The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1879-01-19
The GAG Law.

| Aiho csoIy OJu6E vice, pro
gresslVe; it cannot stand still. The ma
who tells one lie, must tell two more lie
TO cover it; the gambler who intends Il
win 30 much and quit, always finds tn
goal of sufficiency farther off than ever
tne murderer who revenges hot word il
the life blood of his brother is sure to finf
orolls multiplying on his hands, and tho
tyrant who tries to stamp out the natural
and inherent independence of his people in
one direction, is sure to find it inconveu-
lently active and annoying in an. other.
lie must go back, or go on. If his policy
OF stamping out was right in the first in
stance, the occasion for it's application ia
SILL more pressing now. Human nature will
not be stamped out; it will not lie still
under the iron heel.
Bismarck tried repression of free speech
IN the club-room, and the newspapers
grew warmer, he then applied the same
policy to the papers themselves and yigor-
ous'y attacked freedom of the press. Still
the volcano boiled, yes, hotter than ever
oy reason of the repression, just az the
Kitchen pot does when the lid is putop,
1he slmmering and Sizing are heard
even in Parliament and equity Mr.. Bismarck
grows nervous at the sounds. He forth
with prepares bill to preserve order and
keep silence in the Reichstag, that ie, to
storm the last citadel of freedom of speech
and turn it over dismantled and deserted
to the dominion of slavish silence.
Bold German race Brave German sol.
dlers You shall not write what you think.
nor speak as you feel, nor yet listen to your
great men discuss great questions other
wise than as little cabal of ten Bismarck
ian resainers may approve. You have at
leSst' noble sufferers, the last resource of |
tne young Irish private. "Sergeant,n said |
he to tyrannical superior, "what would |
you do to me if called you scoundreI 81
BUCK and gag you," was the prompt an
swer. "And what if 1 only thought it ?"
Nothing" "Well, then, faith, I'll onIv
mink It," We fear that certain leyaI sub
lec's OF Bismarck are now earnestly en-
gagged in following the precedent set bv
mat ingenious young Emeralder.
Leu US go back to the illustration of the
kitchen pot above set forth. The most
ordinary cook knows that the closer Won
smut the lid the more fercely the water
ooi!s and that per contra the very heat
way to let surplus heat escape is to take
'H all restraint and give the steam vent
lpon the open air. The effsrvescence then
instantly takes a more moderate form.
bismarck is not statesman enough to re-. 4
.ogn'Se the analogous principle in politics.
10 ought to know that perfect freedom of q
peech is the surest way to draw off an
patriotism. Let men talk "A
nucn as they want to, and generally they =
VIII go 80 far as to become ashamed or .
nemselVes; it is the imprisoned Thought v
'nlcn grows more and more sullen and b
ancorcas. Even q man of genius NAV be- ii
arrle0 into folly by the force of his viii
niness' and nothing can more clearly \
rove thSt genius can be at the same +
ING d iool' th''2 to see him trying to press
own tne seething discomfort of popular 2
'eling while constantly supplying to its q
re new fuel of wrong and oppression. B
Dat, as we say, tyranny, like any other u
lce' mas it's inevitable laws of deyelon.
'ent' 1t will not retrace wilful step. il
Just go onward, aud finally the point of nc
Eplosion comes. O'1' VI th