| | 1 | Author: | Thomas
Isaiah
1749-1831 | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | The History of Printing in America, with a Biography of Printers, and an Account of Newspapers ...  | | | | Published: | 2003 | | | | Subjects: | University of Virginia Library, Modern English collection | UVA-LIB-Text | | | | Description: | To an observer of the great utility of the kind of publications
called newspapers, it may appear strange that
they should have arisen to the present almost incredible
number, from a comparatively late beginning. I would
not be understood to intimate that ancient nations had no
institutions which answered the purposes of our public
journals, because I believe the contrary is the fact. The
Chinese gazettes may have been published from a very remote
period of time. The kings of Persia had their scribes
who copied the public despatches, which were carried into
the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces of the Persian
empire "by posts;" and, it is probable, they transmitted
accounts of remarkable occurrences in the same manner.
The Romans also adopted the custom of sending into their
distant provinces written accounts of victories gained, and
other remarkable events, which took place in that empire.1
1 Newspapers were foreshadowed among the ancients by the Acta
Diurna of the Romans—daily official reports of public occurrences.—H.
"The Gentleman who first set up and has hitherto been
interested in this Paper, having now resigned all his Right
and Interest therein into the hands of the Subscriber, the
Subscriber thinks himself obliged to give publick Notice
thereof, and informs all such as have taken, or may hereafter
take it, that as he has settled a Correspondence with
Gentlemen in London, and most of the principal Towns
within this and the neighbouring Governments, and is
favoured with the Acquaintance of many intelligent Persons
in Boston, he doubts not but he shall be able to make the
Rehearsal as Useful and entertaining as any of the Papers
now published. And the better to effect it, requests all
Gentlemen in Town or Country who may be possessed of
any thing new or curious, whether in the Way of News or
Speculation, worthy the publick View, to send the same
to him, and it will be gratefully received and communicated
for the Entertainment of the polite and inquisitive
Part of Mankind. The publisher of this paper declares
himself of no Party, and invites all Gentlemen of Leisure
and Capacity, inclined on either Side, to write any thing
of a political Nature, that tends to enlighten and serve the
Publick, to communicate their Productions, provided they
are not overlong, and confined within Modesty and Good
Manners; for all possible Care will be taken that nothing
contrary to these shall ever be here published. And
whereas the publishing of Advertisements in the Weekly
News Papers has been found of great Use (especially in
such as are sent thro' all the Governments as this is) this
may inform all Persons, who shall have Occasion, that
they may have their Advertisements published in this
Paper upon very easy Terms, and that any Customer for
the Paper shall be served much cheaper than others. And
whereas the Price of this Paper was set up at twenty
Shillings per Year, and so paid till this time; the present
Undertaker being willing to give all possible Encouragement
to his Readers has now reduced it to Sixteen Shillings;
and offers all Gentlemen who are willing to hold a
Correspondence, and shall frequently favour him with any
thing that may tend to the Embellishment of the Paper, to
supply them with one constantly free from Charge. And
considering it is impossible for half a Sheet of Paper to contain
all the Remarkable News that may happen to be brought
in upon the Arrival of Ships from England or other extraordinary
Occurrences; the Publisher therefore proposes in
all such Cases, to Print a Sheet of what he judges most
Material, and shall continue to send the Paper to all such
as have hitherto taken it, until he is advised to the contrary
by those determined to drop it, which he hopes will not
be many. "City of New York, ss.: Paul Richards, Esq., Mayor,
the Recorder, Aldermen, and Assistants of the City of
New York, convened in Common Council, to all to whom
these Presents shall come, Greeting. Whereas, Honour
is the just Reward of Virtue, and publick Benefits demand
a publick Acknowledgment. We therefore, under a grateful
Sense of the remarkable Service done to the Inhabitants
of this City and Colony, by Andrew Hamilton, Esq; of
Pennsylvania, Barrister at Law, by his learned and generous
Defence of the Rights of Mankind and the Liberty of
the Press, in the Case of John-Peter Zenger, lately tried on
an Information exhibited in the Supreme Court of this
Colony, do by these Presents, bear to the said Andrew Hamilton,
Esq; the publick Thanks of the Freemen of this
Corporation for that signal Service, which he cheerfully
undertook under great Indisposition of Body, and generously
performed, refusing any Fee or Reward; and in
Testimony of our great Esteem for his Person, and Sense
of his Merit, do hereby present him with the Freedom of
this Corporation. These are, therefore, to certify and declare,
that the said Andrew Hamilton, Esq; is hereby admitted
and received and allowed a Freeman and Citizen of
said City; To Have, Hold, Enjoy and Partake of all the
Benefits, Liberties, Privileges, Freedoms and Immunities
whatsoever granted or belonging to a Freeman and Citizen
of the same City. In Testimony whereof the Common
Council of the said City, in Common Council assembled,
have Caused the Seal of the said City to be hereunto affixed
this Twenty-Ninth Day of September, Anno Domini One
Thousand Seven Hundred and Thirty-Five. "My country subscribers are
earnestly desired to pay their arrearages for this Journal,
which, if they don't speedily, I shall leave off sending, and
seek my money another way. Some of these kind customers
are in arrears upwards of seven years! Now as I
have served them, so long, I think it is time, ay and high
time too, that they give me my outset; for they may verily
believe that my every-day cloathes are almost worn out.
