Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-04-14

that state III whicn man cares not fTce.
~ publish his thoughts respecting pub
lie aen and public affairs, If those
Thoughts be hostile to men in power, the
press must OF necessity be an evil: be-
cause, while II Is thns restrained on that
side. there will nevcrbo wanting SLAVES
T. use il In behalf OF those who have ths
distribution of the public money. Thus
the public mind receives wrong bias,
* measures are approved ofwhich in the
end prove destructive, and which would
never have met with appreciation, had
every man been free to Communicate his
thoughts to the public"
The above extract contains many So
lid truths. Whether the press is or is
not free in Great. Britain, is left for o.
theirs to decide: the writings of Cob.
bert himself, however, prove that it is
not entirely shackled. He talks to the
FRINGE Regent in as bold and familiar a
strain as if he we're in every respect up.
on an equal footing and if his Royal
Highneas shall fail to do his duty, &c
cording to Mr. Cohbett's view of things,
il will not be because he has never been
reminded of it, and that too in the most
frank and undisguised manner. What
would Cobbett say, If he were told that
in republican Anerisa, many are net on.
ly afraid to publish their thoughts, but
are absolutely afraid to otter them e.
What would he say, if told that open
denuneia,ion against respaets5ie por-
ton of the community is quite common,
and that many live in fear and trambling,
not even for the free expression af ,her
opinions, but because it is suspected that
they hold such opinions! What would
he say, il told that in many instances this
prescription and these threats proceed
from adventures who have been kindly
received into the bosom of the Ameri-
can family while natives Of the Sol!
are watched and pointed at by ignorant
upstairs, and are obliged to hold their
peace, in dismay and terror! What
would he say, if told that here, even il
this land of freedom, amongst nation
of freemen who boast so much of their
liberty, Truth IS dares not shew her face,
Ito use his own language) and if she ap-
pear at all, it is under thick covering2"
What. ask, would Goblet say to these
and similar questions! He would in
stantly assert that they were all ministe-
rial falsehoods, contrived to deceive the
British people although he well recol"
leets the time when those who are now
his loving friends, were very anxious to
zee his face in the streets of Philadel.
phie.
In England, where we are told the
press is fettered, it is common to cues
ton tbs justice or policy o. \ war Cob
bett himself dues it without the least he
station, and with anrestrained freedoms.
But in this country, it is dangerous to do
either: Let N an but dare to HAT sem
timent in opposition to measure,-let
him but venture to say that ~ ar may be
ruinous or impolitic,--and he is set
down at once as a traitor. True 1t is
there is no acknowledged power in the
government to punish a man tor the tree
expression Of, his opinions but the hea-
West shackles may be imposed upon a
press or upon speech by misguided
najority. Hence, accordingto Cobbetrs
own doctrine we had better have no
press at all; for where the press Is
called free, and yet where he who writes
with effect against men in power, or a.
gsinst public measures, is liable to be
punished with greater severity than tire
major Part Of feions, the press must DC
an engine of incalculable mischief be-
cause the notion of freedom Of the press
is still entertained by the major part OF
readers, while there exists this terriho
restraint upon him who would write
| strongly, and perhaps efectually, against
public men and public measures, II II
were not for the fear of ALMOST certain
ruin" Little did Goblet imagine, that
this sentence would be peculiarly april
| cahla m ,he crate Of things in this coun.