The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-06-05

lieVe IN the ability of men to govern
themselVes-papers so hostile to popu-
lar government, as advocated by JEFF
ferSon that they actually favored the
Sedition Lava law that DESTROYED
their own real independence. One of
the most difficult tasks of jefferson s
life was to secure the establishment of
rapers that would combat error. and
to preserve their freedom from every
form of tyranny, when they were
preaching the doctrine of liberty
which he had sworn to uphold. He
cid this, too, in a day when free
rress was regarded in official circles
and by most of the worlds leaders as
sure to destroy stable governments
Ills faith in free press was so SUI
preme that it did literally remove
mountains
Before he secured the passage of the
statute of religious liberty in Virginia,
in law it was a crime not to baptise
children into the Episcopal Church, TO
permit Qakers to live in the colony,
to fail to pay compulsory tithes to the
State Church. Impassioned orators
did, indeed, arouse hostility to the re-
IgiouS tyranny over the human
rrind," but it remained for the never
Tagging and systematic zeal of Jeffer-
son to secure the repeal of the laws
| that made such religious slavery pos
| SlDle IN the New WOflQ.
The Declaration of independence.
written by the inspired pen of Jeffer-
son, was the Magma Charta Of
| freedom the cornerstone of the
temple of thought, free speech, free
press. 1T sounded through the land
| like Roderick's bugle-note in the
! Highlands; it rallied the wavering and
Cheered the firm; it removed doubt
and fixed a purpose; it was the guide
which, leaving by-paths and cross
cuts, got into the plain, straight road
| and said to the wandering hosts,
| Come on: it settled the debate, re-
| moved the doubt, fixed the resolutions;
| il burned the bridge; it crossed the
| dead line; it took the route toward
| that bourne from which no rebel re-
| turns save with a rope around his
neck; it was call to nationality,
| WatchWOrd, a rallying point it's Of
| ficial statement of ultimate aim and
/ object becoming the pillar of fire
which led the people through the
darkest night of their dread journey
| toward the Republic" Jefferson re-
garded the authorship of that docu
rlent worthy a place on his monu-
rent because it ended civic, tyranny
ever the human mind"
The University of Virginia, founded
| to teach and illustrate the right of
man to think and to think without
restraint or interference" was the
| third accomplishment of his life that
| the sage of Monticello deemed import
ant enough to have carved on his
| tomb Stone. His devotion to public
! education was a child of his oath of
eternal hostility against every form
/ CT tyranny over the mind of man."
Many extracts from his public papers
| and private letters would illustrate
/ al VI
! Duport de Nemours he wrote: EN-
tighten the people generally and tyran-
/ ny and oppression of body and mind
Will vanish like evil spirits at the
! dawn of day" To Madison he wrote,
.'Above all things l hope the educa
| ton of the common people will be at
| tended to. Educate and in
form the whole mass of the people.
| Enable them to see that it is to their
/ interest to preserve peace and order,
and they will preserve them.
| They are the only sure reliance for
the preservation of our liberty" To
George White he wrote: Preach a
crusade against ignorance. Establish
and improve the law for educating the
common people. The tax which
| is paid for this purpose is not more
than the thousandth part of what will
be paid to kings, priests and mobiles,
~
the people in ignorance"
These three achievements made
straight the path for the service he
/ rendered to the free press in America.
! Indeed they themselves were greatly
| contributors to the creation of a free
press in the early days of the Re-
public, when population was widely
scattered and when the large number
of unlettered voters depended more
F, for political direction upon the stump
| speech than upon the newspaper. And,
as they were the forerunnerS of an
uncensored press, that press in turn
guarded and protected civic, religious
and intellectual freedom While Pat
rick Henry stirred and moved his
small audiences, which went forth
from his impassioned orations ready
to die for liberty, Jefferson through his
writings was instilling the same vital
truths into the minds and hearts of
thousands who could never see him
or hear his voice.
While Congress was framing the
| Federal Constitution, Jefferson was
Minister to France, succeeding DR..
! Franklin, Americas first great editor.
He was distressed when, he learned
that the new constitution contained
no bill of rights, no guarantee to free
dom of religion and the liberty. of the
! press y DiOSIdpllcI VI JcIleTSOH Says.
| "The chief grounds of his objections
10 the Federal Constitution as framed
were the omission of a bill of rights,
providing, clearly and without the aid
Of -sophism for the freedom OF reli-
gion, freedom of the press, security
gainst standing armies. restriction of
| mouepolies, trial by jury, and against
all suspension of habeas corpus" He
would I'm all probability, have de-
olared against It's ratification, but for
his profound convition OF the imme-
/ date need of stable government and
his faith that the people would add
amendments Incorporating the sug-
gestions fl his letter to Mr.. Madison
} Instead of opposing its ratification, he
did what was better. He advised those
who looked to him for counsel thai
fcuf States should refuse to ratify
until the amendment suggested by
him North Carolina, by majority
of an even hundred in its Convention
at Hillsborough, passed resolution
reciting that it had Thought proper
neither to ratify now nor reject the
Constitution proposed for the govern
ment of the United States, and bill
of rights and certain amendment:
\