The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1901-11-22
LIBERTY OF THE PRESS.

AUG IOilOWIng il an extract from an
argument made by John Milton to
the parliament Of England In defence
OF the liberty of the press (published
In the Worlds Best Essays)
First, when city shall be, as II
were, besieged and blocked about, her
navigable rivers infested, inroads and
incursions round, defiance and battle
OFT rumored to be marching up even
to her walls and suburb trenches,
that then the people, or the greater
part, more than at other times, Who'll.
ly taken up with the study OF highest
and most important matters to be re.
formed, should be disputing, reason.
Ing, reading, inventing, discoursing,
even to a rarity and admiration,
things not before discoursed or writ.
ten OF, argues irst a singular good.
Will, contentedness, and confidence ia
your prudent foresight, and safe goy.
ernment, lords and commons; and
from thence derives itself to a gallant
bravery and well-grounded cor tempt
OF their enemies, as IL there were 20
small number OF as great spirits
among US, as his was, who, when
Rome was nigh besieged by Hanni-
oal, being in the city, bought that
piece OF ground at no cheap rate,
whereon Hannibal himself encamped
his own regiment. Next it is a lively
and cheerful presage Of our happy
success and victory. For as In body,
when the blood is fresh, the spirits
pure and vigorous, not only to vital,
but to rational faculties, and those in
the acutest. and the pertest opera
tions OF wit and subtlety, It argues in
what good plight and constitution the
body is, SO when the cheerfulness OF
the people is so sprightly up, as
that II has, not only whercwith to
guard well its own freedom and safe.
ty, but to spare and to bestow upon
the solidest and sublimest points OF
controversy and new invention, 1t be.
tokens US not degenerated, nor droop.
ing to. a fatal decay, but casting OF
the old and wrinkled skin Of corrup.
tion to outlive these pangs and wax
young again, entering the glorious
ways of truth and prosperous virtue
tiistined to become great and honor.
able in these latter ages. Methinks
l see In my mind noble and puissaut
nation rousine herself like q strong
man after sleep, and shaking her In.
vincible locks; methinks see her as
az eagle mewing her mighty youth,
and kindling her undazzled eyes at
the full midday beam; purging and
unscaling her long.abused sight at the
fountain itself of heavenly radiance;
while the whole noise OF timorous and
flocking birds, with those also that
love the twilight, fiutter about amaz.
ed at what she means, and in their
gable would prognosticate q
year OF sects and schisms.
What would ye do then, should We
suppress all this fowery crop Of know.
ledge and new light sprlnging daily
In this city, should ye set an ollgarchy
OF twenty engrossers over II, to bring
a famine upon our minds again, when
we shall know nothing but what Is
measured to US by their bushel? Be.
lieve 1t, lords aud commons, they who
council ye to such q suppressing do as
good as bid ye suppress yourselves;
and I will show you how. II it be de.
sired to know the immediate cause Of
all this free writing and free speaking,
there cannot this free writing aud
free speaking, thereecannot be assign.
ed truer than your own mind, and
free, and humane government; IL Is
the liberty, lords and commons, which
your own valorous and happy counsels
have purchased us-liberty which Is
the nurse Of all great wits; this Is that
which hath rarefed AID enlightened
our spirits like the influence OF
heaven; that is that which hath en-.
franchised, enlarged, and lifted up
our apprehensions degrees above
themselves. Ye cannot make us now
less capable, less knowing, less eager.
" pursuing Of the truth, unless ye
flrst make yourselves, that madeus -,
less the lovers, less the founders of
our true liberty. We can grow ignor.
ant again, brutal, formal and slavish,
as ye found Us; but you then mnst
flSt become that which ye cannot be,
oppressive, arbitrary, and tyranpooa,
as they were from whom " have
freed Us. That our hearts aro auv
more capacious, our Thoughts musS
erected to the search and expoctttion
Of greatest and exactest thiu1u. i the
issue Of your own yistuo nsob1,
gated 10 ~; ~ ca1nol onHpre1l
that unless " relnforco "a a6seeaeed
ana merclleee laW thaA f1ahon1 Mi