The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-10-28
oftbe term "Liberty eftbe Pren."

L ne writer of this remembers remark N, al.
to HIM by MIR. Jefferfon concerning the Fngliff,
Newspapers which at that time, 1887. Will. Mr..
Jener'on was Mlntter at Paris, were inoff voi
ssa''y aoon'e. ne remark applies with equal
force to the federal papers of America. rrb..
remark was, that &c the licentioufners of The
= prets produces the fame efcct as the refrainr
=" OF the prefs WIS intended to do. The rgr-
uaint, lad he, was 70 prevent things bei,o
C told, anathe licentoufneCs ofthe nr..Ts ~
vents things feiug believed when thew ar.
tod. We have in this fate an evidence os
the truth ot tbis remark. The uarnSsr OF F-.
deral papers IN the city and Rate of fJrw-Yorl,I
are more than hve TO one 10 the number OF re-
publican Papers, yetthe majority OF thr tlrtq;.
ons GO always asaiAa the federal oa,,,.rs which
IS .demouitratiye evidence that The icentioufpefs
OF thoic papefs is ds0i,ute of credit.
Whcever has made obicrvations on the char.
acters OF nations vi" and il generally time. thar
the manners of nation, or of a r,a,.v c,r be
better afcerta'ned from ne character OF ptsfs
than from any other public circumnanee. IF
as preis Is lIcenttons, its manners are not good
NOBODY believes common liar. OF a common
ieramer.
No,tthingis more common with Printers, er-
peciaIiy of Newspapers, than the cont;o,s ~. 81
OF the h1srty ef the PRES, as if, brcaufe ,bey
are Printers they are to have more privileges
IMAM other people. As the term I;5e,iy ~. tb-
PFgJ IS adopted in this country without being
underitond, win rate the ORIGIN of - ~ CO,
what 1t means. The term comes from 3ugla,t
and the Gale was as follows.
Prior to what is called in ENGLAND ths r.-,,-
'mtoa, wii'ch was in 1888, no work could he
pu""Hiea IN mat country without firf obtaining
the perm'iiion of an officer appointed hv ,hs
government for infpeGing works intepdea for
publc7tIon The fame was the cafe in Fraore.
except that III France there were fortv who
were caDed fshlorJ, and in England there was
but one called Inplimateur.
htthe revolution the Office Of Imprimatenr
was aboliihce and as works couid then he nub.
!iihed without hra obtaiuiue the permif;nn Of
me government Officer the prefs was, in con-
ieqaence OF that abolition, faid to be free. and
was rom this circumstance that the term IL
0f'D 81 me PFciI aroie. The prefs, which is
tongue to the eye, was then pat exactly in TN.
cafe ofthe human tongue. A man dopspot al
liberty before hand to fay romething he has
mind to FAY, but he becomes anrvrrablr AFTER
wards for the atrocities he may utter. I'm like
niahner,,l man makes the prefs utter afro
cIous things, he becomes IA anfwerabIe for Then,
as IT he had uttered them by word of mouth
Mr.. Jeferfon has faid in his inaugural fpeecb.
that " error efopiSien might be to'eratel zobe,
Teaion qva5 left free 10 combat IT," This il
found philoioPhy in cafes of error. But there
- N'iN ,e"SS oII "Sth CTFor ana IcentIOuinets.
Some lawyers in defending their clients FOR
the generality of lawyers like Swifs folders vii,
light on either fide) have often given their opi-
mon OF what they defined the ibertv Of the
prefs TO be. One faid it was this. another G,;d
IT was that, and 70 on, according to the caf.
they were pleading. Now thefe men ought I'd
have known that the term, H6yty off6e b,-eG,
aroie from FACT, The, abolition of the Office
of lmprimateur, and that opinion has rothinr
to do IN the cafe. The term refers TO the faet
OF Printing free from prior r.jgrainf, and not at
all to the matter Printed whether good or bad.
The pubic at large, orin G. ( OF profecution.
jury OF the country will be the judges of the
matter. COMMON seNss