The Providence Journal, And Town And Country Advertiser

To the Editor of the Providence Journal.

Mr. Carter,

I am one of the many who highly approve your proposal for publishing a paper on an enlarged plan, and wish every other newspaper printed in this State could be increased to the same size. This might be done, were Printers suitably encouraged among us. But the truth is, there are too many papers received in this State from abroad, to the great discouragement of our own Printers. Add to this, that from the numerous dunning advertisements which appear in our papers, I suspect your brethren of the type are poorly paid by great numbers of their subscribers. As a Printer perhaps never sees one half of them, they ought to consider the trifling price of a paper as a debt of a superior nature, and discharge it with punctuality. By neglecting to pay Printers, they injure the State at large, because the time employed by an Editor in writing those dunning advertisements, and drawing and re-drawing thousands of trifling accounts, might be occupied in the improvement of his paper, and rendering it more extensively useful.

Newspapers are of much more importance to society than many generally imagine. When properly conducted, they reflect credit on the State which supports them, and have a salutary effect on the manners and morals of a people. They enlighten the mind, and meliorate the heart; they were of infinite service previous to and during our revolutionary war, and I much doubt whether the revolution could have been effected without them; they first sounded the alarm from one end of the Union to the other, and roused our citizens to a just sense of their danger, and of their rights as freemen. They are moreover essentially useful in a family of children, and I should be well pleased to see them generally introduced into our schools. My children read the papers as regularly as I do myself, and I feel a singular pleasure in explaining to them whatever their tender minds cannot fully comprehend. Thus they are instructed, and I am amused. Much might be added on this subject, but at present I will not trespass further on your limits.

Let the citizens of this State countenance the printing of good papers therein; the more of them the better, if they can find support. In the State of Connecticut, many thousands of newspapers are circulated by private post-riders, and every family takes one or more. This has a most happy effect; the people are thus well informed, and in consequence, that State is allowed to be more easily if not better governed than any other in the Union.

I take three printed in this State, and one from abroad; the latter I shall discontinue and become a subscriber to the Journal; and whenever I fail in making regular payments, you shall be at full liberty to disgrace my name, by erasing it from your list. Wishing you every success,

I remain,

A Friend to the Art which preserves all other Arts.

January 2, 1799.