Cologne, November 15. Today’s Kélnische Zeitung carries the 
following royal Cabinet Order, which was sent to all provincial 
ministries in the course of last month: 


“I have already frequently pointed out that the tendency of the bad part of the 
daily press to mislead public opinion on matters of general concern by disseminat- 
ing untruths or distorted facts should be countered by contrasting every such false 
report at once with the truth through a correction of the facts published in the 
same newspapers that were guilty of the falsifications. It does not suffice to leave 
counteraction against the evil tendencies of a daily newspaper, which have a 
pernicious effect on the public mind, to other papers that are imbued with a better 
spirit and to expect it only from them. The poison of corruption must be rendered 
harmless in the very place where it has been dispensed; that is not only the duty of 
the authorities to the circle of readers to whom the poison has been proffered, it is 
at the same time the most effective means for destroying tendencies to deception 
and lying as they manifest themselves, by compelling the editors themselves to 
publish the judgment passed on them. I have therefore noted with displeasure that 
little or no use has been made so far of this means, which is as legitimate as it is 
essential, for curbing manifestations of degeneration on the part of the press. 
Inasmuch as the present laws may not have sufficiently established the obligation of 
our domestic newspapers to publish without demur, and, moreover, without any 
comments or introductory remarks, all factual corrections officially sent them, I 
expect from the state ministry immediate proposals for the necessary supplemen- 
tary legislation. If, however, they are already adequate for the purpose, it is My will 
that they should be vigorously implemented by My magistrates for the protection 
of law and truth, and I recommend this, not only to the ministries themselves, but 
in particular to the immediate attention of the Oberprasidents, to whom the state 
ministry shall give directives to this end. 

“The more deeply I have it at heart that the noble, loyal and commendably 
frank frame of mind, wherever it may be displayed, shall not find its freedom of 
speech curtailed, and that truth shall be as little as possible restricted in the sphere 
of public discussion, the more ruthlessly must the spirit that employs the weapons 
of lying and misleading be held under restraint so that freedom of speech cannot 
be cheated of its fruits and its blessings by being misused. 


“Sanssouci, October 14, 1842 ; 
(signed) Frederick William” 


Cabinet Order on the Daily Press 281 


We hasten the more urgently to communicate the above royal 
Cabinet Order to our readers, because we see in it a guarantee for 
the Prussian press. Every loyal newspaper can only regard it as 
significant support on the part of the government if untruths or 
distorted facts, the publication of which cannot always be avoided 
even with the greatest circumspection on the part of the editorial 
board, are corrected from an authoritative source. By these official 
explanations the government not only guarantees a certain historical 
correctness of the factual content of the daily press, but also, what is 
still more important, recognises the great significance of the press 
by positive participation, which will restrict within ever narrower 
bounds negative participation by prohibition, suppression and censor- 
ship. At the same time, the royal Cabinet Order presupposes a 
certain independence of the daily press, for if without such indepen- 
dence tendencies to deception, lying and pernicious tendencies are 
not likely to spring up and establish themselves in the daily press, 
still less is a noble, loyal and commendably frank frame of mind. 
This royal presupposition of a certain independence of the daily 
press should be welcomed by Prussian newspapers as the most 
excellent guarantee of this independence and as an unambiguous 
expression of the royal will.