Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1845-10-15
THE PRESS,

! ne IUuueuce OI the fGeSS, fOln tue
taleutaud ability with which ii is at pres
eni conducted, forms one of The strong
esl safeguards OF freedom, and is more
poweriulcheck against corruption, than all
the enactnlents againsl Legislative wis
dom hns ever ievised. Ii would be as
easy task 10 establish The worship of the
Drulds III this country, as to raise again
The old erl.srs which have been struck
down by lhefpowerlul arm of he Press.
A newspaper holds in IFS grasp the pass.
IONS and preludices, The virtues and vices
OF the time. lis voice will therefore be
heard-iuril8it be no; he original creator,
il is lhei lnInih ent distributor of public
opinion. Itis The guide and enlisI,ener
OF the governed. aud "a potent check on
mIsrule,-itSiss The true aWakener Of man,
and has been Sfadaally irouslug The pub.
lie mind .onsall thu great questions involv
ing theSilappIuess aud welfare of society.
Of late years a more full power has been
exercised d-byt0e Press, which has been
effecledby Crap Papers. penetrating the
great mass of The community, entering
the workshop Of The mechanic. beguiiine
the leisure hours of The laburer, and Ell
lelghleniug aI!.lhe dark places Of the land.
Light andarlh have thus been poured
torifs9.:f . :1Jzifs -nseasare upon ttle people,
instructing their ignorance, c0uquering
their preludIces, aud stimulating them To
action. When The great EuglisIi States
mau exu!iinsly exclaimed III Parliament
thai 'lhe Sch0olmasIer is abroad, and |
trust to him armed with his Primer. a
ganst The soldier in full military array" F"
he evidently alluded To The tremendous
power welded by the Press on The sub
lect of popular education. The people
must have light,-lhe Press is the great
power NY which light aud truth, in resist
less torrents, must he poured into the dark
and ignorant mind. In every hamlet,
village. and town.. of our vast country.
Lyceums are sprinsing up. Societies for
the diffusion Of useful knowledge are. es
tablished. which The Press has been in
strumentali in elfecting; while at the same
time il prepares the public for thai enjoy
ment aud elevation Of character, which a
righlfully directed taste will diffuse among
,nem.-Eusning Ne,cs.
Arrest ef CounteIfeiters.-We noticed
in our paper. short lime since, The ar
rest of part of gang of counlerlcl'ers
in Kentucky, by an ageut sent for that
purpose by The South Western Rail Road
Bank of This city. We have since learn-
ed, with grea, surprise, that the prisoners
were ad,nled 10 bail in the penalty OF
s4OO each, principals and surily. This
extraordinary fact would say little for the
morals of Lincoln county, in Kentucky,
where The arrest took place, were it no.
known that this unprecedented acl oil the
Magistrates was most strongly and loud
ly reproba,ed by The whole community,
and there is reason 10 hope that certain
measures which The counsel for the Banks
had IN view. would, with the aid of pub
lie opiuien, lead TO the confinement OF The
culprets and their ultimate conviction and
punishment. We also learn that such
secret and confidential information has
been received, designating the persons and
purposes Of the whole gang, which is prob
ably one of the most extended and best
organized ever known in The country, that
will lead to The breaking up and arrest o
the whole gang. The banks, we under.
stand, are pursuing the remaining mem
bers of the gang with the utmost vlgor
and. IN addition 10 the prisoner now ip the
iail of Columbus, Geo, and the arrests in
Keutucky, Two more of the sam, gang
have Been taken up in different parts Of
North CaroIina,r aud are now in prison
awaiting their trials, aud the Banks ex.
pect soon to be advised of further arrest:
ip other sections of the United States.
The only bills of the Bank OF Charles
TON that lave been counterfeiled are the
denominations of 500, an,l we understand
the Bank has been rapidly Withdrawing
them from circulation for snme time past
The bills Of the S. w. R. R. Bank lha
buye been counterfei,ed we believe. ara
slUO.-Courier, I'd inst.
DepopuIation Of fths SapdUich Islands
-Fous hundred persons, mostly natives