Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-12-01

.andid and considerable men. We Will not
weaken by any remarks Of our own,or detain the
.eader from the pcrusal Of the article.
The PREss.-It is said ,ha, the Press Of our
country is free,-nsy, we boast OF lis iree-
dom. Why because any one may es'aohs"
press OF his swn? or because printers
and publishers are responsible only TO the un>
dehnable Law Of Libel? I, is because the pro"
prie,or may use his press as his passions or MS
iancie. WOO him? Is it because he possesses
the sovereign power Of making it the channel
of truth and viriuous communication, or me
foul and pesilen, sewer Of falsehood and moral
!, is because he may WELD II
as an instrument Of good, or an engine OF evli!
Is il becaus. its rapidly multiplying power al,
fords ready means Of gratifying the beneVo-
l-nce Of The heart, or satialing the maleVo'ence
of the passions? How fallacious are such Cpl
Mons! The Press iee, and The Editor and fao-
Usher dependant for their very subsistence up.
on the shifting and wealhercock opinions OF
some one or two thousand SUBSCRIBERS, VINO
pay the pal,ry pit,ance OF their subscription as
an ungra efuI canvalescent pays the fees OF his
phy.ician, with most graceless reluctance; who
deem the paper which they honor win Inen'
patronage as part Of their personal property,
troll as OF their wardrobe; where they have
RICH, to demand the insertion OF their opinions,
upon all subjects, whether political, poelical,
mechanical, or rigmarolicai; whilst the poor
half paid and sometimes wholly starved devil
Of An Editor, must pay For his refusal 10 insert,
by the forfeiture Of his correspondents sub
scription.
An occurrence Of some interest calls forth
Ia,l fIr 10
contains opinion, TOO indigestble for pampered
apperies, and the wounded sensibilities oil some
hfiy or an hundred subscribers are quoted by
a fractiou, order 40 stop the paper" And
We, ne Pre.s is free;-so IL is free,-very free;
as free as nee hanical industry and uncon'roul'
ed power Of printing and publishing an MAKE
il; but ala. for the proprietor his freedom may
well be mooted; truly he may be pardonec II
he sometimes loses his identity in the vrxa ious
struggles between his duty and his in'eres'.-
Still the Press is free; blessed freedom bless
ed independence,-whe The dungeons oil the
Iuoui,i,ion live only in story, and the frowns oil
censors are IS little cared 10, as The rage OF a
sparrow Oh how free i, the American Press,
how boldly il 2ours forth its columns OF
wrath against rulers and aspiran,s;-how fear
lessly it can,a asses he demerIs Of the living,
and the merits Of The dead. How smooth
and uninterrupted is its course, while whole CO.
lumns Of lying paragraphs float quietly slong.
impelled by the prop ious gales Of par'izan APP
pIause. How sue and how secure seem The
secular Interests of the proprietor, willis, his
diurnal folio Giro ulates in the wide held OF par
~ patronage.
What boots it whether homes, Paul paws for
the paper OF damus the impertinence OF the col
lector! 1t is sufficien, that there is am end 10
be Obtained, and the paper must be pushed In
to Giro uation al any hazard, or by any sacrihce,
until the printer is compelled "'o look 10 his
bond" and be- graceful for barren indemnify,
where he had been taught, by the managers Of
the farce, to expect profitable haryes. The
fac, is too many of our presses are the exclusive
properly Of sec,s and parties, and their rdi' ors
but The twilight shadows Of bodies without
souls. They assume the RESPONSE bility Of opin
ions which belong TO them only by adoption,
and feel while wri,hing under con.i tion that
all Is not honest as it should ne, thai there is
no alternative but to hoodwink their consci-
ences or starve.
Hence the multiplicity of Presses; hence The
clsmorous appeals 10 the psblic for support
and patronage; hence The crouc hing and cring-
ing o the arts ocrarical ,ensibili'y Of one class,
and the unCt asing and active irritation applied
10 The lacobinical prejudicrs Of another; hence
all the wild illusions Of illiberali'y, anu dog
maii>m,-all he madness and liceu,iuusuess OF
atheism There seems &c De no room for neu-
trality, no time for pause. in the warfare OF the
passions-no res, toi the high strung cords OF
embiuered feelings; war war 10 the uuerance;
such is the blessed freedom of the Press
And why is this? Is ii necessary that an Edi
tor should exhaust his intellect in a Guns ant
e,deavor TO furnish 'he poison Of prs'iient t4-
by uncea.ing study how hes TO
al minister To the craving sppetite of Islander
and defamation Is the tas'e Of III. pubic so
entirely vi,iated tina, nothing bu, caustic appli-
cations, bitter satire, unchristian reproach-
gafbled and mutilated extracts, patched and
pirced until the nakedness Of ruth is hid be.
meath The many-colofed mantle Of false hood,
will satisfy lis eormoran, appetite? Is it posi-
ble--hu, we desis,, SAT- fed that there is YET
redeeming principle in our people, counter.
acting power, abundan,ly sufhcien, 20 SCI at
taught The rabid venom Of the Press, and re,
store its columns to the cause Of truth, and re-