The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1822-10-11

'oHiI'lfu, w hl5 Ola bpe, 10 SEEK Nv hholHtf,
land thot support for his numerous family
Which his youthful and erduous labors should
have secured 10 him in this~--We eopythe
following excellent sentiments from thai pa
per. -
THE PRESS I.
A late National luiclligcncer aniuadyerts
on The RIGHTEOUSNESS of the press-a-and not.
without lustiee.-But it is like all things.
human, to be taken subject 10 The evil which
oppertans To il. That sentiment which
ought to BIZ placed in letters olgold ia the
most public place OF every communilyahnf
freedom Of opinon shouM mol be RESTRAINED
iphtte reason is FREE 10 coplbai its the OILY
salntary principle, that 5should govern the
most precious Of all the inventions and in
sltutions OF man.
Ii may well be questioned, however,
whether there is MOI greater Evil at
tcudant on the press, lhah jfs liecn-
tiousness and whether lis ,se9ility aud
lis subsection be not that grcq,ck
Ii is by no means anexaggewition 10 say,
that 1T this moment the press OF the United
States is in IA state of Subsection, unknown
IN amy former times, " IN alyother country,
where II had the reputation oil being free
Il IS not the silent subsection of dcspotlsm,
but that state of dependant or obedent ser
vlinde which we recognize IN men bred
| about the purlieus fpalaccs,or the accom-
m0datng evidence which is 10 ne found in
the Hobbies of counts of law, of the worst
criminal character the influence which re-
gulates the papers of tie union is not seen,
| aud ftpN AZ. tXtIh IN ,,l,x
ance the conductors are mere releetors
Of shadow aud instead Of the bold indie
pcndence M'ich man, confident in the probi-
| ~ otblspurposes the truth oIhls principles,
and the integrity OF his soul, should always,
IN the worst, as well as The best of times,
assert, instead OF knowing, aud asserting
what is true, aud maintaining truth against
a lying aud degenerated world, as the press
should do--the press Is become syco-
! phant, natterer, Il saudertr, the mere re-
ialler al partial aud distorted views, person
al, aciions and utterly apart from every
idea connected with the sentiment of pat
riolism orpnblic virtue.
The free press in a free country, should
not borrow, it should give; il should not
dlseolor, nor distort, nor betray prjaciples 10
the patty riers 81 meh--ind,fiduals who
spire TO power, like lords of other coun.
tries, are bu, the bengs ofan hour:
breath has made them, aud
breath unmakes
The great land marks of liberty and IA
tlonal rights, enter little INTO 'be discus
Sous OF the times the whole business of
the press putting up and pulling down
men aud pubic virtues, know ledge and
capacity, actual practical services, devotion
to the principles Of representative govern
meht--thc equality aud universally of
rights-the respect for freedom of election,
IN sho all these principles which the re-
volution asserted and iar which thousands
bed, do not enter into the Investigations of
the press, nor do such qualities appear TO
hold place in the modern order of repub-
llean merit. Men are as rancorously pro-
scrlhed for their virtues at this day by the
!. press as they were prosecuted y banshod
at Athens by the shell.
Tie evil is not wholly ascribed to the
press directly il the people had not
themselves degenerated, the press could
not and in such circumstances as the pre-
sent state of society presents, the evil has
become diifusigc and the mschcls aug
|
sort of tacit prescription on foot for Sc
Veral years and ii arose out of the fears of
an independent press the clamor first set
up was that the press whenever it spoke
r truth OF public men or measures, had
, become dictator; that is, the press
; spoke opinions and gave judgments
different from men in place'or power. Ii
his been often said on the floor of Congress,
. that The press dicfatcdt 10 the representatives
. -thatis the press ordained to be free,
was not SO abject as 10 approve of bad
measures, or the acts of weak or intriguing
men.
Newspapers have been spread over eve
, ~ village; and as presses multiplied, the
talents required 10 publish such papers be-
came less necessary they occupied mar
row arena, and the qualifications of the con-
ductors adapted thcmsehes to the actual
, State OF intellect. and a compound principle
OF pecuniary economy rs il was in former
Z times customary to Judge of the value of
] book by It's SIZE and weight--a newspa-
: pc. was valued for accommodating itself
10 the actual state OF knowledge in lis dis
trlet; If the people were ignorant. the pa,
per must be suitable TO the readers taste :
1t must add another dose to the opiate with
which the patient is already inebriated.
E The press from being a public instructor
n Ia controller of error and vices, has be-
Il come the pander Of them, and their CON