The Press Law

From Uu Busten Post. New England pnjoy the unonviable diitinctioii, thruugh a Veininnt Representativo, ut bavingintrodaoed surrtfptitiously tlie uu repu blican luw intu Congrega which places the conductora of the j)iiblio presa ttiroughout the country ut tbe j ïimiiy of the courts of the Lhstnct. of ColurabU- a district so corruptly ruled that ita governimmt has been abolished by thifi sanie Congres, and placed in tho hunds of a comniission ad interim. The Republican journals oannot delend a measure se monstrous, yat they oaunot deny, either, that a Republioan Congre.su is responsible tor its passage. It is high time that a party wout to pircos whoi. a press gag law ík the culmination of its legislative integrity. lt will be interestiug to observe the grounds on wliieh nuch a party will go before the people in the approaching fall elections. It staple cries of " free speech and free uien" are forever silenced. Iu atteinpting to stifle the press it has muzzled itself. Kenator Carpenter is employing his ingeuuity in seeking to make it appear that no possible harm can come of a law that can drag the publishers of newspapors in all parta of the country bef'ore a court organised by Congress to convict whenever their columns contain any matter to which the party in power in (Jongiess is disposed to take exceptions. His sole answer to the arraignment of such a law by the press is, that so long as it abstams from the publication of libelous matter it 18 in no danger. But a freo press exista by no mere permission of a single member of Congress, or of any number of members of Congress. It is not amenable to Congress, but to public opinión. It stands tor that opinión, and, in its name and by its supreme authority, criticises and judges both public measuies and public men. If the latter sometimos screen themselves behind their parliamontary privilege, and, as is well rememberod at the close of the last session, abominably libel individuals, business firma atid an entiro class of most honored citizens, 8hall they deny to the press of the country the right to utter the general sentiment on such conduct in tertns befitting its base audacity 'r1 It is not by mere permission from any body of public men that the press exists, and exists in a state of freedoin. Unless such is its character in a republie, the name of republieanisni becomes a hollow fra"ud. So long as it rests on a healthy and tirm public opinión for its support its freedoru tannot degenerate into liconse. But to attempt to put it in bonds from an apprehension lest it may is the last resource of a guilty fear. Have the people yet considered that this uew law of Cougress regarding the press touches none but public men, membets of that body and of the government? Have they reflected that this midnight statute does not concern itself about what may be libelous in general, but only about what public men in Washington would prefer to have unsaid ? As public char&cters they voluntarily exposé themsclves to public criticism. If they dread it on account of mere timorousness of inent, they have a way opnn to escape ït by withdruwing from a disagreeable position ; if from well-founded appreheusions of public opinión, an untramraeled press is all the more necessary for the people's defense and security. The series of investigationg in Congress form the strongest testimony iu favor of the continued freedom of the press. Neither Credit Mobilier, salary grab, Jayne seizures, Sauborn contracts, nor District swindlers would have been dragged to light and condemnation, if the independent journals of the country had not courageously fought this succession of battles with publio profligacy on behalf of the people. And now Congress means to stop these exposures where they are. It defies the press to criticise its members or measures any further than it will tolérate such freedom through the dictum of its local courts. A more monstrous assumption of power never was attempted in the history of the governinent. Those who passed the law speak of it now as a trifling matter, but they comprehend perfectly well that thoy intend to niake a large matter of it before they are done. Let this single measure be made the prominent issue in the coming electious, and let the people rise together and niake unanimous answer to it and its authors sueh as they and their successors wüi never mistake. It is bad enough for Congress to rob the people of their money, without attempting to rob them also of free speech.