Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1838-10-04
MISCELLANY.
From Moral Views of Commerce, Society, and Politics.
BY REV. oRyILLE DEWEY.
FREEDOM OF OPINION.


FREEDOM OF OPINION.
"What barrier is there a.
gainst the universal despotism of public
opinion in this country, but individual
freedom Who is to stand up here, but
the possessor of that lofty independence
There is no king, no sultan. no noble, no
privileged class nobody else to stand a.
gainst it. Ifyou yield this point, if you
are for ever making compromises, if all
men do this, if the entire policy of pri>
vate life here, is to escape opposition and
reproach. every thing will be swept be-
meath the popular wave. There will
be no individuality, no hardihood. no
high and stern resolve, no self-subsist-
ence. no fearless dignity, no glorious
manhood of mind, left among US. The
holy heritage of our fathers virtues will
be tIodden under foot, by their unwor-
thy children. They feared not to stand
up against kings and mobiles, and parlia-
ment and people. Better did they ac-
count it, that their lonely bark should
sweep the wide sea in freedom; happier
were they, when their sail swelled to
the storm of winter, than to be slaves in
palaces Of ease. Sweeter to their ear
was the music of the gale, that shrieked
- .L-:--L-eisen corGage, vuau
AT homS that said submit, and you shall
have rest" And when they reached
this wild shore, and built their altar, and
knelt upon the frozen snow and finty
rock to worship, they built that altar to
freedom, to individual freedom, to free
dom circumstance and opinion and their
noble prayer was. that their children
might be thus free. Let their sons re-
member the prayer of their extremity,
and the great bequest which their mag
nanimity has left us.
Il know of but one thing safe in the
universe, and that's truth. And know
OF but one way to truth for an individual
mind, and that is unfettered tho't. And
| know OF but one path for the multitude
to truth, and that is thought, freely ex-
pressed. Make Of truth itself an altar
of slavery. and guard it about with
mysterious shrine; bind thought as
victim upon it !; and let the passions of
the prejudiced multitude minister fuel
and you sacrifice upon the accursed al
tar, the hopes of the world !
why is it, in fact, that the tone of
morality in the high places of society, is
SO lax and complaisant, but for want OF
the independent rebuke of society :
There is reproach enough poured upon
the drunkenness. debauchery and dis
honesty of the poor man.-The good
people who go TO him can speak plain
ly-nay, very plainly, of his evil ways.
Why is it, then, that fashionable vice is
able. to hold up its head, and sometimes
to occupy the front ranks of society 1t
is because respectable persons, of hest
tatiDg and compromising virtue, keep 1T
in countenance. 1t is because timid
woman stretches out her hand to the man
whom she knows 10 be the deadlest en-.
envy of morality and of her sex. Will.
she turns cold eye upon the victims he
has ruined. 1t is because there is nobody
to speak plainly in cases like these.
And do you think that society is ever
to be regenerated or purified under the
influence Of these unjust and pusiliani-
nous compromises tell you never
SO long as vice is suffered to be fashion
able and respectable-so long as men are
bold to condemn il only when it is cloth.
ed In rags, there will never be any radi.
cal improvement. You may multiply
Temperance Societies, and MoralReiorm
Societies you may pile up statute book;
OF laws against gambling and dishonesty
but SO long as the timid homages OF the
ia'r and houored are paid TO splendid in
'quity, 1T will be all in vain. So long
will 1t be felt, that the voice OF the world
IS not against the sinner, but against the
sinner, garb. And so long, every wea
pom Of association, and every baton o
office, will be but ieather'missilt
against the leyiathan that is wallowinl
IN the low marshes and stagnant pools Q
society"