Alabama state intelligencer., 1831-10-22
Extract from Dymond's principies of Morality

Extract from Dym0nds Principies of Morality
 The Press-Itis manifest that if the obligations which have been urged apply those who speak, they apply with tenold responsibility to those who wre The who in confuse perver their moral notons accountable 1 the mischief which he do to six persons He who wrs greater of msehiea the number of his reademsy exceed six and the influence of books exceeds that oco veraons by the evidence of greater deby ration nther contents and by the greater attention which paid y the reader It not light matter, even in this view we book for the public We very insuiceny consider he which entail upon ourselves Every knows tn pow CT ;,h of the gress in influencing the public mind that likely to derange the moral judgement of reader, ontr Sues materially to the propagation of evil If each of his this evil whatever be its amount upon thousand minds Who shall tell the of the mischief' In this county the periodical press powerful engine for evil for god The influence of the contents of number of be small but is perpeualy recurring. The edto of journal of which than thousand copies ircu- lated in week. and each of which is read by half persona. undertakes in of the moral gudace of of readers is great that in the of twelve ths they may influence the opinions and the conduct of x who intentionally mslead and vitiae the publc aid memberng with what carelessness respecting ten- cued that creditae editors do harm in the woId to extent in comparison with which robberes and It is easy to imagine the of advantages witch would result if the periodical press only excluded hat that grave morates, not especially, that religious dqui- sitions be des ed but that every reader shou
 
 and truth There is hardly any class of topics witch this allegiance may not be manifested and manifested - ncongruous associations You may relate the om- of the day in such do eher good evil The trial of thief the particulars of coa- grafton, the death of statesman, tine criticism of dee and hundred other may be recorded exerse moral influence the reader for the better the That the influence sequany for the needs prof and much the less defenble because may chang ed to the contrary withoua word, directly respecting rals or religion
 However, newspapers do much more good than harm pecialy in politics They are in this country of the vigorous and beneficial instruments of political advan- tage They effect incalculabe benefit, both checking who would abuse power and so influencing the public opinion prepare for, and therefore render necessary ameoration of political and civil institutions The great desideratum is enlargement of views and purity of principle. We in editorial labors less of your pariisanshp less of petty squabbes about the worthless discussions of the day: want of the philosophy of politics, more of that grasring intelligence which send readers reflections upon facts to principles. Our journals are, what they ought le, what chronicle of the middle ages is to philosophical history The dis jonted fragments of political intelligence ought be neced by of enlightened running There lis talent enough embarked in of these hut the talent commonly expends itself upon subjects and in specua ons which of little interest beyond the present week.