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Religion and the John Peter Zenger Case

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Religion and the John Peter Zenger Case DOCUMENT RESUME ED 244 276 CS 208 3O8 AUTHOR Nord, David Paul TITLE The Authority of.Truth: Religion and the John Peter Zenger Case. PUB DATE i Aug 84 NOTE. 27p.; Paper pretented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (67th, Gaineiville, FL, August 5-8, " 1984). PUB= TYPE Speeches/Conference Papers (150 -- Viewpoints (120) Historical Materials (060) EDRS PRICE MF01 Plus Postage. PC NoAvailable from EDRS. DESCRIPTORS *Court Litigation; *Freedontof Speech; *Journalism; *Newspapers; Politics; *Religion; Religious Conflict; Unted States History IDENTIFIERS *JournaXism History; Libel; *Zenger (John Peter) ABSTRACT An appreciation of the religious milieu of the John Peter Zenger libel case of 1735 can help explain the nature of the Zenger defense as prepared by'Alexander Hamilton, the meaning of the jury's verdict, and the ambiguous- legacy of the trial.for freedom of expression in the United States. In essence, the case was a disputation on "truth" and on how ,truth it revealed to'humans. Because_this issue lay ot the heart of Protestant religiot as well as of colonial politics, the Zenger cape may be seen as an interesting intersection of. the two. Indeed, ,the case and the jury's verdict were closely associated withthe spirit of the Great Awakening of "religion. Like the Great Awakening, the Zenger case reflected the skepticism about human _auth6rity felt by ordinary people who possessed a deep faith in the existence of God and of truth. Like the ministers of "awakened" congregations, whq were willingto reject the authority of creeds and\hierarchies, the Zenger jurors were willing ` to reject the instructions of the chief justice of New York. Like the revival, converts Who asserted thtir right to interpret the law of God, the Zenger jury asserted the right of ordinary people to interpret human, law. In both instances, the operative principle was not freedom, but truth.' (FL) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied *by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** U.& DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION EDUCATIONAL liESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER IERICI XThis document has been reproducltd as received Irom the person or organization onginating it. History DiVision . Minor changes-have been made to improve reproduction iluailtv. 0- Points of view or Opiniorls stated in this docu mere do not necessarily represent official NIE position or polici" 4 THE AUTHORITY OF TRUTH; --Religion and the John Peter tenger Case== j by David Paul Word School of Journalism Indiana University Bloomington, Indiana' "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL IN MICROFICHE ONLY HAS BEEN GRANTED BY David Paul Nord TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." 'Presented to the History Division ofthe-Associaticin for Education in Journaligm and Mass Communication,_ annual convention, GainesVille, Florida, August, 1984 History Division Abstract 1.6 THE AUTHORITY OF TRUTH --Religion and the John Peter'Zenger Case-- by David 'Paul Nord Sahbol of JOurnalism Indiana Univerpity Bloomington, Indiana This paper is about religion in the John Peter Zenger caseof 1735. Its main argument is that an appreciation of the religious milieu of the case can help to explain the nature of the Zenger defense, the meaning of the jury's verdict, and the ambiguous legacy of the trial for- freedom of sexprssion in America. In essence, the en case was a disputation op truth, and on how truth is reveal o man- this Assue lay at the heart of Protestant religion as well as colonial politics in the 1730s, the ' Zenger case can be seen as an'interesting intersection ofthe'two. Indeed, the paper argues'that the Zenger case and the jury's verdict were closely associated with the spirit of the Great Awakening of religibn _in the 1730s and 140s. Throughout their history, Americans have t;een strangely intolerant libertarians, often Suppressingindividual liberties in the-naoe of ore transcendent frdedom. It is my contention that America's heritage ofree- dom of expression is ambiguous, at least in part, because of itsreligious roots. try to ahow in this paper how some of these roots were revealed in tl)e'John Peter 'Zenger affair. # # # Presented to the History Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, annual convention, Gainesville, Florida, August, 1984. THE AUTHORITY OF TRUTH --Religion and the John Peter Zanier Case-L- . ._._in New York a man may make very free with his. God, buthe 'must take special care what he says of his governor 1 -- Andrew Hamilton; 1735 This paper is about religion in the John Peter Zengercase of 1735. Its main argument is that an appreciation; of the religious milieu of thecase can 4 help to explain the nature of Zenger4s defense, the meaning of the jury's verdict; and the ambiguous