Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-12-08

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and opposite structures upon an expression 10
Mr.. Stevensons late address 10 the public, re-
Ia,ive 10 "newspaper con,roversiei
But il is no, men holding hight posts alone
that afeef-for affectaIon we must CAL H. a0u
yer, misplaced aud unbec coming aiectatioh 100
thus TO undertake. by their words, Tie vent
Gle of public ligh, and information, OF which
b, their acts, they acknowledge ihe Importance
and influepce-but all classes vi employees
(,here is no English word for ~ from the nde
waiter up to the Head Of department, from 4
cons able up 10 all Alderman, or, higher s""'
q MayoI-wiil, upon OCCASION, dole you ou'
some wise common place, about "newspaPe'
con,ros ersies" being iepugnant 10 'he'r osi'ea"
cy. This is bad both ia point oil tasie, ana nm
sound in point OF reason. "a newspaper con
lroyersy," in the sense in which we here use IT.
and as il is commonly used, is in TACT nothing
more or less than an appeal, through the ohiy
practicable channel 10 the only acknowledged
arbi,ers of the conduct Of public men-the Peo-
Ole; and for public man, therefore, TO say, 'ha'
when arraipned before this tribunal,he descends
with regret aud disdain to this only chanhe'
for his Justification, is tantamount 10 declaring
tha, i, is only matter Of favour and condescen>
sion for him To explain at ali-and that al any
rate when he does so, he is more wise, 'ir'u-
Gus, respectable, and honest, than those through
whose iuslrumentaTily he must, nevertheless
if he speak at all-be heard. This reluctance
moreover. 10 answer direct ordinations made
through the press, is the more remarkable, tha'
we never ht ard of any instance i'll which pup
lie man rejected the Establishments and praises
of the very same organ. Nay, there Is, as all
observers must have perceived, surprising
itch among the public men Of America gener-
ally, TO be bepraised and extolIed 10 the news
papers; and the more exaggerated the strain
the more welcome, generally, the incense
Does a Senator make an effective speech
forthwith, Demosthenes and Cicero sink INTO
comparative insignihc ance, Does member
Of Congress over dinner table lr. Hamilton
Of S. e. for instance-pour forth mass oi ne
~ words, Of watch IN calmer moments he wil',
mos, assuredy, be himself ashamed, intoni'
nrntly, Burke and Fisher Ames, who had glow
ing thoughts as well as glowing words, hide
,her diminished h ads. But, with these absurd
panegyrics, it may be said, the individuals so
plastered have no concern. True, no dlrect
concern or agency; but their ever>rfcurring
repe,i proves The common opinion, that they
are era,efu as does still more clearly, The irri-
ta:ion we have in more than one instance seen
of eulogy, and qualify things as they really were,
If, then, honor and reputation can be dispensed
Nv the praises Of The newspapers, il is prepos-
ferrous, aud moreover signaily ungratetui TO pre-
tend that it is any condescen,ion, III any man.
however elevated, TO vindicate himself from spe-
ciiic charges, made through the same medium.
The conclusion Of these remarks Is so appi.
cable to print in this district, whose course
we have been reluctantly compelled 10 notice
very often, that we must place j, in our CO.
lumns.
Much Of the blame, however, Of such state
fTF''sfF'VU men obtain the control OF a press
they mus, from the consciousness OF their own
unworthiness, acIuiesce in the structures which
Jus, as applied to themsrlves-are thence in
ferred to be equally so in regard to Others and
The whole elias. is suffered to be degraded, ha;
that those few may not stand forth in their in
dividual deIormity as exceptions; the corrective
Tor that's, that those Of the profession who
have character and standing should all times,
and unner all circums; ances, bear witness for
each other in favor Of truth and honor, and a.
sainst the s,ipsndiaries, Of whatever party, who
light merely Tor pay, and whom pay will cause
TO tight for any body or any thing.