Year: 1864

The Freedom OF the Press.


The telegraph, a very unreliable source of in
formation, reports that Governor SEYMOUR, of
New York, has ordered the arrest of all persons
who we're engaged in the recent suspension of the
New York World and Journal of Commerce
The charge against those papers was that they
had published bogus proclamation Of the Presi-
dent, but no sane and honest man believes they
had any completely with the fraud They were
imposed upon. and every circumstance attending
the affair demonstrates most conclusively that
such was the case.


The strange inconsistencies of the Admins
traton and the no less singular prOclamations,
addresses and messages of the President would
have wide margin for a not very credulous
person to believe that the bogus proclamation in
question a genuine article. In fact such
has been the course of the Administration for
the past three years that the people would be
willing to credit even the gsnuinness of procla
nation acknowledging the independence of the
Southern Confederacy, and they would accept it
upon the ground that the party in power are
prepared to adopt any policy that will perpetuate
political supremacy in its hands. In proof of
this, look at the condition of our foreign rela-
tons. Every demand of England has been com
piled with And the interference of France in
Mexican affairs and the establishment of mon
archy by that power over our sister Republic
in direct violation of the policy of our govern
ment from the beginning-have received the
sanction of this Republican administration.


We allude to these facts to illustrate the ne
cessity of vindcating and preserving the freedom
of the press, to maintain individual liberty and
involving the right of discussing and criticisng
the measures and policy of the representatives
of the Government for the time being is stricken
down with the consent of the people. then we
may say that the end of free government and
popular institutions have been reached. The
government of France has been regarded as
despotism, but we venture the assertion that even
LOUIS NAPOLEON would not have attempted the
suppression of two leading journals in Paris
der circumstances similar to those attending the
suppression Of the two papers in New York.
We do not believe that population as much ac-
customed to edicts of tyranny that of France,
governed as it is by iron rule, would have
quietly and tamely submitted to such act of
arbitrary power. No crime was proven against
the proprietors of the World and Journal of
Commerce. They published an ingenious hoax
innocently, and soon they were advised of
the fact they did all in their power to expose the
fraud. But the government officials, without
ever inanirin into the circu ustaDcas of rho casa
took military possession of those offices and ar
rested the editors and proprietors. Yet the same
officials permitted the hoax to be published to the
country over telegraphic wires under government
censorship, without rebuke, even after its agents
were advised that the proclamation was a fraud.


Under these circumstances we hope that Gov.
SEYMOUR has ordered the arrest of the persons
who we're engaged in the infamous outrage OF
suppressing those papers Ii was a blow against
the rights and liberty Of the citizen, which should
be redressed. There must be some barrier in
terpOsed against the exercise of arbitrary power.
or else what the American people have been
taught TO believe in fact have believed, were the
inalienable rights Of man-life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness. and that to secure those
rights, governments instituted among men
deriving their Just powers from the consent OF
the governed, will cease to have any force or
vitality.


No necessity existed for this summary exer-
else of military despotism. If the fraud was
calculated to do any public injury, il was cor
rected long before any evil consequences could
have ensued II is therefore without apology OF

justification and has the appearance Of being the
wanton exercise of power by weak men because
they bad the power to exert il. And not only to
vindcate popular rights. but the people owe IL to
their manhood to rebuke this act of despotism.


In this connection we append the following
comments of the New York Daily News upon
the outrage which are eminently worthyof con-
sideration:


The military proceedings against The World
and Journal Of Commerce are no less than acts
of sheer despotism, without even the plea Of ne
cessity to give the shadow of pretext While
such things are possible, we are all the very
slaves 70 every caprice, to every passing whim OF
impulse of spleen vindictiveness that NAV in
fuence those in power. Gen. Dix had no more
right TO take possession of private property in thi:
city than any other citizen; nor Is the Admins
tratioa vested with authority to give him that
right SuppOsing that the prosecuted journal:
were as guilty as they innocent. the military
SEIZURE would be no less an outrage.


This city is not under martial law; whence,
then, comes the power 70 interrupt the vocation
o. tne citizen; TO crowd his place of business
win armed soldiers; to lay violent hands upon
ms property; to subject him to Inconvenience
ana iess without Judicial process, and at the mere
uesstlon Of Federal officials. who. so far as the
sovereignty Of this State is concerned are no
better and no higher than the humbIest within
the city limitsl II Federal soldier should
snatch citizens watch from his pocket. the in
fraction Of the law would not be greater than in