Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-09-19
ADDRESS TO THE SUBSCRIBERS or
THE VIRGINIA ARGUS.

happiness the one is the means, the
other is the object of his labours. Pro-
Evidence in this as we'll as in most
things essential to his well-being, has
made his reason act only in subservi-
ency to his inclination. Hence curio-
sity, through life, is most ungoveru-
able propensity of a generous mind !:
and the most speedy and obvious
mode of its qualification is the publ
cation of newspapers.
AS longer productions require more
time in thsir composition so they al
so require closer attention on the part
of the reader in their perusal. To this
the listlessness and Incidence of the
mass of nankiud, prevent them from
submitting. The recital, therefore, of
foreign and domestic incidents in news
papers, from the novelty which they
furnish, have been found the most APP
Ipropriase kind of instruction for such
persons.
The sudden revolutions of empires,
and the phenomena of nature, of which
those inform us, whilst they afford a.
amusement to the imagination, are fit
lied also to exercise the understand
ing.
| The facility thus afforded to tho mer-
chant and farmer in the publication of
sales; to the house-keeper in the re-
tcovery oflost moveables; to all dis.
criptiops of persons in supplying their
wants or ministering 20 their grati6ca-
tons, are advantages well known to the
Inhabitants of this country. But, it is
in the science of government, that
newspapers are attended with great and
LISTING benefits to a people.
| Government, like every other de.
lpartmens of human knowledge, is pro-
| gre 'sive. Courtiers themselves, now
days, laugh at the divine right Of
Kings ald dsrivaiive excellence of
blood. Principles which two hundred
Years ago would have consigned their
Iauthors to the aanaes and their abet-
tors to a dungeon, are nov avowed and
prac ised In the courts Of Princes.
Despo.s themselves have learned that
ln prop ION as a people become en-
| lIghtene !. the must relax something
or their expressions. And that if some
governments, either through ignorance
or through o5stinacy, have sighted
che demands of a people for redress OF
wrongs and emancipation from opprss-
sion; that the volcano of popular re.
voiution has fatally taught them, that
: there was a time when, by yielding.
they might have averted that accumn.
lation Of popular fury by which they
were finally overwhelmed.
But in this country, where republi
canism has not been strangled in the
commissions of its birth the people
have been lightened of load of for.
met errors. Religious prejudices have
}either entirely disappeared or assum
ed milder aspect ; freedom of opini
on has been secured discrimination
has taken place in the specific guilt o
crimes and commensurate punishment
: have been established the rights o
: nations continue to be discussed anC
to be developed so that upon tn,
/: whole, SO great has been our improve
ments in every principle of govern
ment, arising from discussion and com
munication of opinion throughthe me
n diam OF The press that were the per
{ sons now living who first published
! codes on those subjects, they woulc
r scarcely recognize the few truths the,
+ themselves found out, amidst the null
I |, titude of subsequent discoveries.
ri From the number of political publ
cations which, in this manner, daily is
sue from the press; though eacl
should contain but small portion o
political knowledge yet from the va
rlous forms in which subject is pre-
sented to public view from the differ
ent modes of its illustration by differ
ent writer's, and from the multitud
o OF answers and replies which follow, i
{ is scarcely possible that the rotten part
!. OF an argument should not be foup
is out and the sound parts established
But the influence Of the press is no
alone considerable in pointing out ex
, lstlng defects, or in proposing ne,
: forms OF government but also infor
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