Year: 1861

The press in the United States is not now,
and never was free. The maxim of Mr.. JEFF
ferson, that error is tolerable when the truth
is left free to combat it, so much applauded
and admired is not the rule of action among
us. There is, in fact, as little propensity to
exercise freedom on the part of the conduct
ors of the press, as there is to tolerate it on
the part of the public. Our newspapers are,
one and all, started, not upon the idea of
liberty but upon that of its opposite. They
are each allied to some political party or
religious sect, bound to sustain its interests
support its dogmas, defend its policy and
make war upon its adversaries. Does any
one fail to come up to the implied contract,
it is abandoned at once, with expressions Of
hatred and charges of treachery. Practically
the summit OF newspaper ethics is to be true
to the order whose want of an organ has
called it into existence; and the highest
crime that press can commit is to do or say
that which is in conflict with the opinions or
in opposition to the acts of that order.


This is not the fault of the press. 1t can
not exist upon no other condition. 1t would,
doubtless, if it could, be truthful and inde-
pendent; but it can not afford tit must con-
stantly dissemble and often lie. To publish
o newspaper is business, and has its business
exigences; and men cannot afford to lose
their subscribers and customers for the state
ment of an unpalatable fact, or the utterance
of truth that is disagreeable to those upon
whom they depend for support,


The press of the United States is under
three species of supervision: first, individ-
ual; second, party or sectarian; third, re-
Gently Governmental. By the first, its prov
ince is narrow and circumscribed by the
second, its principles and, to certain extent
its facts are dictated; and by the third, its
motives are made a subject of inquistion
lance is that journalism does not, as some
people enormously suppose, present a field
for either ability or independence of charac.
ter. If a journalist has learning he will be
likely to have ideas, than which nothing is
so inimical to his success. If he has courage
he will be in danger to forget the sleeplesE
vigilance of the bigoted and the little, whose
sole interest in his productions consists
in the hope to find something to de-
nounce and misconstrue. There is nc
safety but in shallowness and Vulgarity
Men of thoughtful minds and honest pur'
poses have no call to embark in the trade O.
journalism, whose highest rewards are re-
served for the dull, who share the popular
faults and passions, or the sharp, who flattel
and obey without sharing them--unworthy
in one case intellectually, unworthier still il
the other from voluntary moral degradation


The individual surveillance of the press il
that of which the least is said, because jour
nslists no more than others are willing Il
admit the want of moral courage in them
selves, but is, Of all the imost degrading anC
Injurious, from the effect it has in narrow
| ing the field which of right belongs to jour
nalism. There is wide range of topics tha
are forbidden. Human prejudices are sacred
and the subjects around which they cluster
must be avoided lest by chance one may b
disturbed. 1t usually happens that the NOR
important the subject the more unrelentin
the prohibition. The stern command il
keep to the common place; follow the beate
track re.echo our thoughts, prejudices an
opinions; accept the dogmas that we accep
and you shall be rewarded; if you do nc
believe them, let them alone but touch theI
at your peril.


Party and sectarian serVeillance, being tn
condition upon which the press exists, is nc
TO be complained of by the individual VIII
submits to it; but it prepares the way for th


other. AS it implies Vsnality in one respec


the inference is general unfaithfulness. Th


editor who has sold himself politically, hi


no right to stand upon his dignity in an


other province. What is truth to himf II


opinions are things purchasable. If b


thinks thus, it is because he is paid for it;


otherwise, it is because it is more prohtabl


The world courts the services Of the Partisa


and the sectarian, and pays it of with col
tempt which extends to the Independent al


truthful; but it also rewards the one with


pecuniary success which it has no dispoE
tien to permit to be shared by the other.
The press being such as it is, the idea tn


thersis any peculiar sacredness in its righ
more than in those of any other enterpri
carried on for private gain, is absurd.
rights are the same-neither more norless.
: has no more claim to protection than
! cabinet warehouse, or a shoe manufactol
but it has the same. If the Government
no right arbitrarily to interfere in the opei
, tions of the one, SO it has none to interfe
) in those of the other. If either is found el
ployirg its machinery ip giving aid 70