Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1830-02-19
COMMUNICATIONS.
TO THE PEOPLE OF VIRGINIA.

III LIE. fEOfl.E of NlRGiNlA.
An appeal to the FREEDoM OF THE
Pass has been made :: and made, in|
vain! The PEOPLE OF ViRGINIA-So
far as it lay in the power of the RICE
mond Enquirer to debar thcm-have
been debarred from hearing what Vir-
ginim thoughtitimportant that they should
hear.
The principle Which has thus been set
at nought, is too sacred to be surrender
ed without struggle. At least, shall one
effort be made, to attract towards this
conduct, the attention which the impor-
lance Of that principle demands. The
duty OF making such an effort is enhanced
by every circumstance connected with
the print by which this stab has been in
ficted. The extensive popularity and
deserved personal esteem enjoyed by its
hcad-its wide circulation-the number
of citizens who rely upon it, exclusively,
for Information concerning public mea-
sures and public men-,he early associa-
ton of its very name, with the just prin-
ciples long held dear among us, and to
which time but serves to rivet our attach
ment: all serve but to magnify the mis-
chief of any violation by 1t, of the prin-
ciple, to scrupulous observance of
which evcry press should be rigidly held.
What are the objects of the Press
For what purposes is it supported? This
question, always important, was never
so important as at the present day: when
those degenerate propensities inseparable
from its nature, threaten to acquire a
preponderance, which will convert it from
priceless minister of health to the
body polite, into disseminator of pes
thence and death. This question, put
to VIRGINIA. look not beyond the
borders of my native State-my own
loved ancient Dominion /! There the gan
creme has, in more spots than one, already
fastened. There, the Press is already
What = But here, it is not yet, that.
In this point, as in many others, VIRGINIA
is yet sound-yet herself: and trust to
her ncorruptibIe spirit for repelling the
contagion which RACES around. But
this spirit must be kept awake-it must
not be suffered to slumber Else, like
the god-like man of old, she will be be-
trayed by the prohigate, and shorn of her
strength.
For what ends then, sons Of the bles-
sed mother of us all I" do we support
the Press? Is it, that we may be moved
like puppets, by the hands of Editorss Is
it,that we may be partitioned among them,
into, herds of two-legged cattle; who
snail know but the sound of one horn,
and mstinctively move obedient to its
note! And what is to preserve us from
this transformation into beasts more igno.
BILE than those Of the field? What? but
vigllant eye upon our Press; and a
rigid enforcement of its duties above all,
its great, paramount duty-that duty the
scrupulous performance of which consti-
tutes its chief value TO nation of Free
men.
What is this duty To give us the
nems from Pehin, or Paris from Lon
don, or Constantinople9 To present its
views upon the questions which arise
among us-'ts opinions Of public mea-
sures and public men? To circulate
opinions which 1t may deem sound? Is
this its great value? Or is it as a conven-
lent organ for the free communication OF
OUR thoughts, and the free interchange
OF OUR opinions
This duty-before which all its others
sink into utter signifcance-this para
mount duty, | so!emnly accuse the Rich
mon Enquirer of having violated, and
violated &pon deliberation. To this &C
cusation, in the name of every thing
dear to Freemen, / invoke the earnest
attention Of my countrymen. If I'M
founded, it can be met and refuted.
But, upon its being met, let them insist.
Let them demand to hear, through the
channel of which it saw fit to make use,
the voice that has attempted to make it.
self heard. Let them demand to be
made the Judge Of the principles upon
which that voice has been denied access
TO their ears. If they do not exercise
this authority over this creature of their
will - one, the tolerated misconduct
oil which is pregnant viii: danger far be-
yound any that can be apprehended from
those who are about entering into ex-
iStence under their fiat-if my country
men evince this degree OF apathy about
vital principles, then will there be cause
to depalr of the Republic. However
lightly they may deem Of the language
Which has been addressed to them ): let
them beware of suffering this to make
them lose sight of the prD iple-the ~