The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-04-29
From the Kennebec Journal.

AMPhoFlN6 THE FREsS. The appoint
ment of number of the most violent parti-
san editors to lucrative offices, we sup
pose is part of Mr.. Van Buren's plan of
improving the press" Or in the language
OF truth, to corrupt it, and make it wholly
! subservlent to political managers. 1t is a
great misfortune that very many of the
newspapers of the country are under the
control Of profiigate and unprinciped men ;
still more are the mere slaves of party or
! drudges of political intriguers; they publish
only one side Of a story, and if they do not
knowingly assert deliberate falsehood, they
give currency to the falehoods of others,
and suppress the truth whenever it initiates
! against them. Those who depend on such
papers for their information must of course
be ignorant of the true state ofpublic affairs
If General Jackson's example be followed
up and editors be rewarded for their party
labors. in proportion to their ability and vio-
lence, then we shall soon see every broken
down trader, who is too incident or improv-
ldent to take care of his own business,
every spendthrift, every needy lawyer who
Is too deficient in talents or character to oh
tain a living by his profession,-in short
every persevering office-hunter, who is too
VIGOROUSLY destitute of principle to obtain
any office by the votes of his townsmen and
| nelghbors-all such we say, as have brains
enough to write political article, made up
| OF the commonplace and slang of the day,
about republican party, federalism, coalition,
tWaddlers, mongrels, anal gamation, &C.
and such stuff requires no more brains than
a parrot has will purchase presses, assume
the editorial chair, and commence their dirty
work of clarifying the candidate they ex-
! pect to reward them, and of slandering his
! opponents; thus prostituting the press,
which should be the " palladium of our lib
critics" and making it the common sewer
OF filth, the corrupter of public morals, and
the destroyer of political honesty,
An editor of a newspaper ought to he an
honest and conscientious man; he ought to
possess Grmness and stability of charac-
ter, an independent spirit, and be animated
and governed in his career by pure and
elevated patriotism; he should feel lively
regard for the rights of every citizen in the
should diyest himself of passion and.preiu-
dice as far as possible and above all, he
should neper deceive has readers IN matters of
fact. If he possesses the requisites, then
the more talent, good taste, and learning
he possesses the better. But if he be dis
honest and proAigate, then distinguished
talent will only enable him to spread wider
his corrupting influence.
An editor should not be candidate for
any Office unless it be an elective one but
least of all should seek appointments from
a man whom he has labored to place in
power.
When Mr.. Clay, in the performance of his
duty as a member of Congress, gave his
vote for Mr.. Adams for President, although
he could not with propriety have voted DIFF
ferent, since he had previously declared he
;, could not vote for Gen. Jackson, and since
Mr.. Crawford was suffering under a pro-
tracted paralysis which for years deprived
him of the use of his limbs, yet because Mr..
Clay accepted the office of Secretary Of
State from Mr.. Adams, a great hue-and- cry
was raised about "bargan and corruption,' -
and by none louder than these very editors
who, the moment that Gen. jackson was
elected, left their printing Offices to take
care of themselves, and hurried off to Wash
lngton for their pay, and who have been paid
for their services by removing faithful and
experienced officers to make room for them
If bargain and corruption" could be in
ferred from the vote Of Mr.. Clay, then how
much more rational is the inference that
these editors have been political mercena-
ries, actqated by the hope, if not the prom
Use of reward.
SINGULAR INCIDENT. We have been
informed of the following incident and
marks of genuine honesty in an individual
About four years since, Mr.. Frederick
Barse lost a pocket book near the turnpike
:, gate in this town, containing upwards o.
500 in money it was found by man
named Jacob Williams, who was in needy
circumstances, but who honorably and IN
hesitatingly returned it to the owner. A
! few days since, Williams, whose circum-
stances are said to be not at all bettered
during the last four years, but whose hon.
esty seems still to overlook his need, picked
up pocket book few miles from the place
where he found the first mentioned one,
which he carried into a public house, close
by, where it was examined and found TO
belong to the same Mr.. Barse, and the same
pocket book he had picked up four years
ago, and contained 1858, in bills.
Camastota W. ~ Vidette.
PoUGHKEEPsIE, IN. W April Is.
PRoDIGIEs OF NATURE. Mr. Joseph
Trip Of this town, has two female children
of the following extraordinary dimensions
and weight, viz The height of the eldest
is It. ~ inches her waist is 4 #. 2 inches
/ in circumference, her ann Is inches, thigh
81 inches, below the knee 81 inches age,
I = and 8 ronptho-an6 he 900