But I object not so much to what they have omitted as to what they
have inserted. Even the Liberator called it "a misguided, wild, and
apparently insane-effort." As for the herd of newspapers and
magazines, I do not chance to know an editor in the country who will
deliberately print anything which he knows will ultimately and
permanently reduce the number of his subscribers. They do not
believe that it would be expedient. How then can they print truth?
If we do not say pleasant things, they argue, nobody will attend to
us. And so they do like some travelling auctioneers, who sing an
obscene song, in order to draw a crowd around them. Republican
editors, obliged to get their sentences ready for the morning edition,
and accustomed to look at everything by the twilight of politics,
express no admiration, nor true sorrow even, but call these men
"deluded fanatics"- "mistaken men"- "insane," or "crazed." It suggests
what a sane set of editors we are blessed with, not "mistaken men";
who know very well on which side their bread is buttered, at least.
A man does a brave and humane deed, and at once, on all sides, we
hear people and parties declaring, "I didn't do it, nor countenance
him to do it, in any conceivable way.
Pages:
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30