The Sun.
London, England, 1805-04-16 00:00:00

with the zgia of the law agairiA aggressors front

among eurailves.
" Rut the endeavours to enlighten them on the
fate which awaits their present course of life, to in.
duce them to exercise their reason, follow its
tates, and 'change their pursuits with the changes
of circumstances, have nowerful obstacles to en.
counter. They are combated by the habits of their
.bodies, prejudices of their minds, ignorance, pride,
and the it fluence of interested and crafty individu.
als among them, who feel themselves something in
the present order of things, and fear to become no.
thing in any other. These persons incekate a
sandimonious reverence for the customs of their
ancestors ; that whatever they did must be done
through all time ; that reason is a false guide,-
and to advance under its counsel in their physi.
cal, moral, or-political condition, is perilous inno.
vation ; that their duty is to remain as their Crea.
tor made them, ignorance being safety, and know.
ledge full of danger. In short, my friends, among
them also is seen the adion and counter.aCtion of
good sense anti of bigotry. They too have their
'anti-philosophises, who find an interest in keeping
things in their present state ; who dread reforma.
tion, and exert all their faculties to maintain the
ascendancy of habit over the duty of improving our
reason and obeying its mandates.
" In giving these outlines, I do not mean, fellow.
citizens, to arrogate to myself the merit of measures.
That is due, in the first place, to the refieeting
rafter of our citizens at large, who, by the weight
of public opinion, influence and strengthen the pub.
lic measures. It is due to the sound discretion
with which they seled from among themselves those
to whom they confide the legislative duties. It is
due to the zeal and wisAom of the charafters thus
seleded, who lay the foundation of public happi.
nest in wholesome laws, the execution of which
alone remains for others : and it. is due to the able
and faiihful auxiliaries, whose patriotism has as.
sociated them with rue in the Executive fundions.
" During this course of administration, and in
order to disturb it, the artillery of the Press has
been levelled against us, charged with whatever its
licentiousness could devise or dare. These abuses
of an institution so important to freedom and
science are deeply to be regretted, inasmuch as they
tend to lessen its usefulness, and to sap its safety.
They might, perhaps, have been correded by the
wholesome punishments reserved to, and provided
by, the taws of the several States against falsehood
and defamation. But public duties more urgent press
on the time of public servants, and the offenders have
therefore been left to find their punishment in the
public indignation.
It Nur was it uninteresting to the world that an
experiment should be fairly and fully made, whether
freedom of discussion, unaided by power, is not
sufficient for the propagation and protection of truth ?
Whether a Government, conduding itself in the
true spirit of its Constitution, with zeal and purity,
and doing no ad which it would be unwilling the
whole world should witness, can be written down
by falsehood and defamation ? The experiment has
been fried. You have witnessed the scene. Our
Fellow.eitizens have looked on cool and collected.
They saw the latent source from which these out.
rages proceeded. They gathered uround their Pub.
lie Fundionaries .; and when the Constitution called
them to the decision by suffrage, they pronounced
their verdid, honourable to those who had served
them, and consolatory to the friend of man, who
believes he may be entrusted with the controul of his
own affairs.
" No inference is here intended, that the laws
provided by ate States against false and defamatory
publications, should not be enforced. He who has
time, renders a service to the public morals and
public tranquillity, in reforming these abuses by the
salutary aocreiens-of the law. But the experiment
is noted to prove that, since truth and reason have
maintained their ground egainct false opinions in
league with false facts, the Press, confined to truth,
needs no other legal restraint. The public judg.
ment will could !else reasonings and opinions, on
A full hearing of all parties, and no other definite
line can be drawn between the inestimable liberty
of the press, and its demoralizing licentiousness.—
If there be still improprieties which this rule would
not restrain, its supplement must be sought in the
censorship of public opinion.
" Contemplating the union of sentiments now
manifested so generally, as arguing, harmony and
happiness to our future course, I offer to our Conn.
try sincere congratulations. With those too not
yet rallied to the same point, the disposition to
ocl:
so is gaining strength.. Fads are piercing through
the veil drawn over them; and our doubting tare.
thren will at length see that the mass of their Fellow.
citizen, with whom they cannot yet resolve to ad,
as to principles and measure's, think as they think,
and desire what they desire. Tliat our with as well
as theirs, is, that the public efforts may be direded
honestly to the public good, that peace be cultivated,.
civil and religious liberty unassailed, law and order
preserved, equality of rights maintained, and that
state of property, equal or unequal, which result to
every man from his own industry or that of his
fathers. When satisfied of these views, iris nut in
human nature that they should not approve and alp.
port them. In the mean time, let us cherish them
with patient affedion. Let us do them justice, and
.alnd gat theiriler
more than justice, in all competitions. of interest ;
and we need nut doubt that truth, reason,
own interests, will at length prevail, will
them into the fold of their Country, and will com-
'pieta that entire union of opinion, which gives to a
Nation the blessings of harmony, and the benefit of
all its strength.
" 1 shall now enter on the duties to which my
fellow.citizens have again called me; and shall
proceed in the spirit of those principles which they
have approved. I fear not that any motive or in.
terest may lead me astray ; I am sensible of no
passion which could reduce me knowingly from the
path of justice ; but the weakness of human nature,
and the 1;101..4 tit toy own understanding, will pro.
duce errors of judgment sometimes injurious to your
interests. T snail need‘ therefore, all the indulgence
I have heretofore experienced ; • the want of it cer.
tainly will nut lessen with increasing years, 1 ,hall
need too the favour of that Being in whose hands we
are, who led our fathers, as Israel of old, from their
natie land, and pionted tlitit to a country flowing