Alexandria Daily Gazette, Commercial & Political

From the New-York Daily Advertiser,

On Newspapers.- Let us attend to some of the reasons or excuses which men of property give for not taking newspapers; and we shall see, without illustration, the laudable motives which govern people in refusing their mite of payment, and the method by which they contrive to satisfy their conscience with regaling on news at the expense of others. What a fine thing said Dr. Franklin, it is to be a reasonable animal! It really enables us to give reasons for anything. But let us hear the reasons:

"There's no occasion for my taking the paper; I am in neighbor man's store every day, and see it as it comes."

"There is no use for my taking the paper, for we can't have it a minute after it comes into the store; one or another catches it up so quick."

"I have no need to take the paper; I can always read it at the barber's."

"I need not take the paper: for I'm going much abroad among the people, that I can hear all the news before it comes out."

"I don't want the paper; I can enquire all the news at the post-office, and see the arrivals in the paper, and that's all I want to know"

"It is no matter about our taking the paper, (a country lad once told the printer) father generally goes to meeting every Sunday, and comes back by Mr. M's as it is no more than a mile and a half out of the way, through the woods, and borrows his paper every week."

"I don't want the paper, (says the countryman) there's a parcel left at the school house every week, and the boy brings one home for us to read."

"We don't want the paper; there's one or two left at our house for the back neighbors, that we read."

"I don't want the paper but a few minutes, just to run over the foreign news, or see what congress or the legislature is about, or look at the advertisements; any body will lend me one long enough for that, without taking it myself."

"I don't want the papers only in winter, when we have leisure to read or when there is war, and they are interesting, and there is no use in taking them any other times."

And who would buy any thing that had rather save two dollars than pay two dollars a year for it, when they can borrow or have it for nothing? that had rather save two dollars than pay them, which I can't afford to do.

I might go on to multiply excuses of this sort, made by the good honest people who are very willing to read the news to encourage the printer; but can see no necessity of taking a paper for themselves, so that they can have the use of their neighbor's gratis. Some are willing even to assist the printer, just when there happens to be remarkable news stirring, if he will supply all the rest of the time at his own expense and some only want a certain part of the paper; and if it is poetry or anecdotes, marriages, or deaths, or wonderful stories, &c. would take it; but cannot pay for politics, advertisements, &c. to please other people.

But as those who pay for this paper cannot imagine themselves implicated in the preceding remarks, may not be sorry to have too much room occupied for the profit of their economical neighbors. Conclude by wishing every reader to consider a newspaper worth at least as much as a bottle of brandy, or six-penny loaf, and he has no right to expect the use of it gratis, any more than the other. I hope this paper will be well lent.