Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1799-03-01

the itate contributions, and in the ,mend
meat OF the sc freedom OF the prefs," the
very great iolicitude on thus -iubie2 diplay-
cd throughout the continent, was mott ir-
rational aud sbfurd. Itthis was their me n
! ing, she g palladium" Of liberty is indeed
9 wooden ffatu e,'' and the bulwark of
freedom is indeed a dslpicabI- iprtihcation
Of P4per. The officers of the government
would have right to invade this forriIica
ton, and 20 make prifaners of the gar lion,
whenever obey thought that there was a
failure in the dry of publlhing only the
| truth, of which salurc pcrions chofen bytae
government are TO judge. This is too alb
l1prd even for ridicule.
That iuch was not the meaning Of the
convent on of Virginia is nanifeli. They
foieulnly protect az, ainlt any Kind Of legiila-
tive control, and declare, that the Freedom
o. the prefs is not to be reRrsined or modi-
iied BY any law whatever.
This venerable and enlightened aTembly
had too much wiidom TO avow niean mr.,
| 70 totally incompatible with the real obieti
of their wines. They knew thar there ne
yer was q governments IN the world, howe
yer delpotic, that dared to avowa deiign TO
iuppreis the truth !: ,hsy know that the
mott corrupt and proaigatc administrations,
thar ever brought sre:ehednels aud orpref-
ion upon a happy and free people, fpcak in
tbeir public aets the language of patriotiln
and virtue only, aud that. although their re
al aajeet is to flop inquiry, and to telrify
truth INTO Elence, the vengeance Of the law
= e.s9earS TO oe detected againil faliehood and
malice only: in fast, they know, that there
are many truths, important to foclety,
which are not fuiccp.ible Of that fal, direA
! aud poiitiye evidence, which can alone be es.
hibi'cj before court and jury:
hat men might be, and often would be
deferred from fpeaking truths, which they
conll prove, unlels they were abiohtely pro-
tetted from the trouble, difgrace, loaes, and
expenie Ola prolecntion.
That IN thc violence OF party ipirit which
government knows TOO well how to produce,
and 20 inllame evideaee the mott coacluiiye,
might be rejected, AID that iuries might be
packed, 90 WHO would find Abel guilty of
the murdes Of Cam
That nothing tends more to irritate ths
minds of men, and ditur6 the peace of Eoci-
: ETY., than profscutions of political nature
which like profecutions in religion, incrraf,
the evils, they were, perhaps, Intended tc
remove.
They knew that the licentioufnels of III,
prels, though an evil, was LET'S evil thai
, that reiulting from any law TO refrain il
upon the fame principle that the mott en-
iightened part Of the world is at lsngt
eonfiuced, that the evils ariiing from til
: tolcration OF hereby and atheiim, a,c leG
iaiiritriy leis, than the evils Of periecu
{ ton.
That the fpirit of inquiry and difcufiol
was TIC u,moh importance in every fre
country, and could be prefer ed only 5
I giving IT abiciate protection, eVen in its {,
T cells.
Thar truth vas always equal to the tai
{ Of combating faliehood without the aid ,
government becaule in mott ingances
has defeated falfthood, backed by all II
power of government
That truth cannot be impreGed upon Il
hupau mind by powers with which, Their,
fore, it dfda;ns an alliance, bu, by realc
and evidence only.
They know the fublime precept inculc
ted by the aet efabldhmg religious ire
dom, that g whcre difcuiion is free, err,
= ceaies TO be dangerous - and, thetfor
they wilely aimed AZ the total cxclufion
all Congregational jurifdiaion.
Is But, ii has been Gaid, that the freedom
/ the prefs, conGas not 10 The privilege
II printing truth; but in an exemption ire
: previous reRraint, aud as the fcdiiion b
-e inpoies no previous reaTaips, it docs nos
N bridge the freedom Of the prcis. This pr
fonm remark is borrowed from BlackNoi
&c and DE Lolme aud Is grayely repeated, /
ie thoie who are weak enough 10 take opin
{. ons uSon truR.
IL L theie writers meant to fate what Il
&c law was underitood to DC in England, the
is are correct. Even If they meant to tia
ic what the law ought to be in England, PEI
IN hspS they are fill correct becauie it is c,
y trencly probable, that a prels ablointel
&c free, would in toe fbort courfe Of Que yei
as humble in the duff and afhcs' the {" "a
10 'pendous fabric" Of the Bri;ilh government
be But this definition does not defsrve to
a. tianfplauted into America. In Bntsin,
IL Legislative control over the prefs, IS, perhaI
> eiienusl to the prefersation Of the " prefel
1T order Of things - bot il Dies not foloy
,h that iuch control Is elcntial here in Br
u tain, az itanding army is ncceiIary 10 kee
is the people in peace, and the ,nonafcb on h
-