The Rhode Island American, And General Advertiser

FROM THE WASHINGTON CITY GAZETTE.

On the utility of Newspapers.

It was the sentiment of one of the most learned men that ever America produced, that "there is no kind of reading more generally advantageous than the reading of the newspapers." He said, and he said truly, "that they diffused the knowledge of Geography, History, Mechanics; and, indeed, the principles of every species of useful science, through the whole mass of the nation." The truth of this assertion will be evident, if we consider that newspapers are common only in polite nations; and that amongst stupid and barbarous people, there are no such things.

But besides these general uses, they have another, which is of still greater consequence in a free country:—They afford an opportunity of bringing all causes before the impartial tribunal of the publick, who in all cases will hear, and in some manner redress, those grievances which no law can reach. For, this reason, there never was an enemy to the press, who was not secretly, and in his heart, an enemy to all Liberty.

It is to this bringing grievances before the publick, that we owe every good law that has been passed within our memory; and though it may be true that there are many grievances still unredressed, against which long complaints have been often made, at this is no just objection: or, though they are not yet redressed, they may, and will be, in time; or circumstances will, at one season or other, promote what they have hitherto disappointed.

But there is another very good effect, which may be looked upon as certain, though we can afford no proof of it: it is this, that we should have many more grievances if this remedy was not always in our power; and many more grievances we certainly shall have, if ever it is taken from us.