The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-04-10 00:00:00

lIIITEDOM or DISCUSSION AS ro PUBLIC
MEASURES.

VRE first right of man is existence ; the second, that
of thinking.—Whoever dare attack these, offers
renal violence to nature aid to reasen. From the
right of thinking result, that of speaking, writing,-
'refitting, and freely connnunicating our thoughts.
Those great literal and political truths which have
always existed, and which we hope %sill continue to
exist, have derived their origin from the natural
r:glits of mate By whet strange infatuation could
airy one, in these times, think of divlging' those
principles, and infringieg those rights ?—ln what'
goxertuuent, professing to be free, could any. one, in
his senses, dare ttaimpose shackles upon the Liberty
of the Press ?—None but a corrupt government,
wherein the seeds of despotism and slavery are met
with,.would tolerate such a design. The Liberty of
the Press is a natural right trowi the liberty of think-
jug. Nay more, it is instituted by a moral and poli-
tical right, not only to inform mankind with respect ,
to their privileges and duties, but also to perfect go- ,
vernment, check governor, and confine public
officers within the circle of their reciprocal fine-
tions. Thus should the Liberty of the Press be a
cmisiant guardian over public affairs, and over pub-
lic 'Ministers, without which its effects would he
very precarious, and often unavailing, for the safety
of the People and the prosperity of tine
By what strange fatality.do, some wish to screen Mi-
nisters from publie mature ? Men who have not been
appointed by the People—who are the agents of a
power always to be watched by the Purple, and
dreaded by Liberty—even whose influence, extending'
over veer', part of Administration, tends to the con-
leant disorgenizittion of those partsitill.they beerier°
entirely subjected to :arbitrary will. Yet .this is a
species of men, whose self-love we are to be aretlpli
not to offend, and on whose public conduct we are
not to criticise ! To propose such a line of conduct
to mankind in general, is the height of meanness,_;
error, and presumption. What ! shall we not dare
to tell a Minister that he is unfit for his office ; that
be is an enemy to the Constitution ; that he is a trai-
tor to his Country, when the effects of his mal-ad-
iinistration, his conduct, and his intrigues, with
those of his adherents, are as glaring as the sun at
soon-day, and ate felt, severely felt, on all sides ?
We must have legal material proofs, say his partisans,
before we can venture to hold him up to the view of
the world !—Why not render Ministers inviolable as
well as Kings ?—and why not extend that inviolabi-
lity to their Secretaries, Under-secretaries, and all
the herd of Placemen and Sycophants whom they
keep in constant pay, to puff their acts of go-
vernment, and to deceive the nations N---eO, ye
Prinees.of the Earth ! how much are you to be
pitied when your minds are not exalted to the tune
of that dignity and reason which befits you—when.
your blinducss misleads, or your eassions event*,
you—when you Suffer yourselves to le-brought hitt%
subjection by the imperious- till of a Prime 'Minis.,
ter!—Yon an not see, that if Severe public censure,
hoe ever avrited, be directed ageing certain charac-
ters high is office, it is liable to Ir prosecuted as se-
ditious or libellnus against the Executive Power,
though the agents so censured are not recognised in
the Constitntiun, not having been appointed by the
people. On the contrary, hy virtue of their ap..l
poineneuts, they ant- devoted to 4he Kin, and by I
no means to the nation; they will, therefore, *leapt
be indifferent to the liberty of the subject. Nothing I
more is wanting to the Minister, whose tesponsibie:
lily is already bet too illusive, than to be exempt'
from the criticisms of writers, and from the striea
(tires of public journals. We •eutiutait., that-no
law ought to exist against the Libetty of the Press,
either as to public affairs, .or to men in power. The
only offence which the press can commit against the i
laws, is that of direct calumny against the repute.. i
tiOn and integrity of an individual, for which the
prrion injured bas a right to demand justice in a
Court of Law. It is not, however, to the general
Liberty of the Press that we ought to look for the
perpetration of Ibis crime. It is to the incoosidece
ateness of the man who abuses that liberty from the
dictates of prioare revenge, or the impulse of moral
epravitsi ; whereas, in the censure directed against a
pablic character, a Minister, for example, whether It
originates from -real or. supposed facts, as long as it
relates only to the disclosure or indication of . certain, i
rivist:omeauceses, plotte.asiutrigues against the public
interest, the law ought to hare no power over the
writer or publisher. This is a clear and precise dis- I
tinction. It explains the inconclusiveness of those
who would confound 'writers that calumniate for their
own private ends, with those who have only in view
the general welfare of the country, and who wish to I
keep public ppinjon !make ou.the conduct and pur-
suits of a.Ministee,* or other persons in power. If !
a man, in a public station, has a clear conscience,
the suspicions orcalurnuieethat may be darted against
him, will, of themielves, faill.tcOhe ground. There
is a natural justice above all political precaution.—
Let it also be remembered, that there have been
wicked and corrupt men, who held the reins of go.
'torment; that there have • been judges expert at
convictions—who have been round.fayourable to the
strop;,' and inetembia to the weak. Besides, shall
a man for the excess of his seal—for warning.,
his country men of an imminent • danger, which be
stone haithecourageto point oat—shaft he be prose- •
cited, thrown into terison, and' ter all the disquie-
tudes, vexatiens, end torments,thatbare been institut.
ed for the pueishinent and Cerreetion of a real mat*.
Rectory Superfluous as this question may appear at first
sight, we, in fact, live a period, while such seems
&rein rearityacted before our eyes—when hadividuala,
whose only offence was thit of exerrifing a feeedoes
of discussion, free from private revenge_or moral; elan.
write', which every man has a right, to exeresse,....
Yet we are .told that this is a land of •liberty, entl
that we ought to be thankful for the manifold bles-
sings which we enjoy yder the reign of a. amsoficelat,
pious, and benevolext Plnscs .

