Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-12-25
MORNING, DECEMBER IS, 1851

But is chiefly, almost only Great Bri.
tain in Europe which boasts to have free
press, and 10 be sure, during my brief stay
in England | joyfully saw that really there
is a freedom 10 print, almost an unlimited
one, SO far that | saw priaiel advertise
ments spread at every corner, aud signed
i by the publishers, stating that Queen Vie
toria is no lawful Qucen--that she ought
to be sent to the Tower, and all those Who
rule ought TO be hanged. Men laughed.
and nobody cared about their foolish ex-
ftravagancy. And yet dare say, and hope
the generous people Of Great Britain vilI
not feel oliended al my stating the fact,
that there is no practical freedom Of the
press. The freedom OF the press 10 Le a
practical one, must be common benefit to
all-else it Is no freedom, but privilege.
| Ii is wanting two ngrcdicnts--frecdom Of
printing and freedom of reading. Now,
there is no freedom Of reading there, be-
cause there is no possibility for the people
at large 10 DO 50. Because the circulation
Of newspapers, rhe Indispensable moral
food ofluman intellect. is, by heavy taxa
ton, checked.
The press is source Of public revenue
and by the incumbrancc Of stamp aud pa
| per duties, made almost inaccessible 10 the
poor. Hence it is, that the newspapers
in the United States are only one tenth,
and IN some Eases, ,one-twenlieth the price
Of English or French papers; and hence
4 again, is the immense difference in their
circuaiion--in the United States several
Of the daily papers every morning reach
ing from tlilty 70 forty thousand readers,
whereas the London Tigcs is considered
to be monster power, because il has cir
culation Of twenty-five to dirty thousand
copies, of which | was told, duritg my
\ stay in Engldud, that the good, generous
sense of the people has abated some six
thousand copies in consequence Of its foul
hostility to the just and sacred cause OF
Hungary. Such being the condition OF
your press, gentlemen, It must Of course
be high source Of joyful qualification to
ne, to have The honor to address you, gen
tlemcn; because III addressing yon really
address iho whole people Of Vie Z. States
M net only whole people. but wholc
intelligent people, gentlemen. That Il The
highest praise which can upon people
be bestowed; and yet is no praisc--it Is
| the acknoN lcdgmcnt Of a real fact.
Thcvcry immensity Of the circulation Of
your journals proves it 10 be so---Lccause
this immense circulationis rot only due 10
that constitutional right of your. 10 speak
and print freely your opinions; il is not On
" due to the cheap price which makes
your press common benefit % ali, and
not privilege to the rich--but tits chiefly
due to the universally Of public iusirnc-
ton v hich enables every citizen to read.
1t is glorious thing 10 know TINT il this
aourishing young city alone where streets
ofsplcndid buildings proudly stand where
few years ago the river spread lis waves,
or the plough titled, nearly one hundred
thousand children receive public oduca-
ton annually. Do you know, gentlcmcn,
where | consider the most glorious rnoau-
meuts of your country Ii ii be SO, as
have read it oncc--it is that act, that when
IN The steps Of your wandering squaitors.
your engineers 20 on 10 draw geomctrical
lines, even in the territories where tho
sound of hutnan step never Yet has inxed
with the nurmurs by which virginia. ma
ture is adoruing the land; il every place
marked to become a township, OH every
! sixteenth square you place "A modest pole,
with the glorious marx, Popular Educa.
ton Stock" Tins IS your proudest nonu-
ment.
However, be This reilly the case Or not,
in every case, in my opinion, it is not your
geographical situation, net your material
power, not the bold, onterprising spirit Of
your people which | consider to bc The
chief guaranty of your country's future,
but The universally OF educaiion; because
an intolligen, people never can consent not
70 be free. Iou will always be willing to
be free, and you are great and powerful
enough to lie 50 good as your viii. MY
humble prayer to benefit my conntry's
cause, must 80 address to the pubic opin-
ion of the whole intcIinet people Of the
United States. You are tile mighty engi-
necrs Of this sovereign power upon which
rest my couhtry's hopcs---it must be there
fore, highly gratifying to mo, to see, not
isolated men, but the powerful complete
{ q
important manifestation of generous senti
ments and Of sympathy: still | address
You with fear, gentlemen, because you are
aware that since my arrival here had the
great homer and valuable benefit to see my
whole time agrcealAy occupied by the re-.
ception ofthe most noble manifestations Of
public sympathy. 80 much that Il became
entirely impossible for me 70 be thus pre-
pared to address you, gentlemen, il Ian
guage which, but very impeifcciiy speuk
as tie great importance Of ibis occasion
would have required, and my high regard
for yourselves had pointed out as duty
to me.
However, hope you viii take tlis ve-
ry circumstance for metive OF excuse
You will generously consider that when
ever and wherever publicly sneak. il is
always chiefly spoken to the press; and
lowering your ex expectations 10 the humli-
| ty Of my ahiiitics, and TO the level OF The
principal difficulties Of my situation, you
will feel inclined to some Kind Indulgence
for me, weren't only out of broIhery gen
crosity for one Of yong professional col
leagues, as profess TO lie one. es, gen
temcn, 1t is proud recollection, of my
life that commenced my public career il
tile humble capacity of a journalist. Andin
that respect | may perhaps be somewhat
entitled to your brotherly indulgence, a.
you, ia the happy condition which the ic-
stituiions Of your country insure 70 you,
can have not even an idea Of tie tortures
Of a journalist, who has 70 write with fet
tered hands. and who Is more than fettcr-
ed by an Austrian arbitrary preventive
censorship.
You have no idea what a torture ii i to
sit down TO your wiling desk, the breast
full Of the necessity OF the moment, the