Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1825-09-03
THOMAS LIPPINCoTT.
JEREMIAH ABBOTT.

belng now ialfly ushercd INTO his au-
gust presehce--the Public--we make
our bow, with all the diflidence usuafon
such important occasions, and proceed
10 deliver our prologue.
We might-ac cording TO established
usage-dwell on the vast importance oil
The Press, as the guardian of the public
morals tho torch of reason, whereby
error is detected and truth made vsi-
Bile the mirror, in which Vice is shewn
her delormed visage, and Virtue, her an
gelic countenance the lash, by which
public servants are kept in due subordi-
nation to their master, the people in
short, the "grand palladium" of our
rights and Liberties and, having thus
sheWr the magnitude OF our undertaking
in assuming its direction, might modest
ly hint our competency to carry it into
perfect operation. This, however, we
leave to the imagination of our readers.
They, no doubt, fully appreciate the va
Tue ofthe Press as means of commune
eating knowledge; and, as to our abili-
TIVE fancy they will exercise their
opinions from what we DO, rather than
from what we promise.
Yet i, may be proper to furnish a sort
Of index, by which our intentions may be
known: for, although we leave our
readers to indul ge their fancies, in anlici-
pating "great .hings"--or nothing, from
our editorial labors, just as they may feel
disposed, still we are sensible that they
have right to expect from our courte-
sy declaration of our sentiments on
such important matters as vii! nccessari-
ly claim attention from US in our new vo-
cation of" Spectator.
We are, in principle, republican; and
shall, therefore, advocate republican
principles. We shall not, however, be
satisfied with cold.-or even warm-com
mendalions ofrepublicanism as theory.
We wish to see it Practical principle /;
ensuring to the citizens at large The great
es, degree OF personal, civil, political and
religious, liberty. We are convinced by
our limited observation, that the people
are the bes, repositories of their own
rights and we shall contend--if neces-
sary--ior the retention Of power in their
hands. For this reason we are friendly
10 the present administration Of the gene
raj government. Believing it to be es-
sen,ially republican in its character, and
composed OF men whose personal and
political standing, both in talents and vir-
tue, may be considered equal to any who
have preceded them, we should act con.
trary to our notions Of right, were we not
TO give j, our hearty (,hough feeble) aid.
On internal improvements, We speak
the universal language Of the nation /:
We cannot but accord, therefore, with
the wishes Of those whom we particular
ly desire to please, on this proud and
cheering subject
Of,he proprie,y offos,ering that spirit
Of enterprise which is directed towards
the establishment of domestic manufac-
lures, we never doubted. Ii is essential
10 national independence that j, be COM
plete, so far as man, considered as a So
cial being, can be independent Of his
neighbor. We know that the purposes
Of life require a connection and rcci-
procity ofservices between man and man.
Thar, is not only churlish, but an i'm
practicable scheme, which would aim at
placing one individual--or one nation
in a situation to require nothing from
another. But we cohesive it the duty oil
every man, and every nation, to aspire to
degree Of independence which will JUS
tify reliance on internal resources, both
in ordinary and extraordinary exigencies
That degree and kind OF wealth which