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64 I ask the people of Englantll. ask the ho-. 1
,Mane and liberal of Ireland, whether it is pot cruel
1 to load the peasants with all the wandering popr in
the kingdom, and to extort from•ttseir feellngs the
~
I 'pittance of which they theniselelpriri'bbjecti F Bet
if it s:,ould be deemed inelipediehrbi.idipelitic to ;
t introduce poor's rates, there is no reascni vrlty Par-
ttiameot ought not to interfere, and aficbsi to the [ma=
i sentry the means of relieving the distressed,- by Int
!proving their own'eondftion, and Inducing the land-
lords to acquiesce irt.suCh.a measure, or tb ablibithe
consequences. The latter- well know. Wow easy it
would be to agitate this' question, and to rsiiscb cry.
which would resound through the kingdotoa- cryll
i which they -could not stifle or resist—a cry; whiCkl
no British Minister could, if he were willing to be:
Icome their instrument, put down by force; for, Beg*
conduct would. exceed the atrocities of the Duke
I of Ala, 'and make all men exclaim—' Foul tnur2-)
! der !, "

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Twenty-one persons have fallen victims at SaiA
'Mayes, •La Cornwall, to the disorder called t ~
rrP '... - ~,,.
..tktitx ST FIGHTING.—A dreadful pitched battle,
was fought at Clips Wood; near St. Ann's Hill, *WI
Monday, between ,a farmer of tho name of J 61141,
1 F.igard and William• Riitington, a navigator,
fire pounds OF their *sum 616ney, in coaseq4ence of '
a publit-hiptsfi quarrel. ,The: combatants knocked
each Wther stOrt by trVineaditfit blows one hour and
twitat7..firy minutes, with alternate advantages, 144 ,
at length FgoOlisit hka adrertgry a strong charm+
r hit behind t*', an 4. be fel4 setmel6aituntt,n ' 2
rose ag*it. fillums-conseyed to thitlieldeis .pub
610
house, abooritthile distant frora the 'seat of .acti
Whefe Imi ,lan *shed about three Moue, end' died.‘
A. Corour's n fiat Ass brought in &unties
Hof` ,iftd4l,
,r
kw.; - ngttint. tb.e deeeaseil Itafi, in 6."
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