Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1810-12-25
osrHE UTILITY A.rRrK PRESS.
Richmond, December 1870

a =. 81 -Ff
Richmond, December 1910.
There has been much clamor Of late
against the PRESS and men in autho-
r.,y have been said to denounce it on
account of the current RIGHTEOUSNESS
OF the day. Persons who make these
denunciations go no farther than the
surface, or else they would perceive
that il is the passions of men and not
the press that is to blame. The press,
il tisc', is nothing but a. heap OF mani
mate types and machine with sore W.
Thevicious emotions ofprohigate wri-
tiers may pervert the use of such ma
trials but in that cs.e we should de
cry the guilty propensi,ies of the serb
blers without raising an uproar against
the noblest institution that the inven-
tion OF the human mind has contrived
for the diffusion of kno Wedge.
The governors as well As the go.
verned have an interest in the pre- 81 r.
vation of a free press for If, on the
one hand, faction and falsehoed find a
ready uttersnce by means ofthe facili-
ties which it affords, wise and virtuous
men, on the other hand, are defended
& justified before the nation /; and this
would not be the case if the press were
shacklcd, or did not exist because YER
bal calumny (Which would occupy its
place. is OF na ure so secret that it is
difficult TO counterace it. And, In this
r sp-ct, we may compare II TO rust,
waic!,, amidst apparent quie,ness and
r;st, is always the most gnawing and
corrosive. These observations may
coEviL &C US, tilat the RIGHTEOUSNESS of
the press IS nothing more than an evil
OF. the human heart, displaying itself
through types and paper and which,
If it could nor find Tehr in that way,
would speedily exhibit itself in some
other and worse mode. But Aesh and
tsood is 50 fastidious, that, ins'ead of
placing the vice to the account of its
1rue cause, il is laid upon the press j;
Just like some pions people lay ali the :
sins at the door Of the Devil.
Upon the whole, this observation
may be regarded as true maxia.
That a ree press makes a free beople.
1t is by the press only that the repre-
sentative Can be checked and control.
led by the constituent; and that the
great mass OF the people can learn what
business is doing and how it IS done.
Stop all the presses from the Potomac
to the Mississippi, and IN the course Of
one or two years the people in the vas,
extent of country between would be al.
most ignorant Of the transactions or
the margins of the one or the other o.
those rivers and travellers passing &c
and fro would be able to amuse the ig
norant with tales of wonder as in day
ofyore. The inhabitants Of the state
of Virginia would know as little of par
ticular events In Louisiana as thew nov
do of occurrences in Grim Tartary anC
wide field would be opened for i'm
posture and fraud. In truth, the pres
ses of the republic may be called tn
nerves. offreedom because, If it wer,
not for them, intellectual, and mora
sympathy could not extensively exist
the citizens spread over large surfac
of earth could not easily act in u
nison they couldnot speedily combin
so as TO prevent the sly encroachment
OF tyranny, nor cooperate at shor
warrington great and beneficial puf
pose.
We grant that the press has bee
prostituted: but, whatthen! are we I
discard it for a,faiiing to which SO ma
ny other things are liablel Nay, VIII.
human institution is there that is nc
ubjset to some iraily! Iie sourc