Year: 1868

tiOn. to Reporters.


Every deliberative body should protect
itself from insult. The press of the coun-
try is as free to comment on public men and
public measures as 1t was before the rebel
lion and not only this, but to indulge in
any mode of attack or invective that may
suit its taste. But q Reporter of the pro-
ceedings OF a public body is, in one sense,
the guest of that body. He is in his seat,
not to comment, or criticise, or assail, but
to give faithful account of what is said or
DONE He can neither criticise, nor assail,
nor even comment, without going beyond
the sphere assigned him. He must perform
his duty, which consists strictly in reporting
the proceedings. He has no right to go
beyond this; and if he does go beyond it,
and assail or misrepresent in any way any
member of the body, or the body itself,
with the intent to bring either or both into
contempt or disrepute, he is faithless to his
duty, and at once torfeits all claims to the
courtesy or consideration of the body. The
intent must be presumed from the manner of
the Reporter as exhibited in his reports, as
well as from what he may suppress in the
course of the proceedings. q
We have been led to these remarks by the
resolution of Mr. Abbott. of New Hanover,
the object of which is to empower the Pres
ident of the Convention to protect that
body from insult by Reporters. The Con-
vention simply acted in defence of its own
rights and in vindication of its own digni-
ty, in passing this resolution. That body


is composed of delegates who are equal in
their rights and responsibilities and Re-
porter, who is present by the consent and
courtesy ofall, can not be allowed to say that,
in his reports, which no delegate would be
allowed. by parliamentary decorum, to say
of the Convention or of his associate dele
gates. 6


The minority of the Convention, to wit,
the Conservatives. so-called, are more deeply
interested in this action of the Convention
than the majority; not because any Fights
which belong to the former have been inva-
aed or restricted, but for the very contrary
reason, that, being the weaker party, they
are less able than the majority to protect
| themselves from insult They are known to
| be very obnoxious, not to say odious to our
people. They arc men of good perception,
and they must feel themselves to he so. Yet
this resolution protects them. Whatever the
| press or public meetings may say of them,
no Reporter for the Convention would he
allowed to hold them up to the public in his
reports AS rebels AMI traitors. or to remind
them that they have afflicted, and beggared
and ruined this people as no other people
were ever ruined, first, by involving the
country in rebellion, and secondly, by press


ing the war at the point of the bayonet to
its hitter end. No such thing, we say, would
be allowed; and therefore, so far from the
resolution of Gen. Abbott being an invasion
of the liberty of the press, or an attempt to
deprive the minority of any of their rights,
it is as much barrier of protection to the
minority as it is to the majority. T


We need not dwell upon the ins' ltin
manner in which the Reporter of the Sen
tinel has treated the Convention The whole
matter was very properly handled by MEM
bers of the Convention, who spoke on the
subject yesterday. The assumption by Mr..
Durham and a few Others, that the liberty
of the press has been assaied is the merest
twaddle. Mr. Durham might just as we'll
pretend that the freedom of speech would
be restrained, if he should "sllow the door" :"
to one of his guests who had insulted him in
his own house. -n
| Our political opponents must learn to re-
spect the Convention now in session in this
City. They will not he deprived of the free
dom of speech, or oppressed in any way on
account of their opinions; but they must
bow to the majesty of the loyal people, and
in no instance will they be allowed to abuse
the privileges bestowed upon them by per-
yerting them to the qualification of their
passions OF hatred and revenge If they
show their faces in public bodies composed
of Republicans they must behare themselves,
or they will be promptly dealt with. The
day of rebel rule in this State is over. Rebel
insolence has played itself out. It will not
be tolerated longer among patriots and gen.
tlemen. as, sF A
| We do not credit the report that Gen.
Grant expressed the opinion that Gen.
Meade had acted hastily and without au-
thority in removing the Governor and Treas
urer of Georgia. We shall soon have all the
facts in this matter. But if there should be
2 any doubt about the right to remove rebel
o -icials for ohstructing reconstruction. it
seems to us that Congress should at once re-
move the doubt.
PROMPT AcTIoN.-It will be seen that
the Convention. as soon as it was perma-
nently organized, resolved, on motion of
Mr.. Heaton. of Craven, to appoint COM
mittee on the best method OF framing a
Constitution. The President has appointed
an able comm ittee under this resolution
This committee will doubtless report
snon, when the work of framing the Con-
stitution will he assigned to various COM