Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1830-01-15
no. Al,
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nave necessarily wagcd against the Press Mr..
3EFThRsoN never once during his whole Presi-
dentshp ntcrfcred with the Press, farther thin
to set the public right when faischoods were
stated or misconceptions entertained. e:He bore
all attacks with the most impeftnfbabe good
| temper and as party ran high, he was often
TO repent ofhs confidshse in the people, His
example has since been the law in America and
prosecutions for libcls against tho Government
Oh puhlc tuncllonurIcS, are OF the number OF
British habits which have been wisely laid aside.
We cordially, therefore, agree with our Con-
temporary (The Staadard) in disapproving of
the pocy OF rIrHrspors prosecuting cz,.,s-,-y
lament that the Duke Of WraLINGToSsof whose
intentions to administer :lie affairs Of the coun-
try as fairly and uprightly as is compatible with
the circumstances in which Minister is placed
in England, should have thought it necessary TO
correct the Press through the instrume ntality of
the law. The law will always second as readily
the views OF u bad man those of good man ;
and to have recourse TO an instrument which
may be as readily used for bad as for good pur-
poses, is dangerous experiment. Were the law
good it might be less dscreditable to have re-
course 70 it. The man who hires an assassin in
Italy may only after all inflict on the victim tho
punishment he has merited but the good
may be cut off by the knife well as the bad,
the use oft is justly reprobated The law of
England, IN matters of libel, being founded
gross and palpable injustice, 70 fee a lewycr for
the purpose of giving riudctive effect to tits, to
our mind, not great deal better than having re-
course to the italian practice. JEFFERsoSs
way of viewing these matters is much more
manly and rational, as we'll as polite. Lawyers
alone would advise differently but they, like,
every other class of men, are blind, when their
power is in questoe
But our Contemporary. while he has drawn
our attention to the liberal sentiments of JET.
PERSON regarding the Press, is silent the SUBJ
iect of the strenuous exhortatioas in context to
enlighten the people. " Mr.. JEvyERsos, he OBJ
serves, " it is we'll known, was Democrat, and
Anti Anglicist among the most perverse of his
country; - and he then, in charactsrising him,
alludes to his having been "aprincipal actor
in the overthrow of the Established Church in
| America. He forgets TO add, and T" the author
| of the Establishment of religion ia America
We have often heard Englishmen complain of
too strict an observance of religious duties in A.
merica, but never there being too little religion.
| JEYfERsoS, and the American Statesmen, saw
that there was no danger OF religion suffering
from want of an establishment; but they saw
also that religion, like everv other good, becomes
a fertile source Of evil among an uninstructed
population, and that therefore the great object
of good man ought to be to provide for the
formation of minds capable Of judging soundly
with regard to religion, politics, and what most
interests mankind. Man is religiousy disposed;
and though there is danger of his having per-
verted views of religion, there is little danger
of his having none. He may be safely left to
himself in religious matters, il he Is duly pre-
pared by instruction-if his mind has been duly
developed. The Americans, like wise men, have
established schools, and left religion unesablish-
cd We, on the contrary, have established
Church, constituted in such manner as to up
hold the corruptions in tho State, and enable the
AristocracY TO keep together masses OF property,
dangerous to the liberties of the country, and
dangerous to its morals, from example but We
have left the people without public instruction,
| and we have even thrown every impeachment in
| the way of their having access 10 Newspapers,
| which only within the reach of the rich.
Such is the difference of Government con-
| troued by the people, and Government which
| controuls the people.