Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-11-01
PROSPECTUS
OF THE
NATIONAL JOURN Al,
sEMI-wEEKLY NEWSPAPER,
To be published at the City Of Wa8hingto

withholds the key OF knowledge from all eX-
cept lcensed favorlles, or interested partlzans,
We lool, up with conscious dignity, to the free
dom of the press as The palladium of our civil,
religious, and political 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
extensive country become acquainted with
the sentiments and feelings OF each Others
and nothing tends N 50 great degree, TO the
perpetuity OF our Union and the prevention q
sectional ealousies. as this acquaintance.
In the establishment Of every newspaper
the public good should be the only land mark ;
the general welfare the only object and the
best measures and best men should receive
its undivided support. A conductor Of
one should pursue this course without
fear; he should tremble in the presence
of no man, h should bow down before
| no man; he should not, by any artihce or ia
trigue, be led aside from the path OF his dut,.
but be ever faithful to the rights of the PEG
pie and the constitution ofhs country. Witt
such determination the proposed paper is
announced.
The character ofthe "NArIoSAL JouRSAL''
will be exclusively American: emanating from
the metropolis OF the Union, it viii be in
fiuenced by no LEGAL feeisgs it cannot be-
come the partzan of any one section, but viii
be devoted to the real interests of the who
people Of the United States.
It's prominent features viii be
TO dItfuse useful information upon all sub
jects,
To examine freely the conduct of public men
To support the principles upon which our GO
Nernment is founded
Il
10 advocate the men who, in their public act
are governed by those principles.
10 roster American genus, and give to II tha'
rank IN the literary and scientific world to
winch IT is entitled.
TO establish national fastng, and render OH
thoughts and opinions as independent 0,
Europe as our institutions are.
10 encourage whatever tends to Strengthen
our Union, increase our knowledge, OF pro
mote our prosperity and happiness.
As Newspaper Tor the circulation Of gene
raj Information, it is believed the Journal WI
be found equal to any one ia the country. Pub
hshed at the seat OF Government, the point a
winch all our ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS are concentrat-
ed and where every thing connected with
our puoiic affairs IS collected and acted upon.
opportunity VIII be afforded Of giving in it,
columns the earliest Official Intelligence up
on ali subjects OF general Interest, whethet
aomeslc OF toreign Due attention viii b.
pNa 10 passing political events; questions ~
ha,iohsl pohcy VIII be tnlly and fairly discus
sea, and the conduct OF pubic agents boldly
out honestly canvassed; in doing this, truu
VIII be observed, aad private character re
SPectea
EFery ehort VIII be made to render the Ma
tlonai journal interesting, useful, and deserS
ihg VI Puohc patronage. A portion OF eac
publication Will De occupied with notices O.
new works, and criticisms upon the publica
tions OF the day, particularly American pro
ducuons, 10 which 1t Will not be urged as al
ooJecuoil, mat they were written on this sid
Ile At"htic.
OWING to an indiscriminate Republication
OF the "fustlan romance and civ,ous lyric
OF european WRITER'S or of2n country. its inst
'anohs and customs, are frequently lost sigh
%, ana preJathces necessary to the eXistcnc,
OF moharchs, bnt essentially injurious to re
puoHcs' are ithpioed IN our earliest years, an
cHng 70 US IN haturer age.
Jo,icioas encouragement OF native ge
mus and talent viii develop our own menla
resources which, it brought into active OPP,
ration, will really at once render us an inde
pendent people. Uatil tbs is accomplished
we snail nor be entirely free; until then En-
r0paans VIII continue, IN some degree, to go
Ven u.s. although separated from them b,
'ne Auant'c Nceah-though placed at a Still
greater distance from them by the form OF our
Poiltcai institutions, they will exercise a cor
troll over us which it viii not be in our powrl
TO prevent. We do not govern ourselves
"hi'e we permit others 10 think for Us; We
VIII not manufacture for ourselves, while W.
import foreign opinions for our common use
neither our persons, our property, nor Gus
'oli, can be tree While Europe holds our
MIND IN bondage.