Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-02-04
From che .f4rora.
TO THE READER.

TO THE READER.
fcare not. my good sir. who you are. OF
what pro ession, or Of what party -brt with.
out ceremony ask yoi-are you afraid TO
read2
This. you will say, Is a very singular
question, and so perhaps il is; but Curious
as it may be, take care how you an war it
Am afraid to read--7vhat 2" you will
ask me, and verY naturally az am not a.
fraid to read the bible" you will say--and
ask why you should be afraid to read any
thingf
Perhaps you will now answer, there is
nothing that / am afraid to read-why
should fear TO readf"
Aye, indeed, WIZ should any man fear To
read and reflect for himselfI And yet do
you not know many, who arc qfraid to read,
or who dare rot read /?
Perhaps you cannot at once recollect any
one who is afraid OF reading; let me assist
your memory.
Do you know no democrat who is as much
afraid OF reading federal newspaper, as
Turk is of reading bible. Have y2m never
seen a democrat angry at a neisn5ur for
reading long federal essays
IF you have never witnessed such things
have.
But. perhaps you are faderaisr-.;f YOU
are, have you never been afraid ng re d:ng
democratic newspaper have you never
tried to prevent your neis&bors reading
onel
Ifyou have been so rauch AFRAID, what
was the cause OF LII were YOU, democrat,
or YOU foderalist, afraid OF truth or of false.
hoods
The rnsh is, my goo;; reader, all party
men nave been more or less af7aii Of read.
ing: one is afraid TO read, on one account,
and another is afraid to read on another ac-
Count and thus the mass of each party de-
rive their informa:i from, one source ,nty;
II IS deemed political heresy to give curren-
cy tt any thing but on one side.
Do you think this righti Is this an evil
tence of wisdom or liberalityP
Some years age, every body remembers
that there was an cmbargo---and every no.
ay remembers that II vas called on one side,
"a wicked and tyrannical measure now hon.
WAS the matter to be decided, whether il
zp1s so wicked, so unprecedented, and so
unparalleled Undou5fedly this question
7vas TO be settled By reading and reflection.
But, then, many of those who asused the
embargo. svould nor read or reflect.
And why either because They knep they
spoke falsely, or because they feared to be
convinced OF speaking falsely.
Do you think mis- wss right were you
afraid to read? if you were ngs, you must,
If an honest American, have been convinced
that all that sUQS said against the embargo
was false.
Yet, TO his day, there are thousands who
believe all the falsehooSs about the embar.
go--because they had nor the courage 20
read.
When this Glamour was raised against
Jefferson and embargo laws, an essay in calm
and decent language was written. to prove
that the Glamour was unfounded tazos that
Washington had signed were quoted to
prove that Jefferson's laws sOere mild TObcn
comfiared with them
This calm essay, and these quotations that
have mentioned, were shewn 10 Mr Zaeh,
ariah Poulson, printer, and he r,fuSef 10
HnbhSh them as an essay--money was oITers
ed to him to pay for their insertion az an ad>
yerfisement and he SnH refused.
do You think that this was right did
not this froUc that this man was so conscious
o. publishing mposture and falshood about
IN embargo, as to dread the Hght of ruth ?
III =, why did he refuse
30, that, you see, II is not wonderful that
paty rage and violence prevail--it is not
wo derful that so few men have The courage
or the ability 10 read.
\ nth needs no such frauds and conceal-
meufs as are often practised: if one party
is Svrony in any measure, let it be made
know and fairly dscussed--6uf az present,
there is no such thing as discussion or re-
Reeti0H foul charges are hurled without
CESSATION nc 7oio accuses, refuses TO read,
sear, or hH6hsh, any answer or defeSee--
60 tdat the press, which was a gift from
heaven. IS rendered as vie an instrument as
if It had been stolen from PandSmonium.
IRE you afraid 10 read +? DO you think 1t
right to read nothing but what Is published
By a man who wesrs a wig Is It not fiosSt-
6Le tia, man who does not wear a WIG
may amuse and syeu instruct yoas Has