and
the Delegation of an editor to publish every
;pinc unGcr The plea of the ''hhrr,y of the
ii ..I :
better understood than formerly; hut still
many do not draw it, and it is well to kccl
it before The pubic.
In respect 10 the newspaper, it is presumed
10 be published for the benefit of the pub
fishers and for the good OF the public. And
people take il tor their own brreht. The
editor should he always the gentleman: he
should be tsr, honest. iN,tlGcnt, and sin
ccrey devoted TO The OBJECTS for which he
declares his paper to be established. lac
must enjoy the rights Of an editor lie must
pnslish " hat he thinks proper and exclude
what be iuirks improper, or what he con-
si,lcrS of no value. or that for Wh'ch he has
not the room. Indeed. be has the right TO
refuse al contributions. or 70 require pay for
al as advertisements. lie is judge, and may
do lis ne p;tu>es with his own property.
There is no vocation OF the liberty Of the
press" in managing bis own property is he
plea,es. Any.ody has tue same right under
the laws OF the land.
Coming TO The point little nearer. we
think no editor ought TO publish Il merely
personal communication under Il fictitious
Signature; nay. under any signature but
least of all under q fictitious one. Argument
TO show the why and The why not OF any
taing is advantageoll>-alwavS Instructive
and beneficial TO lhc public: but mere per-
sonuItie> are nearly rlwals oil iectionable.
or course, in the way Of justice, commeDda-
ton or mortunry honor. when properly
done. a personality is proper, good, and sal
utarl YET Il great deal of nonsense and lm-
proper malter in MANY ways reaches the
public eye undcr these beds.
Again, q criticism on the public conduct
Of an individual, that i. no. upon its face the
emanat Oh of personal aversion, is ;.CmiS>i-
bic in the columns OF the newspaper. But
q merely personal controversy should be set
tied any where but in the columns ola news
parer. The wise editor will bave nothing
70 DO with it. lie should think too much OF
his paper 10 make it vehicle of personal
malice. and he should think TOO much OF bis
readers to presume that they are edited by
personal dispute whose publication can DC
OF no benefit to any body.
There are various kinds Of newspapers.
There are independent papers and par
iisan papers. There are p"Ncr> which never
charge for what they publish, and there are
papers which Charge either ior everything or
for all that the editor docs not Gecm Oh suin-
cient importance to his paper and to the
public to publish without char.c. Eithel
is entirely right. No man ought to conclude
that nc is declared from the press because
he has TO Isly for putting his Thoughts II
tyne. The editor has TO do that himself, ant
il is no greater hardship for his correspond
cnts 10 do the same 1t may DC presumed
tina, what man is not willing to pay for i
OF very little value to himself or anybody
else.
1t is not hard nor unjust compromiS
for the public to make with the pre>s-tha
which enables every man to publish bis view
at his own expense. There are not srea
many men whose views are SO importan
4 that they should be published at the charg
Z of other people, and the editor is no beast Q
burthen-no scapcgoat to bear everybody
sins or spread over the land everybody
nonsense.
Nor indeed should it be understood tha
every sort Of document is to be printed BY
an editor because it is paid for. While he
may print for pay what he considers not sut'
fcienty important 10 publish for nothing, he
could not be justified for publishing what is
in itself improper and exccptonable. The
blatant advocates Of the liberty of the
plcss," who are always anxious to have long
and muddlcd essays printed ut the EDITORS
expense, say that anything may be published
for money; but they only speak in a vindic-
tive spirit. The judciouS editor will on no
account burthcn his paper with what may be
diScreditable TO it.
The whole matter of the Journalistic pro-
fession is simple and plain enough. The
"libcrty Of the press" is moi at all inconSis-
tent with tie liberty OF doing what you
please with your own property. Anybody
may own presses and types; but the owner
of presses and types has no more right TO
violate the laws of the land than anybody