to them, if the latter reject them. And with this
observation I shall now proceed to read to you the preamble to the Act of
the Legislative Assembly of Virginia.)

"It is time enough for the rightful purposes of Civil Government, for
its officers to interfere when principles break out into overt acts
against peace and good order, and that truth is great and will prevail
if left to herself, and that she is the proper and sufficient
antagonist to error, and has nothing to fear from the conflict,
unless, by human interposition disarmed of her natural weapons, free
argument and debate: errors ceasing to be dangerous, when it is
permitted freely to contradict them."

Thus, you see, by an Act of the Legislature of that country, passed by
those who had all the knowledge of history before their eyes, and ample
experience in their own times, I am fully supported in the position that
prosecutions of this kind are not only useless but hurtful. By free
argument and debate errors cease to be dangerous, if they are not
exploded; but attempts to stifle even errors by power and punishment,
provoke a stubborn adherence to them, and awake an eager spirit of
propagation. If erroneous positions are published, meet them by
argument, and refutation must ensue. If falsehood uses the press to
promulge her doctrines, let truth oppose her with the same weapon. Let
the press answer the press, and what is there to fear? Shall I be told
that the propensity of human nature is so base and evil that it will
listen to falsehood and turn a deaf ear to truth? To assert so is not
only scandalous to human nature, but impious towards the Creator. We are
placed here imperfect indeed, and erring; but still with preponderance of
virtue over vice. The Deity has sent us from his hands with qualities
fitting us for civil society: it is our natural state; and we know that
civil society is sapped by vice and supported by virtue: if, therefore,
our disposition to good did not redound over the evil a state of society
could not be maintained. It would indeed be an impiety little short of
blasphemy to the great Being who has created us, to say, that mankind at
large are eagerly inclined to what is vicious, but turn with aversion
from what is moral and good. Yet this, whatever they may avow, must be
the opinion of those who say that good doctrine from the press cannot be
left with safety to oppose bad.

Now, gentlemen, not only am I