Year: 1867

ut this time briefly to review tile circnm-
stances under which VIC commenccl the
issue of the Free Press, and TO speak of
its present condition and it's future rur-
poses and prospects. ... ....


When We commenced tho publication of
our paper ID Nay 1866. we did so under
MANY difficulties AMI disadvantages, fc "
Of tho most prominent of which we shall
cndcavour briefly to rccapitulatc.


La the first place. the arena upon which
We entered was already occupied by two
veteran combatants, the Mail and the
Herald, that bad boen pittcd against each
other for many years, and were both well
known and widely circulated throughout
the county. Nearly every intelligent
citizen of the county, whether professional
man. farmer. merchant orsmechanic was
h subscriber to one or tho other of these
papers. In entering like another Rich
mond upon the fekl, We had this difficulty
to contend with at the outset, and we found
it no uncomfortable one, for although a
large majority of our citizens are ready
and willing TO subscribe to county paper,
many were not inclined to- take two.


Another difficulty that attended the
commencement of this paper, was the i'm
possibility of publishing It at the start in
iIag rstown.


This was also quite serious obstacle
under which VIC laboutcd until December
last when the publication office of the pa
per was removed om'WilIiamsport to Ha-
gerstown In May last we found it totally
impossible to rent an Office in Hagers;''wn,
and We were compelled therefore, either
to give up the idoa Of starting the paper
Mt that time, or else of doing SO at some
other place than Hagerstown. Having
determined however upon publishing our
paper, we concluded to commence it in
Williamsport, and to remove to Hagers-
town at the earliest practicable opportunity
which did not present itself until Deccm.
Der last


Our political status &c was third i'm
pediment to our success, and deferred
many from extending to us. in the begin
ming of our cnterprizc, their patronage
and assistance. When we announced our
intention, more than year ago, of pub
fishing a paper in Washington County, we
know that many were of the opinion that
we would not be allowed to DO so, but that
our establishment would be destroyed by
mob; which was then, and had been for
several years past very popular and
common method of letting off steam
adopted by those who called themselves
'the loyal citizens of Washington County"
when their patriotism reached the boiling
point. Many who would otherwise have
favoured our enterprize, hcsitatcd at first
to do so for this reason alone; as for our
selves, we had net then, have not now,
and never will have, the slightest apprc-
hension on this score. We have always
shought as we pleased and said unhesta-
GAgly what we thought, and as long as we
live we shall continue in the samescourse.


Mobs or violence Of any kind we never
anticipated or expected, simply because
the cowardly ours who engage in opera
sions Of that sort, knew We were not afraid
of them, and were, and are, always ready
to give them warm welcome whenever
shey might feel inclined to try their lands
in suppressing the Free Press by lawles
force.


Our paper has also been specially OBJ
hoxious to the officc-holding gentry of the
county, who have striven with all their
might and main to do us all the injury that
1t lay within their power to inhict.


And yet in spite of all these obstacles
which We have enumerated, and others
which we could mention if We dec,ncl it
necessary so to do, the Free Press is alive
and flourishiug like a!grcen bay tree, while
the day is fast approaching whcrin our
enemies and assailants, most of whom have
grown fat and greasy ongthe spoils of the
Offices intoi which they have forced their
corrupt and bloated carcasses, will like the
grass Of the field be cut down, dlied up
ind withcred!


We thought when We commenced the
publication of this paper last May. that our
enterprise wonld succeed ultimately, be-
cause we have been always believer in
speaking what We conceived the truth
fearlcssly, and have always found truth to
prevail in the end; but the rapidity of our
success has exceeded our imost saneuinc
expectations. 1t is therefore with sincere
qualification that we inform our large and
rapidly increasing list of subscribers that
our success is no longer problematical. but
that the Free Press is already established
upon basis sufficiently firm to enable 1t
to look with contempt upon the impotent
efforts OF its enemies, and to defy them in
dividually and collectively to DO their
worst.


Our relations personally and politically
with the liagerstown Mail have been al
ways Of the most friendly character, and
wo have not the slightest doubt lut thot
they will continue to 10 So Washington
County. with voting polrlation of over
six thousand, is certainly fic,I sufficient.
" extensive TO afford both the Mil ana
oursclf. abundant opportunity for the p.nf.
liable and successful exercise Of all ON
abilities; and VIC trust that the only emu
lation and rivalry that may exist between
us, and that old and descrvehy popular
journal, may be Il brothcrly strife to see
who can do most in advancing our people
in the knowledge and practice Of sound
political principles, and in the the enleav-
our to beat back the tide ef lauatici2m and


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