Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1804-08-22

the scnsibili,y of Cwran needed no, such inci.e
ments.-Lberty had chosen him for her own.
and in the destruction of this idol of his hopes
every sentiment of his soul seems agitatet.
In presenting TO our readers the subsequent dis
| play of splendid. independent, and digniliod
eloquence, from this unrivaed Orator. we Tor
! bear 70 comment on the causes which produced
II ppm such subjects. language mvst indeed
lag behind tbe 'rab;diy Of teelisg-Let it be
remembered. however. that a government
which could authorize, and iudicasure, which
Could sanction these savage proceedings, impi
ousiy assumes the attribute of justice, and
| boasts of mercy in its administration This
| ini'ni'ab!e effuson OF glowing and splendid sio
| quence was produced in defence of Mr. FIN
! ERrY. F1NERTY was printer of the celebrated
| paper called Tic 3" Press" the only one that
then dared TO speak for the people, and to de-
nounoe their oppressors He was prosecuted
tor 90 bringing the gooe,nmert into soa,c,nbt" by
publishing statement of the trial of Wilt
AM ORR. who was sentenced to the scaf,old
upon the evidence of Z periured common infor-
mer Cwra'' did not expea to take any part in
the trial nor did he receive liceuce, till the
jury We're sworn. -Egis.
| FEW men see. at once, that they can
not DE hurt SO much as they think by the
mere battery Of a newspaper. They do
not reflect that every character has ma
tural station from winch it cannot be ef-
fectua'ly degraded, ard beyond which it
cannot be raised by the bawling of a news
hawker. 1t it is wantonly aspersed, it is
but Tor season, and that short one, and
it energies like the Moon from passing
cloud to whatever original brightness il
possessed. 1t is right, however, that i,
is law, and thai you should hold the strict
est hand over This kind of animadversion,
that forces humility and innocence from
their retreat into the glare of public view (;
that wounds and terriies; that destroy
the cordially and The peace of domestic
lie and that without eradicating single
vice, or single folly, plants a thousand
thorns in the human heart"
The learned counsel has been pleased
20 say that he comes forward in this pro.
Secdtion as the real advocate for the liber.
~ OF the press and to protect mild and
merciinl government from its iicentious
ness and he has been pleased TO add, thai
the constitution can never be lost, while lis
freedom remains, and that its licentious
ness alone can destroy that freedom. As
TO that, gentlemen, he might as we'll have
SAID, that there is only one disease of which
man can die; and when he comes for.
ward to extinguish this paper in the ruin
OF the printer by state prosecution, in or.
der to prevent its dying Of Righteousness
you must Judge how candidly he is treat.
ing you, both in the fact and in the rea.
soning. Is it in Ireland, gentlemen, that
we are told RIGHTEOUSNESS is the only dis.
ease that can be mortal TO the press? Has
he heard Of nothing else that has been ia.
tai to the freedom Of publication know
not whether the printer of the Northern
Star may have heard of such things in his
captivity, but know that his wife and his
children are well apprized that a pres.
may be destroyed in the open day, not by
ITS own RIGHTEOUSNESS, but by the licenti.
BUSINESS Of military force. rs to the sin.
cerity OF the declaration that the state has
prosecuted in order 10 assert the freedom
OF the press, it starts train Of thought
melancholy retrospect and direful pros.
peel, to which did not think the learned
counsel would have wishedto commit your
minds II leads you naturally 10 ref1e6 a,
what times, from what motives, and with
what consequences the government has
displayed It's patriotism by these sorts oil
prosecutions. As to the motives docs
history give you single instance in which
the state has been provoked to these con.
tiicts, except by the fear of truth, and BIZ
the love divergence? Have you ever seen
the rulers of any country bring forward a
prosecution from motives Of filial piety, for
libelS upon their departed ancestors Do
you read that Elizabeth dire6led any OF
those state prosecutions, against the libeIs
which the Divines of her times had writ
ten against her Catholic Sister, or against
other libels which the same gentlemen
had written against her Protestant father ?
No, gentlemen, we read of no such thing ;
but we know she did bring forward a pro-
secution from motives of personal resent
ment, we know that a jury was found
time-serving and mean enough, to give a
verdict which she was ashamed to carry
into effect. said that the learned coun-
sci drew you back to the times that have
been marked by these miserable conflicts.
| see you turn your thoughts to those pa
8es OF governmental abandonment, OF DO
PuIar degradation, of expiring liberty, Of
merciless x sanguinary persecution, 10 that
miserable period, in which the fallen and