The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1885-09-02

ilton, and we might add Of George
Washington and John Adams too, both
OF whom he forced back into good old
Democratic notions, opinions and prac-
tees. He (Jefferson,) used to say, that
the press ought to be allowed to exer-
else the greatest freedom; that it would
regulate itself and that the utmost free
dom of expression, no matter if it did
publish lie now and then, was far less
injurious than anything like suppress
sion.
Jefferson proved that he was right by
submitting to all sorts Of misrepresen-
tations and abuse during his eight years
administration. No man was ever "bct-
ter abused" but he came out of it tri-
umphantly, and after laying the founda-
ton of good Democratic government he
retired with success, naming Madison
and Monroe as Presidents worthy to
continue and carry out what he had so
we'll begun:
The press ia ''nothing If not critical" :"
Its first, and almost its highest duty, in
certain sense, is to find fault, and us
this is confessedly easy to do, it is
strange that there are SO few good edit
ors. All progress is the result of agita-
ton Of one kind or another. aud every -
thing would stagnate if not stirred up
now and then, especially in this hot
weather. Interest energy, enterprise,
life itself, is infused into communities.
and the body polite, by discussion, crit
cism, and SO the world moves on.
1t is true-begging pardon for the per-
sonal applicalion-that Dawson, of the
NeUs and Courier may sometimes
make mistake; may ride n popular
hobby too hard, or overdo the thing in
appointing consul, discovering a Nc
Knight murderer, or in trying to cure
"lawlcssness in Laurens.' lie and
Crews Of the Laurcns Herald may De a
long time behind hand in making the
discovery OF the cause Of the late un-
pleasantness at this late day. Pope, of
tho Register, may sometimes write very
long-winded editorials, and stuff us
with figures and statistics until We can't
rest at night. Williams, of the Green
vile NeUs, may be SO unusually cross
and cranky at times, that he is suspect
ed Of having tho hydrophobia. Bob
Hemphill, of the Medium, s'the man
with the evil eye," may not often be
able to see good in anything. Bacon, Of
the Advertiser, may not take much in
terest in anything outside the State OF
Edgefield. Carter, OF the Lancaster
Ledger, may seem little queer and
tlighty, and Eght-headed at times. Nc
kerral may be entirely mistaken as to
what will make a Star shine, or the
Cotton Plant grow. Gallant and gen.
erous Hal Clarke, of the Camden Jour-
nal, may be Everything by turns, and
nothing long" Murray, Of the Ander-
son Intelligencer, may sometimes be
unusually dogmatic and pig-headed.
Our esteemed neighbor Petty, of the
Spartan, may growl at everything and
lecture Us all, as if we were Sunday
School children, and he was our great
grandfather. There may be editors
who never write anything origingl, or
have any striking characteristics, and
the editor of this paper may sometimes
write editorials which neither he nor
anyone else can understand but still it
is the duty of free, patient and long
suffering people to submit and to bear
anything and everything Of the kind,
rather than to ruthlessly and violently
suppress us, and interfere with our right
to bore, to criticise, and to abuse them.
tits indeed hard to be philosophical
at all times, especially in August, but
philosophically considered, all these
things, though they may appear hard to
hear now, will eventually work out all
right. even as Xanthippe's perverscncss
helped to make philosopher of So.
crates. In the end no matter what may
intervene, we will see the triumph ot
the right, and the Survival Of the fit.
test" just as we now see the triumph o
the Jeffersonian principles in our gov
ernment after years of adversely, re.
gardless of the fact that John Brown
is considered martyr, and Grant is be-
ing buried with the highest civic anc
military honors.
As long at the press can be kept FREE
from venality and corruption, as long a.
|itremains honest aud does not sell out
and become the hired slaAe and advo
cate Of parties and corporations, as long
in short as it remains free and true to it
self, and therefore to the public all viii
be sufe.
1t may be prejudiced and partizan j,
spirit it may erroneously and wrong
fully prejudge men to be guilty befor'
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