The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-07-26
AN APPEAL TO MIR. RITCHIE.

cedonan, and waiting orders.
AN APPEAL TO MIR. RlTCHlE.
You, sir, from your age, acknowledged talent
great experience, aud social as well as po'ltica
relations, stand at the head of the American
newspaper press. 1t is in that character tha
YOU are now addressed The subject has no re-
Ia,ion to party politics, but TO The " -
the press of nrr .--''
,r,,. nee and perception must have observed,
long since, that the RIGHTEOUSNESS in which
many-alas ! TOO many Of the conductors Of our
newspapers-indulge The carelessness, not 10
say recklessness, with which those conductors
publish, as facts, what are known TO every intel
ligent citizen to be fabricaions or exaggerations,
have produced such distrust in the public OF
any statement resting wholly on newspaper au
thority as to have paralyzed, TO a great extent,
the Just fl renee of the press. You need mol
be told how disastrous to public liberty, totrurh,
and ia tice, is such condition of things.
Those who would govern the world by authorl-
ty rather than by reason, who are inmical TO tn,
expansion of the great principles of Democracy,
rejoice in re, ult which renders the art OF print
ing an instrument for their purposes, rather
than an enemy to their encroachmeRts Has
moi the time arrived when the editors OF our
public papers should, one and all, discriminate
between those that degrade lille they disgrace
the profession, and those who maintain lis cha
racter2 Should not the mark of reproh3llon,
by general consent, be put upon the Swiss " no
openly hires himself 10 any party that will bid
for him, and who, upon failure TO receive The ex-
brilliant price he may demand, turns upon those
who last employed him?
You, sir, are IN a poslti, 10 take a lead in a
movement that will purify the press, restore it TO
its deserved influence, and render it what il was
designed TO be, the champion and defender Of
sound principles. Can this be accomplished by
quoting, and thereby, 10 some extent, endorsing
the wholesale fal,,hoods, the vile insinuations,
and the intentional perversons of man, whom
you, and every other Democratic and Wing edI-
Tor in the Union, have, at times, branded as the
mos, infamous of rencgades and the most pro-
figate Of the Swiss corps? To what pariy--to
what iaction-has he not sold himself7 And
what party has he not betrayed? Is not his We
ry name a by-w ord-a eproach-identical with
mercenary purposes and soIdld treachery
The rule which forbds the use of poisoned
weapons, in honorable warfare in It's principles
embraces the case. II the statements Of 20 l.
iIcal vagabond, in reference 10 others, made al
this lime, are worthy Of credit, why are not
similar statement, of the same man, made here
iofore in reference TO yourself and your friends
If
willing to be occupied in turning up the fl tn and
garbage Of puiri kennel 10 find what will an
noy your political antagonist And are YOU
antagonists TO resort 10 the same cess-poo To-
their weapons? We trust Motive believe not
We are confident that whatever c,untenanc,
may have been given in the columns of the En-
qurer to such POLITICAL leper, was owing to
want of reflection at the mo nent. The editor,
of the Globe aud Of the Intcl'igcncer have
scorned to poluie their columns with ciiusiou,
from such a prohigate source. Will not Mr.
Richie lend the aid Of his name in the cause q,
public morals As well as the cause Of the press
and let the world know that there is such thing
as character among The conductors Of our news
papers,
II there be any truth in the maxim that 9th,
receiver is as bad as the thief" is he enirel,
bameless who would for temporary purpose
avail himself Of the labors Of being whom b,
'-';;-ad agd abhoned as a moral aud politca
pcslience
We hope not TO be misunderstood The ma
levolence Of such man as we have described
has no terrors for u. We prefer il to his falls,
and hollow professions Of friendship Those
who use him, Will have mos, cause TO complain
But we feel that the character Of our county
the reputation Of ITS press, aud the cause Of pub
lie and olitcal morals, are conc, rned in the
treatment which such men receive rom those
editors who have any self-respect or any regard
for The honor Of their profession.