Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-10-18
PROSPECTUS
OF THE
NATIONAL JOURNAL,
sEMl-wEEKLx NEWSPAPER,
To be published at the City Of Washiagto

withhods the key OF knowledge from all eX-
cept licensed fasorites. or interested pattlzans,
we look up with conscious dignity, to the free
dom of the press the palladium Of our civil,
religious, and politics rights
Newspapers, with us, are the great vehicles
of Information, a means of acquiring know
ledge within the reach of every citizen. BY
them the different and distant sections of our
leXtensive country become acquainted with
the sentiments and feelings Of each others
and nothing tends in So great degree, to the
perpetuity OF our Union and the prevention Of
sectional jeaousies as this acquaintance.
In the establishment Of every newspaper,
the public good should be the onl, land mark /;
the general welfare the only object and the
best measures aud best men should receive
its undivided support A conductor OF
one should pursue this course without
fear; he should trembie in the presence
of no man, he should bow down before
no man; he should not, by any arlfice or in
trigue, be led aside from the path OF his duty,
but be ever faithful to the rights Of the peo.
pie and the constitution of his country. With
such determination the proposed paper is
announced.
The character of the "NArtox.L JaravAL'
vii ~~1~elesies .Hfaot tcan: clnaHdtiag from
the metropolis OF the Union. 4 will be in
fluenced by no local feelings: il cannot be-
come the partl2an Of any one section, but will
be devoted to the read interests OF the whole
people Of the United States.
| It's prominent features Will be-
| To diifuse useful information upon all SUBJ
jeets.
| TO examine freely the conduct of public men.
! 10 support the principles upon which our go
vernment is founded.
TO advocate the men who, in their public acts,
are governed By those principles.
10 foster American genius and give to it that
rank in the literary and scientific world 20
! which ii is entitled.
TO establish aational fietiRgi and render our
thoughts and opinions as independent of
Europe as our Institutions are.
| 10 encourage whatever tends to strengthen
our Union, increase our knowledge, or pro-
mote prosperity ard happiness
| AS a Newspaper for the circulation Of gene
raj information, il is believed the JOURNAL wfli
be found equal 10 any one in the couutry. Pup
! ilslied at the seat Of Government, the point at
which all our national interests are c0ncentrai-
ed, and where every thing connected with
| our public affairs is collected and acted UPON
| opportunity viii be afforded of giving IN lis
columns the earliest Official Intelligence up
on all subjects Of general interest, whether
domestic or foreign. Due attention will be
paid TO passing political events; questions oil
national policy will be fully and fairly Discus.
sed, and the conduct of public agents boldly.
but honestly canvassed in doing this, truth
wall be observed, and private character re
spected.
Every effort viii be made to render the Ma
iiona journal interesting, useful, and deserv-
ing OF public patronage. portion of each
| publication will be occupied with notices OF
ne WORKS md
tons of the day, particularly American pro-
auctions, TO which it will not be urged as an
objection, that they were written on tins side
the Atlantic.
Owing to an indiscriminate republication
OF the I" flistian romance and ascvious yrlcs''
OF European WRITER'S OrvH country, its nsti-
tutlons and customs, are Frequently lost sigat
| OF, and preludices necessary to the existence
OF monarchs, but essentially injurious to re-
publics, are mbbed in our earliest years and
cling to Us in maturer age.
Judclous encouragement Of native ge
mus and talent will develop our own mental
resources; which, if brought into active ope-
ration, will really at once render us an indie
pendent people. Until this is accomplished
we shall NOT be entirely free; until then Eu-
ropeans will continue, in some degree, to &C.
vern US; although separated from them by
a
greater distance from them by the form of our
political institutions, they will exercise a con-
troll over us which it will not be in our power
to prevent. We do not govern ourselves
while we permit others to think for us; we
! will not manufacture for ourselves vhle We
| import foreign opinions for our common use ;
neither our PERSONS our property, nor our
soil, can be free while Europe holds our
mind in bondage.
The journal will also give full and con-
nected view OF the proceedings of Congress
the most important State Papers; the Laws of
the United States passed at each, and all the
Public Treaties.
This matter, however, will not be inserted in
the regular series of the Journal. To give an
entire history OF a session in connexion, an En-
ira sheet, devoted to this purpose exclusively.
will be issued every week, or as often as may be
found necessary. This plan it is believed, viii
be preferred by every one, and particularly
by those who wish to preserve such papers
for reference. Tne proceedings of the Ma.
tional Legislature, the State Papers, &C. will
thus not only be separated and kept distinct
from the Newspaper, but will in no case en-
croach upon, nor lessen the quantity Of it.
miscellaneous matter
The NATIONAL Journal will be published
semi-weekly; the price per annum, including
the Ertra, Five Dollars, pa, able in advance
The first number will be issued in the month
of October next.
The ".Nationdi Journal Erta" will, if or
dered separately, be furnished for 1--WE
Dollars, payable on the first of January in
each year
All communications relating to the Newspa
per, to be directed to DAVIS & FoncE, P,inter
and Stationers, Washington, d. G. to whom
Subscribers names should be returned early
in October