OF NEWSPAPERS.
Next to men, unworthy of the church, injuring American Literature,
come editors of certain stamp, the shame of those countries, where
it is permitted a free circulation. He who permits an unprincipled
man to enter his house, and becomes familiar with his wife, and
innocent children, he deserves the same blame as well as if he were
leaving them to read unprincipled newspapers. Though we are permitted
to carry a bowie-knife, or a pair of pistols in our pocket, the
laws of this country will always arrest the criminal, who uses the
weapons improperly. The scribbler here, who does not know how to use
an academical language, goes unpunished, though he did take from
his christian fellow being, more than life--his honor! What more?
Prisoners, before their trial, have not been spared by them!
The law which condemns the challenger, and not the aggressor, is a bad
law: or, at least, since the couragous man is generous, it should be
better to have no law against dueling, and then, few cowards would dare
to speak, or write against their fellow beings. Dueling is a private
war, which minds the uncivilized, not to insult the better part of the
republic. If every man can pull a trigger, not every man has either
the opportunity, or can wield a pen against a low scribbler, who had
the impudence to injure his reputation with strong words. Gentlemen
of congress are so badly treated by such newspapers, and to such an
excess, for which, even the strongest words of the english language
have lost their sharpness. Still, though the cursing sailor cannot
offend God, having no other language to express himself, such language,
used in public prints, degrades the people’s language, and National
Literature.
Besides, not satisfied with their strong words, they have now
introduced engravings, and lithographies with the portraits of the very
citizens, whom republicans should respect: and the very newspapers,
which condemn John Bull for having fought in a ring of american
spectators, exhibit Mr. Henry Clay knocking down the ex-president. Fine
moral, indeed! The lustful pictures of Diogenes are less immoral, than
such caricatures. The first, is nature exposed to lewdness; the second,
inculcates in the mind of man the very scornful laugh of the jews, when
Jesus Christ was dying on the cross! If we cannot find other subjects
for laughing but such pictures, it would be better for us never to
laugh during the whole of our life.