large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_12_belloc_64kb_28
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_12_belloc_64kb
English
7264
There is not an editor responsible for the management of any Free Paper who will not tell you that a thousand times he has had to consider whether it were possible to tell a particular truth, however important that truth might be to the commonwealth. And the fear which restrains him is the fear of destruction which the combination of the professional politician, and lawyer holds in its hand. THERE IS NOT AN EDITOR RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF ANY FREE PAPER WHO WILL NOT TELL YOU THAT A THOUSAND TIMES HE HAS HAD TO CONSIDER WHETHER IT WERE POSSIBLE TO TELL A PARTICULAR TRUTH HOWEVER IMPORTANT THAT TRUTH MIGHT BE TO THE COMMONWEALTH AND THE FEAR WHICH RESTRAINS HIM IS THE FEAR OF DESTRUCTION WHICH THE COMBINATION OF THE PROFESSIONAL POLITICIAN AND THE LAWYER HOLDS IN ITS HAND
 when a political verdict was ordered. Even in the case of so glaring an abuse, with which the whole country is now familiar, we must not exaggerate. It would still be impossible for the politicians, for instance, to get a verdict during war in favour of an overt act of treason. But after all, argument of this sort applies to any tyranny, and the power the politicians have and exercise of refusing to prosecute, however clear an act of treason or other grossly unpopular act might be, is equivalent to a power of acquittal. The lawyers decide in the last resort on the freedom of speech and writing among their fellow-citizens, and as their Guild is now unhappily intertwined with the whole machinery of Executive Government, we have in modern England an executive controlling the expression of opinion. It is absolute in a degree unknown, I think, in past society. Now, it is evident that, of all forms of civic activity, writing upon the Free Press most directly challenges this arbitrary power. HAS STOOD OUT LATELY WHEN A POLITICAL VERDICT WAS ORDERED EVEN IN THE CASE OF SO GLARING AN ABUSE WITH WHICH THE WHOLE COUNTRY IS NOW FAMILIAR WE MUST NOT EXAGGERATE IT WOULD STILL BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE POLITICIANS FOR INSTANCE TO GET A VERDICT DURING WAR IN FAVOR OF AN OVERT ACT OF TREASON BUT AFTER ALL ARGUMENT OF THIS SORT APPLIES TO ANY TYRANNY AND THE POWER THE POLITICIANS HAVE AND EXERCISED OF REFUSING TO PROSECUTE HOWEVER CLEAR AN ACT OF TREASON OR OTHER GROSSLY UNPOPULAR ACT MIGHT BE IS EQUIVALENT TO A POWER OF ACQUITTAL THE LAWYERS DECIDE IN THE LAST RESORT ON THEIR FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND WRITING AMONG THEIR FELLOW CITIZENS AND AS THEIR GUILD IS NOW UNHAPPILY INTERTWINED WITH THE WHOLE MACHINERY OF EXECUTIVE GOVERNMENT WE HAVE IN MODERN ENGLAND AN EXECUTIVE CONTROLLING THE EXPRESSION OF OPINION IT IS ABSOLUTE IN A DEGREE UNKNOWN I THINK IN PAST SOCIETY NOW IT IS EVIDENT THAT OF ALL FORMS OF CIVIC ACTIVITY WRITING UPON THE FREE PRESS MOST DIRECTLY CHALLENGES THIS ARBITRARY POWER
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