N. B. Gentlemen, If you have not ready money with you,
still think of the Printer, and when you have read this Advertisement,
and considered it, you cannot but say, Come
Dame, (especially you inquisitive wedded men, let the
Batchelors take it to themselves) let us send the poor
Printer a few Gammons or some Meal, some Butter,
Cheese, Poultry, &c. In the mean time I am Yours, &c. "Mr. Holt, As you have hitherto prov'd yourself a Friend
to Liberty, by publishing such Compositions as had a
Tendency to promote the Cause, we are encouraged to
hope you will not be deterred from continuing your useful
Paper, by groundless Fear of the detestable Stamp-Act.
However, should you at this critical Time, shut up the
Press, and basely desert us, depend upon it, your House,
Person and Effects, will be in imminent Danger: We shall
therefore, expect your Paper on Thursday as usual; if not,
on Thursday Evening—take C A R E. Signed in the
Names and by Order of a great Number of the Free-born
Sons of New-York. "The Subscriber having lately given a Hint of his Intention
to Stop this Gazette, from a base we may say villainous
Attempt to suppress the Distribution of News-Papers, from
one Government to another, made by a P. Master General
10 or 12 years ago, and lately put into Execution by one of
his Servants, (who with his Colleague first Schem'd the
Matter). This egregious Attack on the Usefulness of the
Press (which seems to be prosecuted) joined with the
Printer's private Affairs, obliges him to inform the Publick
of a total stop this Day. All other Work will still be
performed with that Dispatch and Care the Nature of the
Business will admit of.—He gives Thanks from his Heart
and not from his Tongue to all his good Encouragers, at
times, hitherto.—A singular Paper may appear at Times,
with the best Intelligences, to be sold cheap without Subscription,
English Method. Advertisements whose Times
are not expired, their Money shall be returned, if demanded,
after a proper Allowance. From such an unparalleled
Oppression, as mentioned at first, and my innate
Concerns, I am obliged to subscribe myself, The Publick's
Most Thankful and Most Obedient Humble Servant, "On the 8th inst. I received the favour of your letter of
the 30th of May. In answer to it I can only say, that your
own good judgment must direct you in the publication of
the manuscript papers of General Lee. I can have no request
to make concerning the work. I never had a difference
with that gentleman, but on public ground; and my
conduct towards him upon this occasion, was only such as
I conceived myself indispensably bound to adopt in discharge
of the public trust reposed in me. If this produced
in him unfavourable sentiments of me, I yet can never consider
the conduct I pursued with respect to him, either
wrong or improper, however I may regret that it may have
been differently viewed by him, and that it excited his censure
and animadversions. "At a Council Held at the Council-Chamber, in Boston,
on Thursday the 28th day of February, 1720 [i. e. 1721,
new style.] "The Jury find Specially, viz. If the Book entituled
a Short and Easy Method with the Deists, containing in it
a Discourse concerning Episcopacy, (published, and many
of them sold by the said Checkley) be a false and scandalous
libel; Then we find the said Checkley guilty of all
and every Part of the Indictment (excepting that supposed
to traduce and draw into dispute the undoubted Right
and Title of our Sovereign Lord, King George, to the
Kingdoms of Great-Britain and Ireland, and the territories
thereto belonging.) But if the said Book, containing
a discourse concerning Episcopacy, as aforesaid, be not a
false and scandalous Libel; Then we find him not guilty. "The Court having maturely advised on this Special
Verdict, are of Opinion that the said John Checkley is
guilty of publishing and selling of a false and scandalous
Libel. It's therefore considered by the Court, that the
said John Checkley shall pay a Fine of Fifty Pounds to
the King, and enter into Recognizance in the sum of One
Hundred Pounds, with two Sureties in the Sum of Fifty
Pounds each, for his good Behaviour for six Months, and
also pay costs of prosecution, standing committed until
this Sentence be performed. "The good Manners and Caution that has been observed in writing
this Paper, 'twas hoped would have prevented any occasion for Controversies
of this kind: But finding a very particular Advertisement
published by Mr. Campbell in his Boston News-Letter of the 4th
Currant, lays me under an absolute Necessity of giving the following
Answer thereunto. Mr Campbell begins in saying, The Nameless
Author—Intimating as if the not mentioning the Author's Name was
a fault; But if he will look over the Papers wrote in England (such
as the London Gazette, Post-Man, and other Papers of Reputation)
he will find their Authors so. As this part of his Advertisement is
not very material, I shall say no more thereon; but proceed to Matters
of more Moment. Mr. Campbell seems somewhat displeased that
the Author says he was removed from being Post-Master. I do hereby
declare I was the Person that wrote the said Preamble, as he calls it;
and think I could not have given his being turn'd out a softer Epithet.
