Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1805-03-15

that their duty is to remain as their crea-
tor made them, ignorance being safety,
and knowledge full Of danger. In short,
my friends, among them also is seen the
action aud CONDENSATION Of good sense
and bico,rv. They too have their anti ,
philosophits, who find an interest in /
keeping things in their present state ; +
who dread reformation, and exert all
their faculties to maintain the ascen4en-
cy Of habit over the duty Of improving
our reason and obeying its mandates.
Ingivins these outlines, l do not mean
. fellow citizens, TO arrogate to myself
the merit of the MEASURES. l hat Is due,
in the first place, to the rejecting cha
racter Of our citizens at large, who, by
the weight Of public opinion, influence
and strengthen the public measures. 1t
is due to the sound discretion with which
they select from among themselves those
to whom they conhde the Legislative dW-
ties. 1t is due to the zeal and wisdom
ofthe characters thus selected, who lay
the foundations OF public happiness in
wholesome laws, the execution of which
alone remains for Others ant4 II IS etc
to The able and faithful anxi!iArles, whose
patriotism has associated them with me
in the executive functions.
During this course Of administration,
and in order TO disturb it, the artillery Of
the Press has been lcveiled against US,
changed with whatsoever its htentious-
ness could devise or dare. These aou-
ses Of an institution so important to tree
dom and science, are deeply TO be tgrct-
ted, inasmuch as they nd TO lessen its
usefulness, and sap its safety. They
might perhaps have been corrected bv
the wholesome Puaiahments reserved
TO, and provided by, III. laws Of the Sc
vcral states against faIachooI aud de'a-
nation. But public lnlies more urgent
press on the time Of public servants and
the Offenders have therefore been left to
find their punishment In the public indig-
nation.
Nor was it uninterestin5 to the world
that an experiment should be fairly and
. fully made, whether freedom of discus
sion, unaided by power, isnot sufficient
for the propagation and protection Of
truth Whether a.Government conduct
ing itself In the true spirit Of its Consti-
tu,ion, with Zeal and purity, and doing
NO act which it would be unwilling the
whole world should witness, can be
written down By E4lsehool AVID ttefdua-
ton. The experiment has been tried.
You have Witnessed the sceae.--Our
fellow Citizens have looked on cool and
collected. they saw the latent source
from which these outrages proceeded
They gathered around their public tunc-
tionaries: and when the constitution
called them to the decision by suffrage,
they pronounced their verdict, Aonour2.
Die to those who had servedthem, 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 the states against false
and defamatory publications, should moi
be enforced. He who has time, renders
aservice to public morals and publtt tran
guilty, in reforming these abuses by the
SaIutOrv coercions OF the law. But the
experiment is noted to prove that, SINE
truth and reason have maintained their
ground against false opinions in league
with false facts, the press, eonaned to
truth, needs no other legal restraint
The public Judgment viii correct false
reasoniugs aud opinions, on full hear
lag of all parties, and no other definite
line can be drawn between the ineStima-
- BILE liberty of the press, and its demoral'
isiuE licentiousness. If there be still
improPrieties which this rule would not
restrain, its supplement- must be sough!y
in the Censorship Of public opinion.
Contemplating the union Of sentiment
now manifested so generally, as augur
ing harmony and happiness to our future
:. course, Offer to our country since r.
congratulations. With those too not ye
rallied to the same point, the disposition
to do 50 is gaining strength. Facts are