legacy of the trial for freedom of expression in 1. America. In essence; the Zenger case was a disputation on truth, andon how is revealed to man; Because this losue lay at the heart of Protestant religion as well as colonial politics in the 1730s, the Zengercase can be seen as an interesting intersection of,the two. Throughout their history, Americans haVe been strangely intolerant libertarians, often suppressing individual liberties in the name of a more transcendent freedom. It is my contention that America's heritage of freedom of expression, is ambiguous,at least in part, because of its religious roots. I will try to show in this paper how some of these roots were revealed in the Zenger affair. I I Religion lay beneath the surface and between the lines of theZenger case; the overt issues were political and legal. John Peter Zenger's New York Weekly Journal, which commenced publication in 1733, has been describedas Vr "first -1- -2- political independent" newspaper in America:This is not quitetrue. It would be more accurate to call it the first politipal party paper. ThtoUrnel was by a grouPof New York politicians, led'by Lewis Morris, one of the provincels most wealthy and powerful men. The aim of the Morrisite party was to underMine the administration of Governor William Cosby, who,,had arrived in New York in 1732. The purpose of the papeiltWas to stir up public-opinion'in,=._ order to turn a narrow 'political struggle into.a popular crusade-3 Although Zenger was the printer and proprietor of the Journal, the true editor seems to have been JaMesAlexanleri'awell-known lawyer, a member of the Morrisite circle, 4 and later mastermind of Zenger's defense. The content of the Journal clearly reflected its unabashed political purpose; The heart of each issue was Usually a political essay, either an excerpt from "Cato's Letters" or a pseudonymoue letter written by Alexander or one of the other Morrisite leaders. Most of these essays were abstract attacks on tyrannyehnd official abuse of_power, but the connection to the Cosby adminietra= tion was always unmistakable. Like other American newspapers of the time, the Jovirnel also carried the usual foreign news briefs, shipping notices, and local , advertisements; But even some of the ads mare thinly disguise& satiric attacks 5 on. the governor and his supportere. Not surprisingly; Governor Cosby imm0=--- diately began to plot his revenge. Throughout 1734, Cosby sought, unsuccess- fully, the helpof the New York Grand Jury and the colonial Assembly in sup- pressing the paper. Finally, in November, 1734, Zenger was arrested and charged With publishing-seditious libel. After much legal wrangling and more than 6 . Seven months in jail, Zenger came to trial in August of 1735. The story of the trial itself is well known, largely because of the peren- nial popularity of James Alexander's pamphlet A Brief Narrative of the Case and which was first published in 1736 and frequently 7 reprinted thereafter. In the trial, attorney Andrew Hamilton, then the most celebrated of American courtroom lawyers, made his famous pIea that truth shoUld be adMitted as a defense and. that the jury shall- decide not only, the factt of publication but'aiso how the law should -be applied. These two prin- ciples were good politics in New York but bad law in an English court,,and the presiding jUdge rejected then' both. Hattilton ignored the rulings from the bench, however, and appealed directly to the jury. He admitted that Zenger published the statements in question, but he argued that they were true state- ments, and therefore not libelous. And he told the jurors that they had the right to so decide. Hamilton's plea on both principles was persuasive, and the jury brought in a verdict of "not guilty."When the verdict was reed, three "huzzas" rang out in the courtroom. And later that night the Morridited gathered at the Black Horse Tavern to drink toasts to Hamilton and to celebrate 8 the vindication of liberty in America. The legal and political significance of the -Unger case seemed simple enough to the celebrants that night at the Black Horse. But the meaning of the case has been warmly debated by historians, lawyers, and journalists ever since. In the,nineteenth century, the 'trial was generally viewed as a landmark 1 in the growth of political freedom and resistance to tyranny in America-- some- thing like the'firSt Shot fired in theAmericen.'Revolution.9 In the early' _ - twentieth century, the case came to be celebrated more as a legal laindmark in the development of the law of libel. "Vincent Buranelli's lttidatory account of the trial was pr9bably the apotheosis of this view. He declared in 1957 that Zenger's acquittal "was not just a .personal thing; or the wresting of a itidtheh= tarrpriviIege;from'an,indoIent or interested official; t was a legal prete= dent."19 After 1960,prompted chiefly by the work of Leo Levy, historians moved away from thii viewi generally agreeing.
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