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

to freedom OF speech and of writing
and publishing their sentiments; that
! freedom of the pen is one of the
greatest bulwarks of liberty and ought
not to be violated"
There is a tradition in North Caro-
Ina that Willie Jones had letter
never printed from Thomas Jefferson,
advising the course pursued by the
majority of the Convention, which he
read to the 184 men, many by man,
VINO voted to stay out of the Union
until the amendments drafted by JEFF
ferson were adopted So great was
the influence of Mr. jefferson in North
Carolina-an influence that happily
abides to this good day--that no ar
gument or persuasion of Iredell or
DaVle could change a vote after the
letter of Mr.. Jefferson had been passed
from hand to hand.
Jefferson was the inspiration of
the action taken by the seven States
that demanded an amendment for re-
lSious liberty and the freedom of the
press. He actually wrote or inspired
amendments to the Constitution which
North Carolina and Rhode Island in
sisted upon previous 20 ratification"
The amendment TO the Federal Con-
stituuon, guaranteeing freedom of the
press, which was incorporated in the
fundamental charter OF the Republic,
is in these words:
Congress shall make no law re-
specting an establishment of religion,
c. prohibiting the free exercise there
OF, or abridging the freedom of speech
I. of the press, or of the right of the
people peaceably to assemble and pc
tition the government for redress of
grievances"
For this amendment and the healthy
agitation that secured it, all men who
believe in free press will ever hold
Jefferson in grateful esteem. II was
contended that this amendment was
wholly esSary-'uselesS surplus
age" as one F'ederalist declared but
the prophetic eye of the liberty-loving
sage of Monticello looked from Paris
across the Atlantic and saw that the
would muzzle the press unless the con-
sututon forged chains that would de-
Ey power "abridging the freedom OF
speech or of the press
In 1893, evidently having the fear
Of some Sedition Law in his mind.
Jefferson wrote to Eldridge Gerry: 81
am for freedom of the press, and
against all violations of the Constitu-
ton to silence by force and not by
reason the complaints or criticisms.
just or unjust, of our citizens against
the conduct of their agents"
Mr.. Jefferson, when insisting upon
the amendment denying the right of
Congress to make laws "abridging the
freedom of the press" did not see the
exact form which hostility to a free.
press would take, but he knew intui-'
lively it would come in some form if
those who distrusted the capacity of
the people to govern themselves, OBJ
tained<control of the Federal Govern
ment. He had not long to wait be-
fore his prophecy of a war upon
free press, backed by all the power of
the national administration and ac-
companied by usurpations hitherto not
! dreamed of, was employed to destroy
the freedom of the press. Long before
the sedition law, he had seen the hos
tility to a free press in the Federalist
leaders. Some of the anti Federalist.
papers did not even spare Washington
In their attacks upon what they calls
cd the monocrats,' and, smarting un-
ger their criticisms, the President
gave expression to his objection to an
unrestrained press. AT that time 1894,
! writing to Madison, who was then in
! Virginia, Jefferson said: 1T is Won
derful, indeed that the President
! should have permitted himself to be
| the organ of such an attack on the
! freedom of discussion, the freedom Of
writing and publishing"
The Sedition Law, employed to
| strengthen the Adams administration,
proved its undoing, thanks to the
promptness and the splendid courage
Of Mr.. Jefferson and his associates.
lie felt that should the people submit
to the restrictions of the press in the
Sedition Law, the hope of free gov
eminent was lost, and he aroused him
sell from his quiet life to make a SUI
! pfeme struggle to preserve the liberty
! for which the American people in
! the Revolution had ventured all that
! men hold dear. Federalism seemed
| flrmly entrenched. 1t had become
! fashionable to sneer at the rule of the
people, to condemn free discussion
and equality, and in all official posi-
tons there was a feeling that the only
good government was such as the few
| would frame and carry on. The men
who went to sleep under Washingtons
sale rule were rudely awakened by the
Iassage of the Alien and Sediton
I.aws-acts that jeopardized the very
! lie of the young Republic. Fore
/ seeing that the FederaliSts wOulI seek
| 10 stif1e the voice of the press Jeffer-
son wrote to Madison In 1898: This
summer is the season for systematic
/ energies and sacrifices. The engine is
! the press. Every man must lay his
! purse and his pen under contribution.
! AS to the former, it is possible | may
| De Obliged TO assume something for
you. AS to the latter, let me pray
and beseech you to set apart a certain
| portion of every day to write what
| may be proper for the public
Jefferson's arraignment of the law
sounded like a bell in the night-as
clear as the first shot at Lexington or
| Moores Creek. Men who We're en-
crossed in mending their private for
tunes and who had not cared for po-
| lltlcal life, sprung into leadership to
resist the encroachments upon the
spirit OF the Declaration OF ndepend-
ence and the annulment of the very
letter of the amendment which Jeffer-
son had forced into the Constitution.
10 SHOW the purpose and the danger
~ the SeQition Act, it will be neces-
sary 10 quote only the following por-
ton OF section 9;
And be it further enacted that if
!. any shall write, print utter or publish,
or snail cause or procure to be written.
printed, uttered, or published, or shall
knowingly and willingly assist or aid
IN writing, printing, utterlnS, or pub
Eshlng, any false, scandalous, and ma
hcious writing or writings against the