Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1866-06-09
ALEXANDRIA,.
g -mJRDAY EVENING, JUNE 9, 1866

So DNDA4 II Y ENlNCI,r y UNE =, 1866.
hen NILToN wrote his appeal to the Par
linen of England, for the Liberty Of Unli
acsct Printing-that is, for the right of dis
7:ssiug PUBLIC matters for the information and
Z ,oloyement Of the citizers OF a Common
eai:n-ae called it the nee light" which he
legged MIG ht be allowed "to ,shine in the cause
oc!HRU-H.' y His arguments ard his appeals
2:l!. deep into the hearts of his countrymcn,
lough they we're resisted by the rulers Of his
@ay. Subsequently, the seed he had sown ri
)aaeG and made q glorious harvest. 1t was
lite: ELTON had written, and lived, and died,
Ia: the Licensing Act operating upon the
,reza IL England, was suffered to explre-that,
:. he words of the historian, English }itera-
IRE Yves enancipated, and emaDcipated forcv-
*, iron, the control of the Government and
mar She vote of Parliament on that subject,
effected more for liberty and civilization than
&c Greal Charter or the Bill Of Rights The
)ropne:ie vision Of Milton has been realized
CCf&ter since his day, in the most troublous and
DISASTERS timeE, when ruin appeared almost
nevisable, the rights Of the people of Eng
':aG secured BY the three great buwarks, Ha
,csGo Corpus, Trial by Jury, and the Freedom
g ;hs Preserve have seen that ''puissant
,,?v:oc rousiag herself like strong nan after
3laar, anG shaking her invincib!e locks; as an
eagle izle7ing her mighty youtj aud kidding
=: arGazz!ed eyes at the iul midday beam !;
2v:siua ard unscang her long abused sight at
IS :cr>:.;n itself Of heavenly radiance, - and
Emerging rom trials and porils, greater than
re. ..,....
e. distinguished foreign writer, in contrast
., the most distinctive marks Of free gov
2.mnent with those of a despotisln: says, that
nils Inc latter attempts to crush all manltes
s,;ons 9; displeasure or even Of opposition, or
. enc. ce III universal silence, to suppress all
::caers, 70 ceutralire all lowcr, to reduce every
ing 20 { military subordiuation Of command
:1t c1acience, it is the pride, and glory, and
at:e!y o. The former, not only to exhibit the
,iCaess, moderation and equity Of its admins
.,s,ica, bit to permit and to encourage free
i:cr 3son OF It's measures, and to tolerate aud
: IN protect the most adverse criticisms.
his is the contrast Onc is the policy and
&c course Of Gespotism-the other is the dis
::tgui3hing attribute Of free, liberal, and en-
'ie 2:2.eG Government. Our Constitutions and
Ills o. Rights, national ard State, have recog-
>;ceG and declared nyiolate the principle Of
~. '.seedon OF the press, subject only tothe
T,.;:; ;cy, for violations Of the great privileges
Loved u; for defamation, or libel, or SANDER,
G. cs5;urny, or for incendary purposes. And
q ri CLEANERS, libellers slanderers, calumnia-
.cG3 and incendiary writers, so far from being
shielded by the liberty of unlicensed priuting,"
&c covered with deeper disgrace, and receive
c2v5re: punishment, for poisoning the we'll
s2:ings of truth, injuring the innocent, or in
~ading the peace and sanctities of private sta
%: End lie A.
f,cc 80 we believe that state OF war-eyen
q: interference, by our General Government or
~ Cur State Government, with any OF the great
principles which We have spoken of above
Re belie7e, this day, that the Government Of
re Union would have been stronger during the
e .u,, now, in the border States where it had
co2>Tcl, than if it had never, for instance, au-
,:,o:izeti censorship or suppression Of the
o:c2s by the military 1t would have shown
IS ooweE IS well as its magnaniulity, a hundred
oil; more, by submitting to transient or tempo
Fry Inconvenience, Instead Of, as it often did,
necessarily ;ti,d arbitrarily laying its mailed
hG3G upon, and crushing, by military violence,
;'nct he people regarded as, in some sense,
.re;g Instructor and defender For military
censorship over the press at the North, in cur
1Di2iCn, :here never was 5enaule excuse from
ne iirst to the last Of the war
SUI, Why do we write upon such theme?
nc noE the doctrines we have enunciatcd rec
osaisea, known and acknowledged? Are they
rot incorporated In our laws and been consider
&C he legacies of our fathers; as much our pos
sessions IS our lands, or our tangible propertv?
Iiaa it. would seem that large portion of our
countlymen nave never known, or have unlearn
&C, D. aave forgotten the very foundation prin-
cpias upon which the temple Of Constitutional
Liberty was erected They have to be recalled
e G:ss principles. And, too, there are many
nc knowing them, in these days, have ceased
C .ecognize or appreciate their value or their
Importance and these are to be reminded,
-has by their negligence they are bartering
away their birth-right forever. Besides all
AIS, there are some who have never suffered,
personally, they think, from the blows of the
exc ct the root Of public freedom, and whilst
,nase would Jest at scars because they
lever 5elt wound they are to be reminded
>2ai, T sheir day, and in this land, citizens
1s.ve Lad their houses burned to the ground,
zaeir LABOR of life destroyed, BY vile ucendia,
lee, wearing the garb Of soldiers, and unrc-
s:i!ineG by their officers, fortunes wrecked in
..scllAing years, families ruined and almost beg.