Winchester Republican

NOTE TO T., A CORRESPONDENT.

When we say that we will not restrict the liberty of the press, we do not wish to be understood as meaning that we will open our columns to animadversions of every description. If we were to waive our right of judging in these cases, and were to insert promiscuously whatever might be handed to us, it is easy to foresee that not only our paper would lose all claim to respectability and independence, but that our professional existence would be short-lived indeed.

We speak generally, and disclaim any invidious allusion to our correspondent T. For him we entertain the highest personal regard; and we are sensible that we can convince him that we do perfectly right in declining to publish his reflections on the late election. We are ready to admit that they would be pleasingly read by many of our patrons; but we also know that they would be objectionable to as many others. But this we would not regard if we thought that an important principle was involved in the discussion. We will make any sacrifices of pecuniary interest to promote the public good; but in this case the public good is not in jeopardy. We will not yield to T., nor any other man in our regard for the unsuccessful candidate at the late election for delegates; but when a majority of the people decided in favor of his opponent, we thought it time to cease our hostility towards the latter, and we became perfectly willing to confide in his patriotism and integrity—at least until another election. We consider submission to the will of the majority to be a truly republican maxim; and it is one that we shall strive to imitate. By this we do not mean that we will always continue an unshaken faith in the virtues of any individual. We all know that men are liable to change, and that our very natures are frail and faithless. It is, therefore, perfectly fair, on the eve of an election, to discuss freely, yet honestly, the pretensions of candidates; and from this reasoning, a priori, we consider ourselves at perfect liberty to be judges at a future election, and support whichever of the candidates we most admire.

But it is said that republicans have been unmindful of their party, and that federalists have taken advantage of this remissness to elect a federal delegate. If this be true, we have some consolation in knowing that federalists themselves, with all their vigilance, have for once been caught napping! for that in the neighboring federal county of Fauquier, an undeviating republican (Mr. Hunton) was on Monday last elected to the assembly, much to the mortification of his opponent!