Year: 1862

ut Sugars firm with saes of about TOO hhds and


2s boxes at fulI prices Coffee was frm sale OF 100
bags Rio made at I9xc. Freghts were unchanged.
The Government and the Press.
The recent order of the Secretary of War,
prohibiting the publication of portions of the


war news, has very naturally attracted attention
to the subject of the relations of the press and
the government. This government, the ireest
in the world, has never had occasion before to
interfere with the press, the freedom of which


is strictly guaranteed by tho constitution, and
protected alike by the people and by the admin
stration in power. Our people have had no
experience Of war like that now progressing,
and are as unaccustOmed to anything like the
government censorshipof the press as they are
to the exercise Of the extraordinary powers
vested in the President 1t is we'll, therefore,
that the whole subject should be rightly and
thoroughly understood.


In ordinary times the freedom of the Ameri-
can press has always been unrestricted. 1t has
supported or opposed political candidates and
political parties with perfect independence of
the government. Before the election is decided
all candidates and all partiss are unofficial, and
nothing is risked, as far as the government is





concerned, by supporting or denouncing them.
But after an election is decided, even during
the times of profound peace, it is the duty
of the press to throw aside all political
animosites and support the administration in
all its constitutional acts, because the admins
tration becomes er-oticio identical with the gov
ernment In this the press only follows the
example of the people, of whom it is the ac-
knowledged organ. Parties rage against par
ties during political canvass, and stranger
to our institutions would imagine that the sue
cess of any one of the candidates SO bitterly
opposed would be the signal for revolution
of all the factions whose candidates were de-
feated. But, on the contrary, as soon as an
election is decided the people quietly accept
the successful candidate as their chosen ruler,
and every election is thus made unanimous by
the consent of the whole people. The press
can do no less than the people; and. however
warmly it may criticse the policy or the mea-
sures of an administration, 1t is only for the
purpose of reform and correction, and never
legitinately for the purpose of revolution or
destruction. In short, as the most powerful
organ Of the people the press criticises the gov
ernment and compels it to keep within consti-
tutional bounds, while, at the same time it 10y
ally protects it from any popular assault, and
makes the people and the administration har


monious, by insisting upon the rights of the for
mer, and expounding, discussing and correcting
the policy and measures of the latter.


In times Of peace, then, the press is the me-
diatOr between the government and the people;
but its utterances are, in this country, consi-
| dered as representative only of the people,
since we have here no such thing as an official
government organ. In times of foreign or do
mestic war, however, the press necessarily
ment of the government, and is so regarded by
the enemy. If the press opposes a war the
enemy take it as an indication Of our weakness;
if the press urges on war it is taken as an in
dication of our strength. II the press is mis-
managed, the government suffers. Consequently
it becomes the object of the government to
keep the press well informed, and urder proper
control, SO that the enemy may receive no as
sistance from its revelations, nor the necessary
harmony between the administration and the
people be disturbed by its mistaken intelligence
| Hence the license and the facilities allowed to
| the correspondents and representatives of the
press in obtaining the war news; and hence, also,
| the care which must be taken lest some of this
news, prematurely revealed, may enable tie
enemy to understand and defeat our plans. II
becomes, then, the duty of the press to support
the government in carrying on just war, by
| publishing the news of operations completed


and by suppressing any news of operations in
progress or in contemplation which might as


sist the enemy. The government is legally
bound to defend itself and tho nation it repre-
sents against an enemy by every judicious


means, and the press is morally bound to sus-
| tain the government to its utmost ability, and
to refrain from the publication Of Objectionable
| news, and from dangerous and ill-timcd criti-
cism Of extraordinary exercises Of tho powers
of the government.


| 1t was deliberate disregard Of its manifest
duty by the Northern secession press which led


to the summary annihilation Of the "peace


organs " by the people and the government.
| II was repeated violations Of duty by the aboli-


tion press which rendered necessary this order


of Secretary Stanton's. The moral obligation
| of these papers not to publish Objectionable
matter did not suffice, and therefore the gov
ernment was obliged to force them to do


their duty. The independent press, on the


other hand, has been true to its position and TO


the traditions Of the republic, and, by its ability,


talent skill, energy, wisdom and craftsmanship,


has made itself an efficient aid to the Executive


and the chosen guardian Of the liberties Of the


people. In effect, therefore, Mr.. Stanton's Or


der only compels oil the newspapers to do what


It was always their duty to do, and what the


Independent journals always have done, and


cannot be regarded as any Infringement upon


those rights Of the press which the constitution
guarantees, and which the people cherish.