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Show THE "HEHAXD"-McKEAN LIBEL. 1 Wt: publisn in ancthor placo the presentment of the Grand Jury on the special charge of Judco McKean in reference to a publication in the j IIixai.d of the ISth infant. We are glad to know that the Judge ia fully exonerated by the jury. "Honesty, integrity and impartiality" are among the first requirements of a high judicial judi-cial officer, and it is important for the community that any tendency to tho opposite inlluence shculd ho carefully v..tchcd and exposed. Better Bet-ter a hundred unjust insinuations against an official by the press than that ft judge should he enabled to I prostititto law and justice for eel fish purpose. ! Tho Grand Jury's allusion to the Ueimld will paid for what it is worth. The general character gnd reputation of this journal arc well known, and arc i:ot likely to be disturbed by any criticism or censure, either by judgo or jury. While wo publish a newspaper we shall consider piimnrilv tho public welfare and interests, always endeavoring en-deavoring to b;ise our comments upon up-on grounds of public policy, without regard to personal motives, aimiDg to maintain tho decencies of the profession. pro-fession. The best regulated newspaper news-paper or individual may sometimes err, or overstep tho boundary of ft dignified and prudent course, and the Herald does not claim exemption from possible errors of judgment. It is sufficient to say that no journalist can afford. to lie, to bear false witness, or to defame the characters of citizens, citi-zens, and wo believe no fair-minded citizen will accuse tho Herald of indulging in-dulging in these practices. We should further say that the proprietors and editors of the Herald have not been parties to any attempt at-tempt to procure the indictment indict-ment of Judge McKean. It was his honor's own suggestion that either himself or tho Herald should be indicted, in-dicted, and the failure of the jury to indict the Herald must be considered a signal vindication of the freedom of the press, ngainst an attempt to restrict re-strict it, and this verdict we must regard ns a triumph of no small magnitude, and congratulate the public on the manly independence of the Grand Jury which deemed it a duty to exercise its own judgment in a matter of this importance, regardless regard-less of the imperative mandate of the bench. |
