Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1838-06-13
KNOWLEDGE FOR THE PEOPLE.
SPEECH OF MIR. BoND.-coNTrNUED.

KNOWLEDGE FOR THE PEOPLE.
SPEECH OF MIR. BoND.-CoNTINUED.
Next came Mr.. Hamilton, Of South
Carolina, the chairman of that re-
| trenchment committee to which | have
already alluded. That gentleman
said:
These eighty.two presses would
be put on the diet of wholesome reg.
linen, and in the course OF salutary
discipline. The sturdy and indepen-
| dent would be turned out to be fed on
such offals as they might be able to
pick up, until the whole pack should
open in full and harmonious cry, in
one common note, from the sturdy
mastif that bowls at the door Of the
Treasury, to the most starving turn
spit that barks on the farthest verge OF
our frontier
Mr.. Bond said he would not stop TO
inquire whether we did now realize,
in the present official organ, the Globe,
that sturdy mastif that bowls at the
door of the Treasury" Mr.. Hamil-
ton continued:
:" Is it necessary that the Executive
should have Government press, to be
paid for by the People out of the public
Golfers, to sustain the measures of
the Administration, whether right or
wrong z" "lf" said he, !" a Secreta-
ry of the State can SO apply the patro-
mage of the Government as TO nourish
TO venal accord eighty-.wo presses in
our country to praise every thing the
Administration should do, and subject
their proprietors to the punishment of
the loss of this patronage if they dare
to censure its measures, this forms dis
tinctly Government press, which is
more alarming to the Liberties Of the
People than the organization of the
whole of Gen. Browns army of six
hundred men, formed into guard Of
the palace. If eighty-two presses can
be made to speak as it were in one
voice that all that the Government
does is excellent, and all those who
are opposed to them say is false and
fictitious, this constant combned and
concerted langage will soon have a
tendency to make those who hear lit
tie else believe all this true."
Mr.. Bond hoped the House would
pardon him for this long extract. Mr..
Hamilton, from whose speech it was
taken, was at the time friend of Gen.
Jackson, and zealously engaged in
elevating him to power. In thus des-
cribing the Government patronage over
the press, that gentleman said he was
merely warning the country of dangers
which might be realized, ifno restraint
was imposed on that patronage. Cen
eral Jackson was elevated, and Mr..
Van Buren, succeeded him, and is now
in power. Instead of eightytwo pres
SEES thus employed by the Government,
they have now considerably upwards
of one hundred, and the patronage is
held and exercised without any man.
ner ofcheck or restraint. In this sure
lv, the country was disappointed.
But you, also, Mr.. Speaker, took
part in that debate, and warned the
country of the danger of this patron
age, and the necessity of restraining it.
| hope, sir, it will not be out of order
to draw on YOUR remarks, in aid ofmy
present purpose. Tine sentiments which
you expressed are perfectly just, and
must command the appreciation of all
impartial minds.
have preferred, sir, sustaining the
resolution now under consideration by
the arguments and illustrations Of the
friends of General Jackson, rather
than to attempt any new suggestions.
You will remember, Mr.. Speaker,
that some friend of Mr.. Clay, the then
Secretary OF State, intlmated that the
resolution of MIR. Saunders sayored
somewhat of the Spanish inqulsitlon.
At this your indignation was aroused,
and you exclaimed:
/" Inquisitorial, sir And has the
time arrived in this country when 1t IS
deemed inquisitorial respectfully to ask
a public officer, who is responsible to
the people whose representatives we
are, for the public reasons, (not the
private motives) of his public conduct!
Is it insulting to public officer to ex-
plain and account for his conduct Is
| the trans Atlantic doctrine, that the
King can do no wrong" to be introdu
ced here? Though we have no alier
and sedition laws are we to have wha
is tantamount to them? Are the pub