And to convince him (and all Mankind) that it was so, I shall
give the following Demonstrations of it. Many Months before John
Hamilton, Esq; Deputy Post-Master General of North America displaced
the said Mr. Campbell, he received Letters from the Secretary
to the Right Honourable the Post-Master General of Great Britain,
&c., that there had been several Complaints made against him, and
therefore the removal of him from being Post-Master was, thought
necessary. Mr. Hamilton for some time delayed it, till on the 13th
of September 1718, he appointed me to succeed him, with the same
Salary and other just Allowances, according to the Establishment of
the Office; and if Mr. Campbell had any other, they were both unjust
and unwarrantable, and he ought not to mention them. As soon
as I was put into possession of the Office, Mr. Hamilton wrote a Letter
to the Right Honourable the Post-Master General, acquainting them
he had removed Mr. Campbell and appointed me in his room—Mr.
Campbell goes on; saying, I was superceded by Mr. Musgrave from
England. To make him appear also mistaken in this Point; Mr.
Hamilton not displacing him as soon as was expected, the Right Honourable
the Post-Master General appointed Mr. Philip Musgrave by
their Deputation dated June 27, 1718, to be their Deputy Post-Master
of Boston; and in a Letter brought by him from the Right Honourable
the Post-Master General to John Hamilton Esq; mention is
made, that for the many Complaints that were made against Mr.
Campbell, they had thought it fit to remove him, and appoint Mr.
Musgrave in his stead, who was nominated Post-Master of Boston
almost three months before I succeeded Mr Campbell, which has
obliged me to make it appear that he was either removed, turned out,
displaced, or superceded Twice. The last thing I am to speak to is,
Mr. Campbell says, It is amiss to represent, that People remote have
been prevented from having the News-Paper. I do pray he will
again read over my Introduction, and then he will find there is no
words there advanced, that will admit of such an Interpretation.
There is nothing herein contained but what is unquestionably True;
therefore I shall take my leave of him, wishing him all desireable
Success in his agreeable News-Letter, assuring him I have neither
Capacity nor Inclination, to answer any more of his like Advertisements. "Perhaps a long Reply may be expected from the Publisher of
this Intelligence to the Introductions of his Successor's News, especially
No. 4, the first Page whereof is almost filled with unjust Reflections,
unworthy either of his trouble to Answer, or the Candid
unprejudiced Readers to hear; who only affirms he was not turn'd
out, but resigned voluntarily in December, 1717, two years before
their first News Paper, and continued nine Months afterward, till the
13th of September, 1718, Fifteen Months before their first News,
when the Deputy Post-Master General had provided another." ☞ Since against plain matter of Fact, Mr. Campbell has charged
me a second time with unjust Reflections, unworthy either his Trouble
to answer, or the Unprejudiced Reader to hear, I do again Affirm
he was turn'd out, notwithstanding his pretended Resignation: And
I hope he will not oblige me (against my Inclination) to say Things
which perhaps may be a greater Reflection on his Candour, and to
his Ears, then to the Unprejudiced Reader's. "Province of Massachusetts Bay—To Joseph Greenleaf, of Boston,
in said province, Esq.— "At a Council held at the Council Chamber in Boston, Tuesday,
December 10th, 1771. "It being justly expected that what is thus offered to the Public,
should be written with a View at least, to their service, it may not
be improper, in this prefatory Paper, to let the Reader know, that
something conducive to that end, will be attempted in those which
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