DEPARTURE FROM THE CONSTITUTION.
EVERY good thing can be abused. From the perversion of the good comes the evil. One of the blessings brought to this country through the influence of Christianity, vouchsafed by the fundamental law of the nation to every citizen, is that of free speech. The fathers of the republic were very anxious and careful that it should be preserved. The first amendment to the Constitution, reported we believe by ten of the original thirteen States, and adopted by all, reads as follows:— Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or of abridging the freedom of speech or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievance. These same guarantees are secured in the constitutions or bills of rights of most of the States. A few years ago these rights were thought to be eternally secure. But since 1892 dawned, Congress has committed itself to the principles of religious legislation. The same principles have been approved by the executive and judiciary branches of the government. A Supreme Court decision of February 1, 1892, makes Congress the censor of the press, and thus takes from the alleged offender in this respect the right of trial by jury. Now, and especially since the greatly-to-be-lamented death of President McKinley, the doctrine of freedom of speech is vigorously attacked. Old Virginia has repudiated it. Few men dare defend it for fear of being called “anarchists.” For instance, as democratic a paper as the New York World (September 30) quotes approvingly a strong utterance against it by Bishop Henry C. Potter of New York. License is one thing; liberty is another. The fathers of the republic did not contemplate the Constitution’s sanctioning treasonable and incendiary utterances against the government, or property, or the advocacy of violence against persons. All this is license, not liberty. What is vouchsafed in the Constitution is the God-given right freely to discuss principles of government and of religion, with none to molest or make afraid. The danger now is of suppressing all discussion of principles held by a dominant political party or the majority of the people religiously. If against the principles and policy of the former, one is by many coming to be regarded as an anarchist. If one is against what the majority hold to be Christianity, he is regarded as unchristian, infidel, or a disturber of the peace, who should be suppressed by law. And yet the opposer of the principles of the government may be the truest patriot, and the opposer of the religious dogmas of the majority may be the most loyal Christian. War with principles, not men. Let men be converted to principles, and vice versa, by the fullest, freest discussion. This is one thing; treasonable, seditious, incendiary, homicidal speech is another. But those who attempt to suppress the truest, fullest freedom of speech as taught by Christianity and guaranteed by the Constitution, will find that repression and suppression will spread and foster anarchy instead of uprooting it. The most autocratic government on earth to-day, where the press censor is ever in evidence, is the very breeding-ground of Nihilism and Anarchy. This tendency to imperial rule in the subversion of fundamental, God-given right is one of the growths of the last days, and forebodes the doom of earthly government.