The Rhode Island American, And General Advertiser

THE INDEPENDENT INQUIRER."

Mr. Gopnard.

You are requested to insert the following Communication (which is designed as a test of the avowed principles of the "Independent Inquirer") not as expressing your own opinions, but as conveying the sentiments of numbers of your subscribers, as well as those of the Inquirer. As independent inquiry is the motto of the paper criticised, its friends surely will not shrink from this touchstone when applied to themselves, and we trust they will ever be ready to do justice without first inquiring whose bull gored the oxen.

The publick have been for some time expecting a paper under the title of the Independent Inquirer, which has at length appeared. From the prospectus, and the out-door pledges, in relation to this paper, we were lead to anticipate something creditable to the political and literary character of the State--something calculated to give a new tone to publick sentiment, and sufficiently energetick to become an instrument to that reform which the good and the wise are so anxious to see effected in our political institutions. Such were evidently the impressions under which a numerous subscription list was so readily obtained for the encouragement of this undertaking. The Editor and his coadjutors have at length given us a specimen of their means of fulfilling publick expectation, and we are compelled to say we have been sorely disappointed. We do this with no intention of injuring this new publication, but in a spirit of friendship to the Editor, and in this spirit we call upon him and his associates either to abandon the undertaking, or to give us some better pledges of their ability to carry into execution what they have promised to perform. It may be considered unfair to test the merits of this paper by the first number. But dealers do not exhibit their inferior wares first, to attract customers; and from the length of time usually bestowed in getting up the first number of any periodical work, a greater opportunity is presented than can afterwards occur for a development of the views of its Editors and of their abilities to amuse, instruct and reform the publick.-- Besides, the "Inquirer," unless it assumes an elevated tone, and actually goes beyond the papers now published in this town, must necessarily become a great injury to the community. From certain unhappy causes (which may hereafter be more particularly noticed) the papers in this place are already so cramped in patronage, that it is impossible for the Editors to make them worthy the character of a town so populous and commercial as our own; and as the introduction of another paper will unavoidably take away some part of even this small patronage, the projectors of such a work are doing great injury to the publick unless they are certain of having it in their power to command enough of talent and patronage to make their paper superior to the other publications of the day.