The freedom of the press should be thus far restricted; so
that when a man publicly proclaims through the far-sounding trumpet of
the newspaper, he should be answerable for it, at any rate with his
honor, if he has any; and if he has none, let his name neutralize the
effect of his words. And since even the most insignificant person is
known in his own circle, the result of such a measure would be to
put an end to two-thirds of the newspaper lies, and to restrain the
audacity of many a poisonous tongue.
ON REPUTATION.
Writers may be classified as meteors, planets and fixed stars. A
meteor makes a striking effect for a moment. You look up and cry
_There!_ and it is gone for ever. Planets and wandering stars last
a much longer time. They often outshine the fixed stars and are
confounded with them by the inexperienced; but this only because they
are near. It is not long before they must yield their place; nay, the
light they give is reflected only, and the sphere of their influence
is confined to their own orbit--their contemporaries. Their path is
one of change and movement, and with the circuit of a few years their
tale is told. Fixed stars are the only ones that are constant; their
position in the firmament is secure; they shine with a light of their
own; their effect to-day is the same as it was yesterday, because,
having no parallax, their appearance does not alter with a difference
in our standpoint.
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