Fincastle Mirror

THE PRESS.

We copy from the Nashville Clarion, a letter of Willie Blount, a late Gov. of Tennessee. A man justly ranked among the best men of this or any other country.

Nashville, Oct 10.

Dear Sir--When I settled in (179?), in the Great Valley, through which the waters of the Mississippi take their course, I did not know of a printing house, or press so far south, or to the west of Lexington Kentucky: there was then one there, under the direction of a gentleman of urbanity. and there might have been others: but if so, the fact was unknown to me--how important are printing establishments all around us, and good is the result.

I encouraged the coming of the first printing press established within the limits of the now state of Tennessee, then Territory, South of the river Ohio, and assisted in promoting its establishment and usefulness as fully as I could with my interest, taking the paper, encouraging others to do so. In this way, I have encouraged each succeeding establishment--when well conducted and encouraged. to be among the world, where light and knowledge are of any use, or any way desirable. It is gratifying to me to find coming along able printing of genius as, shedding lustre useful is all well-directed is very opinion of the United States was a subscriber or. a reader, of and a due appreciator of the value of a newspaper, not only to himself, but to his country--he press is an open school for general education.

Franklin, who was a Solon, in his day, printer, and a man of the first literary accomplishments in any age. held very correct opinions about the value of the great art of printing, and through his precepts, examples and practice thereof, he made the world his debtor and admirer. With the world know more than any other man who ever lived, that the press is the medium of general intelligence: and all rational men know, that correct intelligence, guided by sound principles, coupled with a proper disposition and constant assiduity in any man in the application, leads to the accomplishment of every great object of use or interest to the world of mankind, and also contributes to the comfort and respectability of individuals---my opinion is, that the world is greatly indebted, not only to Doctor Franklin and to the press, but to all those who are, or have been similarly engaged. May you, and they continue to do well, and thereby add your mites in rendering the press more fully (in proportion to the increase of population) the medium of general intelligence and a light throughout the civilized, and yet to be civilized part of the earth. I thus express myself, to exhibit the pleasure of giving my mite of respect, uniformly felt, for those who are in the daily and hourly habit of manifesting by their work that they feel the disposition to be useful, or are so, not only for the present but for future age.

I am respectfully,
Your friend,
WILLIE BLOUNT

Major Bradford.