Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1800-08-29
from 'ks (Fssosaicm57Roj G EMU
Of LIBERTY.
ReHsthians in reference 10 tie nexf
Election Of a Pref3ent and Can
grGG Of tbs Unifsd STATES.
LY CURG y $40. VII.

! government % toe United States mad f,'yer.
ed any Notifications frou, he men IN power. ,
and we have 10 entirely asgia,ed frcyp the
| queilion, ss nov % be ergaged in IN erEea.
vof "a dt:cover tor: mode OF DISCRIMINATING
tssween mca;urcs celebrated to operate upon
the hopes and fssra Of the nsti1p, in order
70 fuaain felfh dsfgns, srd ,i,nC, hocsRlv
intended for the foIe parpcfe OF producing
municipal oTdsr.
To iluhrate the difficulty, 7 I'll cx,raa
feveral facf9 from the Ensbf hiaory, which
may be lately done, az am rot in England,
"''hout mourning he pcushi-s Of their f:di-
ton law.
Aad their edition law itrelf, Is ,hc noa
| prominent example which can be a6ducsd
6ecanie had The Eng'ih thoroughly reasa.
ed upon the conlcqnerces which would en-
lue, from enabling few individuals in office
n apply the fcrc;ble itnpulfe OF fear to pub.
lie opinion, they would have Gs,eGed all the
tubterfugcs rciorted 10 for fc5ucing then,
into belief, that tie {sditioa law is ita quar-
dian.
They wonid have reafoned thus--lfit be
admitted that public opinion or national will,
rnua either Influence a government, or that
, the nation will ceafe 70 be free it follows
that the government ought not by penalties
or brides, 70 control rhis public opinion or.
I national will becaulg j, is obvious that the
; government cannot be Influenced by that
which il IS able 20 control. A right which
is controlled, is not freely exercite3, and q
right which cannot he freely ex,rciied, j. NOT
po(IeRed, for that which VIC are conpsIled
70 ufe IN lecret, or by health left we be pu.
nihed for uIing II, cannot be con6dsred "a
our free property. IL is admitted that the
pecpl; oaght &c be the judges of govern
meDt; but il a government ihould undertake
to try and puniih the people for exercidug
this right, the right i;fsf is taken away, and
the efence of republican order is reverted,
by governments ulurpiag the power 10
judge and prniih the people, becauie they
have exerci!ed the right Of judging The go.
verament.
Free difcufion alone can beget or heaow
efficacy on public opinion, or account of its
|indfaiuble connection with free election.
| The right Of election, without the right OF
free difcufion, would be compelling the mind
to judg: Of merit ia the fame way, as If the
eye was compelled to Judge of beauty blind
folded.
| He therefore who violates tAe riah, Of free
difcuiiion, has rendered proof ia which
there IS nothing equivocal, thar he ia iamica
20 the principle OF free election, OF The M
biaaed force of public opinion and this IN
! tquivocsl proof Of enmity 10 principle
without the Evidence Of Which, natl nal H.
berty cannot exit, ought to guide us in ef
timatiGg his motives where his conduG ma,
be more anbiguous if national Jolly cou!y
be 70 extreme, as 10 wander into 30 exsu.i-
nation Of cifcumaan,ial evidence, in order 1,
! determine hsthet tley would eiaplcy
man to preferve their loyrty, after heados
that which is Pohtive and direct of his en-
nifty to 4 prineipIe u2ou which it ezallfiye
iy depends
{ The correanefa Of this reaforing is d;f-
played by The confederation, thai a!though /
, is mode,a ard conicieH,iou g.nd,cstioi
ofthe rights Of public opinion, yet il ,he au
thor had uled it in England, be might hay
been made .he within OF that very ieGii0'
law, the merits Of which he IS calmly 6ifcuis
II ing. Can a law, which is competent to tn
. dtNT uctiCn OF one Wuo ID cOnL~nLin8 Ioi W.
j freedom of public opinion, be any Ionge
{, pai!td opon tbs Eogiifh n'tion "a It's guar
! diaa
! The EogGh having lhoo fei,lcd clue
= by which to unravsl the motive, Of more am
o bigaous meaiurer, might have proceeded t
!, the confederation Of an army and a funding
D iyaem.
Aud thus they ought to have reafored
A nation can never be drawn into war, sZ-
cep, by the interct Of ne ma Ion, ar the de
Ggns Of government agsint ,he nal u
National interet 10 favor of war, may be re
duced to two Objects one, Isli-dsience--
, the other, conqu-H, Ii thctc IS 40 invsGon
I aud is the Guprri0r ltrength OF TIE fneaiy ~
: bids : hope Of eooqVet, there 10 no caat
z founded 10 national iatereG tor the war; az
therefore the other motive NUT b It's nu
cauie.
If Gome affair Of etiquette, Or Of reprosch
ful lsugooge, lhoDld BE w 4 as 'he eaai