The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-09-27
Square.

Our brilliant friend, MATT CARPENTER
sf Wisconsin, does us the honor 10 publish
. second open letter addressed to the edi-
tor OF THE SrS. 1t is long, and not inter
sstinG enough to be reproduced in our coll
umns. A great part of it is employed in
minute and rather thin criticism. a verbul
error being dwelt upon especially. Quot
ing from the eleventh section of the noto-
rious bin 10 extend the jurisdiction Of
Circuit Courts Of the United States, we
accidentally used the phrase said terri
tory or district" instead Of "said state.
territory. or district" For this accident
We now tender our apology; and TO make
the thing all right we proceed to give
that entire section OF the bin from Mr..
CARPENTERS own copy:
sc sc y, ~ Pr92esc,s to commence IN NJ" Circuit
s 1@s'. q ~, ~, g. Sii . o., I,g,t "t ~ !ty IL
- a'y civii lat or proceeiins. no, sgect n, the
ssrict Me-, .a srt 6r"u.hi. ~: - ~ rR6r r,
go t'l IN ne Z ia 1rrr,ie-, llt ~, ,gs
Sal sut 10 r'oa-nt nat tntugi ti,i . ii. Iettf..f
n respect O, ne btaa..s or MI ~ out ~ when tac
C. Ca esr q @ i . r2cr Se crc n sss an 5n Or
s S1y Ul sg . iI I'M in "r,'g ~ ncyc iac
snen sStt "a the s,itr Iertiory. or p pa. oi cum.
tnis section lnot ippn 70 ani .lt a u
GVu 4eeGdlAs before july 10 1874.
This, he says, was not designed TO have
any peculiar bearing on the newspaper
press. 1t was simply "a general provision
In general law, applicable to tie whole
United States, and to newspaper mcu rs
20 other men. This Nj. CARPENTER states
squarely, and then he gives us an equally
square exposition OF his views respecting
the liberty OF printing, us follows:
ELL am opposed to iibol--tha' ia r. school and
nlns every p.rs ought & stand upon the tIut.'.
s.anh ' H. atth r. 10 70 h. .ha
- chat l.4r nd inelier II no. enaued to AS spe
I'd T,air az fi.,ern corporation the Nsr nrt
.hoel the prncrs oug, to rcspoui m the Iafisdic.
noh where Tie Nroig was cOIlnlttcI"
The eleventh section, above quoted, is
therefore to be regarded as embodying
those views concerning the press. II means,
accordingly, that if "a newspaper printed in
Milwaukee orin Milledgeville, or anywhere
else, should employ correspondent In
Washington who furnishes matter that is
deemed Objectionable by the President, or
eEcoR RoBrsoy or Measurer BABcocK, or
SHEPHEaD, or any Senator or Repre-
sentative, though this matter is printed
and issued in Milwaukee or in Mil
legdevlle, and nowhere else, BAncocK
OF SHEPHERD may yet commence n
mit in Washington against that
newspaper by serving q process upon its
correspondent there; may push the case
TO trial with all the political and social
force OF the Administration to
back the prosecution, and may thus
obtain judgment to an amount so
large az in effect 20 suppress the news
paper rs n punishment for having dared TO
speak freely against such elevated person.
Ages. This Is what this eleventh section
ApDears on its face to mean, and what, ac-
oOrding to Mr.. CARPENTER's present square
avOwal, il does mean. 1t IL Il measure to
put down the liberty of the press by the
use of political power and influence,
through judicial machinery. That is the
long and the short of il, its soul and its
body. That this is so was proved in the
course OF the debate in the Senate, and is
substantially admitted by Mr.. CARPENTER
now. The admission comes late but it has
thcmerit Of being square. We congratulate
our friend upon this evidence of his pro-
Brc"s, and We congratulate ourselves that
We have not labored with him in vain.
Our distinguished correspondent next
goes on TO put TO us a number of questions,
which we here subjoin in his own words;
~ no you maintain that liar and lnc'er ought 10
mloy special privileges denied 10 other cittzensp
a. DO you aIutain thll, II. inr Instance, lHE Sun
bhond SEND an Agent to Wisconsin IN hhe one OF our
eitlsns, luE IN ought not 10 pund Ia damage
o,t Jurisdiction where the wrong Ia dpnep
% DO you clam ala exemption IA ifYor OF editors,
winch II denied 10 every Other class OF citEenar
= II 80, upon WI, ground does that exemption
Hnf fp,cio priyi.e @ rrft2
% DO You claim that editors ought to he above the
WIZ ," ''''''N'''A " '"' ''N' 80 D'N - ~
These questions are mere words and
nothing else. They answer themselves. OF
course, we maintain nothing OF the sort.
A newspaper editor should be responsible
for his acts, just ms much us any other
man; but not more so. In fact, where we
direr from Mr.. CARPENTER is probably
In the opinion that an EDITORS RESPONSE
bility shor'd not DO greater or more
extensive than that OF others. Ho should
be held responsible where his net Is com
m.tted- and cot oLsewhere-that is. where