What exactly is freedom of speech and what are its origins?
Freedom of speech is the right each person has to express one's views of politics or other public affairs, including dissenting views, without fear of punishment. The eleventh article of the French constitution states:
Free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious rights of man. Consequently, every citizen may speak, write, and print freely, subject to responsibility for the abuse of such liberty in the cases determined by law.The modern idea for the freedom of speech came from the rights of man. Freedom of speech stemmed from the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the citizens of France during the French Revolution. The eleventh article in the document is the basis for freedom of speech. The Rights of Man document stated that one of the inalienable and most basic rights of men was the right to freedom of speech. Governments today, such as China, also agree with the principle of freedom of speech yet they do not practice the right. The statement of free speech has been defined in many documents, including the United States Constitution. The declaration was redefined in the French Constitution of 1958.
The right of freedom of speech is an important right for everyone. Freedom of speech gives people the chance to speak up for their rights and beliefs. Freedom of speech was especially important to the French Revolutionaries of the eighteenth century. After declaring their freedom of speech, the Revolutionaries were able to spread the beliefs they held to the other citizens. Doing so helped Revolutionaries rally the support they needed. The Declaration allowed peasants the ability to declare what they wanted. The Declaration also allowed women to speak up and make their own "Declaration of the Rights of Women".
Unfortunately declaration did not survive in the late seventeen hundreds. The new government under Robespierre formed various committees that kept freedom of speech from getting out of control. Most of the people that spoke against the new government were found and killed. Freedom of speech was granted only to those who were speaking for the current government; hardly freedom of speech at all. The ironic part of Robespierre's terror was that Robespierre's people were the ones who drafted the Declaration, yet they were also the people carrying out the punishment of the followers.
Another example of freedom of speech in France is the case of Alfred Dreyfus. An influential writer named Emile Zola defended Dreyfus against charged that were false. Emile Zola exercised his right to free speech in the late eighteen hundreds in France. He spoke in defense of Alfred Dreyfus, a man accused and sentenced for treason. Dreyfus did not write the bordereau which was used to convict him. Zola wrote to the court, jury, public, and government pleading with them to uphold justice and free Dreyfus, an innocent man. Zola too was tried and convicted for libel; he was speaking the truth and advocating acquittal for Dreyfus. In 1899 Dreyfus was pardoned and freed.
Zola undauntingly professed his belief in the innocence of a man he did not even know. Zola wrote to encourage his fellow citizens to uphold justice and begged them not to carry out a grave injustice. In the end, Zola used freedom of speech to free an innocent man. Zola, himself, did not serve his sentence in prison, he left his beloved country for France, and returned June 5, 1899.
Here is a copy
of the Declaration that was given to Thomas Jefferson by General Layfayette (held in the United States Library of Congress)
This is a copy of the Declaration of the Rights of Man (translated to English)