Mississippi palladium. [volume] (Holly Springs, Miss.) 1851-1852, 1852-01-15

French nation throbs with self-conf-
dence and noble pride, new reyolu-
ton is an unavoidable necessity. 1t is
a inournful view which the great
French nation now presents, but it is
also an efficient warning against the
propensities of Capitalization, inconsis-
tent with freedom, become inconsistent
with self-government, and it is also a
source of hope for the European con-
tinent, because we know that things IN
France cannot endure thus as they are;
we know that to become true repub-
lie is a necessity for. France, and thus
we know also that whoever be the
man. who, in the approaching crisis,
will be honored by the confidence of
the French nation, he will, he must be
faithful to that grand principle of fra
ternity towards. the other nations,
which being announced by the French
constitution to the world. raised such
encouraging, but bitterly disappointed
expectations through Europe's oppres-
sed continent.
But it is chiefly, almost only, Great
Britain in Europe which boasts to have
free press, and to be sure, during my
brief stay in England, | joyfully saw
that eally there is freedom to print,
almost an unlimited one, SO far that |
saw printed advertisements spread at
every corner, and signed BY the pub
fishers, stating that Queen Victoria is
no lawful Queen-that she ought to be
sent to the Tower, and all those who
rule ought to be hanged. Men laughed,
and nobody cared about the foolish ex-
travagancy. And yet dare say, and
hope the generous people of Great
Britain will not feel offended at my sta
ting the fact, that there is no practical
freedom of the press. The freedom OF
the press, to be practical one, must
be common benefit to all-else it is
no freedom, but a privilege. 1t is
wanting two ingredients-freedom of
printing and freedom of reading
Now, there is no freedom of reading
there, because there is no possibility for
the people at large to do SO. Because
the circulation OF newspapers, the in
dispensable moral food of human intel
lect, is, by heavy taxation, checked.
The press is a source of public reve-
nue., and by the incumbrance of stamp
and paper duties, made almost inacces-
sible to the poor. Hence it is, that the
newspapers in the United States are
only one-tenth, and in some cases one
twentieth the price of English or
French papers, and hence, again, is the
immense difference in their circulation
in the United States several of the
daily papers every morning reaching
from thirty to forty thousand readers,
whereas the London Times is consid-
cred to be monster power, because it
has circulation of from twenty-five to
thirty thousand copies, of which, | was
told, during my stay in England, that
the good, generous sense OF the people
1 has abated some six thousand copies, in
consequence of its foul hostility to the
sacred cause of Hungary. Such being
the condition of your press, gentlemen,
it must of course be high source OF
joyful qualification to me to have the
honor to address you, gentlemen; be-
cause in undressing you really address
the whole people of the United States
not only whole people, but whole
intelligent people, gentlemen. That is
the highest praise which can upon q
people be bestowed, and yet it is nc
praise-it is the acknowledgment of q
real fact.
The very immensity OF the circula.
ton of your journals proves it to be
so-because this immense circulation
is not only due to that constitutional
right of yours to speak and print free
ly your opinions; it is not only due to
the cheap price which makes your pres:
a common benefit to all, and not pri
vilege to the rich-but it is chiefly due
to the universally of public instruc.
ton, which enables every citizen .te
read. 1t is a glorious thing to know
that in this fourishing young city alone
where streets of splendid building:
proudly stand where few years age
the river spread its waves, or the plou
titled, nearly one hundred thousand
children receive education annually
Do you know, gentlemen, where | con
slider the most glorious monuments O
your country If it be SO as | have
read it once-it is that fact, that wher
in the steps of your wandering squat
tiers, your engineers 60 on to draw
geometrical lines. even in the terrific
ries where the sound of human steT
never yet has mixed with the murmur:
4 by which virginia. natureis adoring the
Lord; in every place marked to be-
come township, on every sixteenth
square, you place modest pole, with
the glorious mark, " Popular Educa
tion Stock" This is your proudesl
monument.
! However, be this really the case OF
not, in every case, in my opinion, it i.
not your geographical situation, moi
| your material power, nor the bold, en-
terprising spirit OF your people which
consider to be the chief guarantee o.
your country's future, but the uniyer-
salty of education; because an intel
ligent people never can consent not te
be free. You will be always willing tc
be free, and you are great and power:
ful enough to be so good as your will
Ny humble prayers to benefit my coun.