Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-08-11

Ws' .,re. as well as.to applaud 10 eoiiuo'nn
TO Gen. ,,,;t aud 10 ject, orto employ them
or oasf tbe most severe scrutiny might adj
sgai'' 10. - as no man can. be forced into the
ssS of of the peoplewithout his own will and
SEW nt 90. If any man employed by them In
eO.''s sbo,ld ind the tenure OF 1t too severe,
oplss, responsibility is inseperably annexed
Re might retire: if he cannot bear scru-
INV. he might resign: II his motives OF de-
' a will not bear sitting; or, II eensuFe De
- Ealing to his feelings, he might avoid It
~ he shades of domestic privacy. That If
= c..sry be the only music to his ear, or the
baln 10 his heart il he sicken when 1t
=" s;tbhela, or turn pale when it is denied
-, or. if power, like the dagger OF Mac
NY should invite his willing imagination to
Zen il, the indignation,of the people ought
snediateIy to mark him, and hurl him from
.,a;r councils, and their confidence forever
rbot T this absolute freedom of enquiry may
:. +, any manner abridged or impaired, by
nose who administer the government, the
nstnre Of it will be instantly changed from
federal union Of representative deinocraeies,
il which the people OF the several states
are the sovereign, and the administrators
IF The government their agents, to con-
,olidsted oligarchy, anstocracy or mo-
narchv, according TO the prevailing caprice OF
tho constituted authorities, or of those who
mat psurp then. That where absolute free
dom Of discussion is prohibited or restrained,
responsibility vanishes. That any attempt to
nroh5it or restraa that freedom, may well
(, construed to proceed from conscious guilt.
6 A al
infested most Jealous senslbility on the sub
;est Of this most inestimable right, and ever
REGARDED it as a Fundamental principle in their
Government, and carefully engrafted tit in
their constitution. That this sentiment was
Generated IN the American mind, by an abhor-
rssce Of the maxims and principles of that
government which they had shaken off, and
detestation of the abominable prosecutions,
and ertrqjadicial dogmas, OF the still odlous
court Of star-chamber, whose tyrannical pro-
ceeding and precautions, among other mo-
lives Of the like nature, prompted and impeIl-
ed our ancestors to ly from the pesdlential
government of their native country, to seek AZ
asylum here, where they might enjoy, and
their posterity establish, and transmit, to all
future generations, freedom, unshackled, un-
limited, underlined. That In ourGme we have
indicated, fought for, and established that
freedom by our arms, and made it the solid
and immoyeable basis and foundation, both Of
the state and federal government. That no 4
thing could more clearly evince the inestima-
bic value that the American people have set
upon the liberty of the press, than their unit
Ing it in the sane sentence, and even in the
e
Of conscience, and the freedom of speech;
and since congress are equally prohibited from
making any law abriding the freedom of
speech, or of the press, they boldly chaileng-
edtheir adyersaries to point out the constitu-
tonal distinction between these two modes of
discussion or inquiry.
ST the unrestrained freedom Of the press"
said they, " be not guaranteed by the consti-
tuition, neither is that Of speech. II on the
contrary the unrestrained freedom of speech
is guaranteed, so also, is that OF the press
Ii, then. the genius of our federal constitution
has vested the people of the United States
not only with censorial power, but even
with the sovereignty itself If magistrates are,
indeed, their agents If they are responsible
Tor their act OF agency if the people may not
Only censure whom they dlsapproye, but re-
lect whom they may fad unworthy; if appro-
baton or censure, election orrejection, ought
to bethe result of inquiry, scrutiny, and ma
ture elaboration why, said they, is the ex-
efciSe' of this censorial power, this sovereign
right, this necessary enquiry, and scrutiny, to
) be confined to the freedom of speech Is 1t
because this mode of discussion best answers
the purposes Of the cenSorial power Surely
not, The best speech cannot be heard by any
great number Of persons. The best speech
may be misunderstood, miSrepresented, and
imperfeetly remembered by those who are
present To all the rest of mankind, it is, as
ltt had never been. The best speech must
also be short for the investigation of any sub
lect OF an intricate nature, or, even PLAIN
one fit be Of more than ordinary length
The best speech, then, must be altogether
Y anade0uaff ~ the dine exercise of the CensO-