The record-union., 1893-05-27

that, under the Common law, the truth
could not he given in evidence. The
Democratic papers as well as the Federal
I lst engaged in the discussions of the dan
ger to liberty in the law, and endeavoreC
to create public sentiment that should
/ force salutary legislation. The following
4th OF July was made the occasion fol
/ toasts on the subject. The dUTOra led of
with the following:
/ The Liberty of the Press-may the man
| VINO would attempt to invade it be loaded
| with dlshonor and the resentment of the
/ American people.
l may not dwell on the wrongs in
/ fiicted upon writer's and publishers in
succeeding years, which had their in
/ Splratlon IN this case of Croswell, and OF
/ the contests in the States for securing
legal safeguards. Happily now in nearly
all of the States by statute or by con-
stltuhonal provision, the truth may be
given IN evidence and is an absolute de-
/ tense to criminal prosecution unless the
publication be malicious.
! Inc principle involved in this concerns
/ the public veal, as once admitted that
freedom which is guaranteed to every
citizen by the Constitution may be re-
Strlcted under Interpretation or evaded,
ana way is opened for the exercise OF
! tyrannlcal authority. This has been re-
/ peatedly illustrated in our own history.
human nature is selfish and intolerant
/ when III possession of power and the
greatest vigilance has been and is neces-
sary on the part Of the minority. This
/ was illustrated in 1910, when the majority
III the National House of Representatives,
maGdened by the critical ability of the
! opposition leaders, proposed a resolution
/ 70 restrict discussion. Public sentiment,
represented through the press, at once
! sad: II the majority have right to pre-
vent the minority from debating, they
nave an equal right to prevent them from
voting, and may thereby render the
poasted privilege of election of no i'm
portance.
But the time came when public opin-
ION as represented by a majority Of the
newspapers in the United States, seemed
to iavor restriction of the right of dis
cusslon. Ii was at that period when the
slave power became aggressive and dom
mated the politics OF the country; when
| commerce and trade in the full tide OF 4
! new prosperity absorbed the energy and
thought Of young and ambitious people;
ana the violence of party feeling. begin
ming with the admission of Missouri,
aroused the apprehensions of conserva-
! i've and patriotic men in all sections.
/ The influence of these was toward mod
| Grafton. and if it had not been perverted
| 10 the fostering of slavery rather than 10
the promotion of a policy for gradual
! emancipation, the history of the last
century might have been very different.
| But such speculations are Improbable.
| We are confronted with a present that
has been developed from the past by
mysterious forces which we do not fully
comprehend.
In the unreasOning progress of the world
A wiser spirit is at work for US
y better eye than ours.
Regret for the Subserviency and
| degradation of the press of one class, and
the uncharitabieness of another, is more
than offset by admiration and thank full
ness tnat it was given TO a few to show
| courage III the presence of danger. to keep
before the people the true principles Of
the Constitution and their rights under il
as Tree men. They resisted the madness
that developed riots, destroyed property
| and subVerted liberty, and exposed the
weakness and criminality of a policy
that would deprive thirty million Of the
| chleteSt OF human rlghtS-tree Speech-al
the behest of few hundred thousand
whose property was in land and human
.chattelS. They planted themselves upon
constitutional principles, for which they
contended with answering fidelity.
| The argument OF the ablest of this class
of writers, written in the presence of a
mob, shall suffice for this occasion:
while we respect the rights of our fell
low citizens of the slave-holding States,
and would, by no means, break through
or suffer others to break through the
sacred barriers of the law for the pur-
/ pose Of invading those rights; we also re-
| spect the rights of our fellow citizens OF
the non-slave holding States, and will
never suffer the law and Constitution
to be trampled in the dust for
the purpose OF destroying those rights.
| Among these rights-and of all the dear
est, because it is the bulwark Of all the
rest, is the right Of free discussion-the
! right of every citizen to write and speak,
and print upon every subject as he may
! think proper, being responsible to the
laws and the laws only, for the abuse OF
that liberty. If this right shall perish
| through the violence of mob, the grave
tnat entombs it must be the sepulcher of
American freedom. True hearted
Americans, therefore, must defend this
right at all times, in all places, under all
circumstances, by whOmsoever assailed
| When this right is abused, the remedy is
at hand. The courts are open. If the ex-
| listing laws do not provide an efficient
remedy, let new laws, adapted to the OBJ
! iect, be enacted. But let not the hand OF
violence be raised against the exercise of
this precious right. However obnoxious
| the exercise may be, let the right itself be
acknowledged and respected. Let us not
for the sake of removing some unsjghtly
| blemiSh, pull out the cornerstone OF the
great temple of constitutional liberty"
Such dispassionate discussions were
calculated to promote popular intelli-
gence and give dignity TO citizenship. A
more manly tone pervaded the press in
! general, and the right OF petition and
freedom Of opinion having been vindi-
Gated, other subjects in which society was
| interested engaged the attention of the
press. Two and a half centuries had been
spent in contending with censorship,
kingly prerogative, tyranny Of courts,
Parliaments and Legislatures, and. in
establishing its own right to exist, it was
the advocate of human rights and the
champion OF the people. My text reads
| "Of the common people," But in a re-
! public all are common, all are sovereign.
! Thank God the law recognizes no distinc-
ton. The dignity OF the noble manhood
which is bred in an atmosphere of free
| dom knows no distinction other than
that created by character. In 1919 when
misgovernment had reduced the masses
of the population of England TO a state
of degradation and of want almost
inconceivable at the present day; when it
was very doubtful whether the press
would win a victory or be crushed under
the foot OF tyranny; and when the Stamp
Act was under consideration, Lord Ellen
borough said: If he was asked whether
| he would deprive the lower classes OF
society of all political information. he
would say that he saw no possible good
| to be derived to the country from having
! statesmen at tho loom and politicians at
the spinning jenny. This is not the SEN
| timent of the England Of to-day, thanks
! be to the press and Il more enlightened
! craftsmanship. 1t has not been the sem
! tlment in America since the republic was
4 christened. We have honOred statesmen
who have graduated from the shoe
TERRIBLY INCREASING