The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-10-28


legal profec ution. z Bit what of that !? They
will thare the fame agoni6ng disappointment
which has hitherto accompanied all their la
bours. After having loft all thecharactrr, with
which they commenced their career, they will
but ferve to ennoble the character of thofc
whom they attack.
1t has been faid in England, and it was once
believed her., that the prefs could ewife doqvn
any mIn'itry which ever exifed. But behold
the retatation ofthis boafed apothegm ! After
all the attacks which have been lavifhed upon
Mr.. Jefterfon's administration for 6x wears af-
ter having waited every fpecies of fcurrity
and defamation, which malice and ingenuity
could iuppiy after having penetrated into the
mott tecret recefes of his life, and fcauued eve
ry meaiure of his public life for forty odd
years; hiscnemies find him morrfrmly fixed than
ever IN the confidence and affections of his
countrymcn. "The majority of the elections
20 always againft the federal papers, which is
demonftrative evidence that the lcentioufnefs
OF thoie papers are deflitute of credit"
No doubt--tbis unbounded licentioufnefs of
the Federal prefTes is productive of injury.
Irue-It tends to deba/e the manners of our
people, and to miireprefent our opinions in the
view OF foreign countries. But far better is it
TO tolerate thefc abutes, t6an to circumfcrbe
the advantages of a free prefs. Far better is it
that even our manners fhould be tainted bv
this federal fcurrility far better that MIR.
Merry thould fometimes have an argument for
representing US as tame fpeGta.ors of his coun-
try,s injuftlce, or that the little Marquis Yruio
mould repreient us, though the medium of
theie federal flanders, as the executive enemies
ofhs court than that we fhoud Law the hand
OF power upon the prefs. IF our manners be
debated by fcurrity, they are digni6ed by the
independence, WHICH free preis fecurcs. If
the federal preffes mi(reprefent our fentimeuts.
our foreign miniiters may generally remove the
impreffioH.
Upon that celebrated principle, therefore,
that " error Of opinion might be tolerated qvben
region aUas left free to combat it % principle
which MIR. Paine feems in one cafe to have A.
bandoned by his over-reined diftinStion be-
tween error and licentioufnefs :" it is confident
~ believed that the prefcnt administration will
FOR ever act. May it never be abandoned by
the Republican party throughout the union :!
Their conduct has hitherto formed a mott hon.
Durable contraft to that of their opponents.
during their famous reign ofterror.
That a late federal grand jury of Connecticut
| has ever forgotten this celebrated principle, is
inblect of the fnceref regret. But it was
not altogether furpriiing, that goaded by the pre-
ieculion OF their opponents, they ihould at
tempt TO retaIiate IN the federal court, the uni
form injuries which they had fuffered from,
fate inquiiition. 1t is only an additional
proof, that men when they are opprefTed by
their fellows, will be hurried beyond the
ftriet limits of principle.
What, in fact, is the remedy for the licen-
tfousHefs of the prefs The hiftory of everv
political inftitution has clearly afcertained that
| 1t is not the Mzv.
An Agraran law was enaGfed in po-,e -
remedy the Inequality ofProPerty but it was
evaded.
Sumptuary law: have been Illuminated IN
different countries againR luxury but tbev
too, have been evaded
Religion itief has been regulated by Low,
but the United States have proved that fol,ro.
! ton is the true POLICY.
a grand experiment is now making mon
the liberty or the prefs and the United States
will have the honor Of placing this illuftrious
problem beyond the fophifries of fear or the
iophitries or tyrants. a republic will thus en-
joy the hononr of efabIilhing two of the great.
eft problems that can be deyfed for the bann;.
! nefs of the world 1t vii prove, that under re-.
! publican government, religion and the pref,
may he free /: and it will prove, that religion
and the prefs can fcarcely be free, but under !,
republican government.
The true remedy for the lcentioufnefs of our
| PrefS, j: to be found, Gas in all other c,Css
where the government cannot interfere), in the
enlightened controul of hdiUidllaLs. IF tbe
people VIII pdtronlie no papers, but flch as
are diftinguiihed by the fidelity of their fate.
ments and the gentity of their ftyle, the C,nr-
riions and !icsntious papers mutt foon difappear.
Another remedy will mott afIuredIy be found in
the improved characte.- of their conduaors
May we not venture to hope that the time ia
| not tar dItant IN this country, when men will
aiinme the Office of an editor, with talents and
with manners worthy of their high calling ,
Franklin and Condorcet were editors and wbv
fhould we defpair that the race of fuch men
| is exhaufted ?
FRENCH FEDERATIvE SYsTEM.-Much
| light IS thrown on Bonaparte's Plan of fedora
ton, by the important State Paper which we
this day publiih. The 4ih, 10th, 1qth, s5tb.
36th and Ssth articles, explain the kind and de-.
gree of authority, which the French Fmneror
has aSyef ailumed over thefe federatiye GATES.
| His uncle, cardinal Fetch, the Electoral Arch
Chancellor, ist be Prefdent of the federal
diet, to be attended at Frankfort:
The Emperor Napoleon is TO be &" pro-
claimed Protector of the confederation, :"
and 0ne OF the Pri1iiege5 attached to this
Office is, TO "appoint the E,ccescy to this
Prince Primate as often as he dies"
The article which declares that e4,ery Con.
tinental war in which either of the two par.
ties ihal engage, BaH become general"
completely places the military foree of the
federate tates, at the difpofal of Frame.
Theie contingencies are to be furDiCbed in
the proborfioH Of 100000 men from France