The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

PORTSMOUTH
To the PRINTERS.

I am conscious, that we cannot overrate the LIBERTY OF THE PRESS--This Privilege, when not abused, is productive of many great Advantages: The News-Papers, by which the Occurrences of the Week are communicated to the Public, claims its Origin from this happy Invention; and the many entertaining Speculations and Intelligences, foreign and domestic, serve to enhance its Value; why then is this useful Vehicle prostituted to ignominious Purposes? Are the Sources or Springs of Literature and Knowledge dried up, that the Printers are under the Necessity to revile & traduce the Characters of Men, with Expectations of pleasing their Readers, and filling up their Columns.-- It must be an unnatural Temper, that breeds such Infection, and by no Means redounds to the Honor of the Press:--I have heard, that Printers may err. but not like other Men; I suppose you will allow me to understand this Expression in the most favourable Construction, and that it means no more, than it is possible for them to commit an Error; and upon this Probability, I beg Leave, thro' your Press, to charge Messirs Fleets with a Commission of such a probable Error in printing some evidently malicious and designing Strictures of Dr. Williamson on the Indisposition of a late GREAT COMMONER, representing him in a State of Insanity, purposely to render him useless to the Nation in futuro.

Instead of re-printing such gross Calumnies and Aspersions, the American Presses ought never to be silent in commemorating the almost divine Acts of Grace which that GREAT Man has extended to America, read his Speech in Parliament upon the Necessity of repealing the Stamp-Act, and let every American Printer blush, that presumes to lessen the Merit of his Actions; let them consider, it was his Abilities, his Interest, his Councils, that alone rescued America from the Jaws of a devouring Monster; let them remember how peculiarly interesting this Event proved to the Press, which was loaded with incredible Clogs, to stop the Progress of its Course- We saw every News Paper on the Continent cloathed in their Mourning Dresses, for the Loss of the Liberty of the Press, and called on their Great Deliverer to restore this invaluable Privilege: And now that he has, (at the Hazard of even his Life) effected it, how lavish are some to stigmatize and brand the Reputation of him, who, under GOD, has been the principal Instrument to save us all from Ruin. If Dr. Williamson's Representation had been just (which I won't allow) our Papers ought to have been put in Mourning as much as before; the very printing Dr. Williamson's Observations, is a tacit Implication of the Truth of them, and therefore a gross Affront to our peculiar Patriot: but see how guardedly he screens himself, that the Law should not take hold of him: and it appears evidently calculated to serve the Turn of a Party; the Doctor visited him when he was under the excruciating Pain of the Gout, when every reflecting Faculty became useless, yet see how, when lucid Intervals came upon him, his Great Soul was wholly imployed in his Country's Service; he told the Doctor he was a Martyr to his Country. And it would really be no Wonder if he in fact was deprived of his Reason: for Nature and his Country has demanded more of him than perhaps they ever did of any other Man; his sleepless Nights and anxious Days, in his Country's Service, he said had brought him into a miserable State of Health. If it should be the Will of Heaven to make his future Services unprofitable by Sickness or Death, may HE, at the closing this SCENE, (refin'd from Corruption) Phonix-like, kindle anew in the Act of Extinction.

AMERICANUS.