Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-05-13

lie Institutions, establishments, laws, and MN
n any country except America 9fRh in En-
| gland, ma, be LIBEL, lbsls are punished
more severely than the greatest part Of felones,
| as my Lord FoLKsrcNg showed in the House
| of Commons, from an examination CT The New
gate Calender; aud, it is well known, that ir.
answering charge Of libs, the TRUTH OF
what YOU have written or published, is not al
lowed EVEN TO BE GIVEN AS EVIDENCE.
This is the real. and the only ground for pre- en-.
ding. that history ought 20 be written long af:-
ter the period 10 which IL re,atco. But how
are you bettered by length of time II is q:
bel here to speak evil o. the dead The dead
william must not, If it give offence so certain
persons, he truly characterised and reinem-,
ber that the source to which the historian
has 70 refer. are pr oisey those which have
been created under the law OF libel In the
great Republic o. America, the cause is wholly
different There any man may pub ish any
tff7g hathe flezses ofba6iic measures, o, 6u5-
ic men, provided ihat he conGne himself to
the traM in what he asserts to be facts There.
any opinions may be published but, here, even
opisio't9 expose writer's, printers aud publish
ers TO punishment; and, observe that that which
man may say az a priodte letter, is held To be
pHniehed, and If determined 20 be libelIious,
liable to run;shrent.-We my we hold il to
be maxim, that the writes o; history oup hit tc,
IL
be amuch more sensible maxim, that no lis.a-
ry, written under such circunsl aRcest (with
law that Furnishes ibeis on the de0ll ouSht eve-
to be regsried rs any thing bette thar a sor, E
poGficd! romance There IS no rea SON. however -
why history OF tais should moi ifnncd
ately be written, and published in the Repub
lie, with whom, thank the Ministers and .be
President, and the brave Republicans, we ere
now at peace. From that country we NAV now
receive such history. It. IN ght be a little too
strong tn be published here (; or even 10 be soIl
mere But those who wished for copies piyht
get them through private channels -
though ought to observe for the good OF the
unwary,> that TO lend 4 book or 20 Shea book to
another persor, is to publish book in the evs,
Of our sharp sighted libel law. Neyerthe,ess
It some able and animated pen, set 20 WORT az,
THIS flne subject, subject so closely connec.
ted with the cause of Freedom ali over tbS
world, there is no doubt OF its obtaining circn.
iahon, even in England and while it woutd bs
sure, by the means of the French TRANSLATION
TO be read all over the continent, where it must
produce prodigious effect. But I bons no
see nothing OF the aaaudiing kind nothing
OF the IniH and mater nothing OF the " o.en T..
many sort no Rincing of the matter But.
q real, true, history, applying to persona .n5
act the sppellations which justice assigns them
u snch a work were published, IA her th.n NOT
possess copy, would make ore Of nv sors
transverse the Atlantic, expressly to fetch it to
me. hope, however, that some man in 80.
RIGA, who feels upon the subject as fee, vi,
take the trouble to convey to me by safe b,r5
mot through the Post Office a COW or two Of
the hrst Work of the shove observation tbo+
snau appear Bet mind, should desojse anv
history wmch Shoald not speak OF AII'tI.s az.
Tors, on both sides without the smallest p ,rori
- the nu'houg and pavaler of the day, applying
- o'elr ACTIONS and their chara cters, and their
n
thets and terms | want 10 have If a.; o,,,
Am not much disposed to Be uubappy poysr
meet Calamity bali way But r-si.v e;,,h a
work; tn reading cf such work ;,nJ I,r.,,-ioer
my children read II, would make no f,r ,ears
oil misery, If ! had pass, such an - would
DC Ihuch more than compen.atiog ior al; The
suherings OF my lite. In short have set nv
heart on this thing, and, if am dissppoinlfi-
shall be grieved more Than ever vet Lave
been ten thousand times NOR than + w.el
when heard the sentence of JUpct GRosr on
me OF two Jears impriso nment H. Newlrote n
thousand pounds fine 20 hs King, and sven
years bound to good behavior afterwards m
oonus o' ?'oO0 pounds, Tor having written about
the noggIng OF English local Militia at the E,v
and about German Dragons. But why sbor,J
be disappointed Have MOI, if no one viii
take UP the pen, son to tax 1t ur in the c.,,se
o truth and liberty Tie world is wide nd
now II rs open. ~ the mean while LET re nos
neglect that whicF S yetIn our owr saw
we ought to Eeep the r. public constantly be-
fore our eyes. Though we make her less the
subject of observation than we have done for
Some t'me past, we ought never to loose s,ght
OF her. The enemies of Liberty ar, always on
the watch to asssil through her sides, the OH
Ject OF their mortal hatred; and, therefore, we
ought to loose no occasion of facing and fghtv
lHg them la order TO facilitate references.
~,'a 20 9.ye something ofuIi'ormity o! arrange
menI "a the master in the Register, relating. 10
hmerico, intend g asert under one general
mead, di SUCH matter OF my own writing, and
to mention under that general head the seyrrI
topics treated Of, IN the following manner.
No I iH our nexf
oBITU.gRr-Dred on slturdav the GOD NJ.