Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 2, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 April 1859 — TO OUH SUBSCRIBERS. [ARTICLE]

TO OUH SUBSCRIBERS.

(jrO The Court of Common Pleas sits at this place next week. o^7* President Buchanan was born April 21. 1791, and will be sixty-eight years old to-morrow. (ffT" The shade-tree meeting adjourned last Thursday night without doing anything, it being thought best to wait until the fence is built before taking anv action. (Kj”Mr. Wright retires from the Michigan City Enterprise. Mr. Jernegan takes his place, and is making it a Republican paper, instead of a sort of “half-and-half,” as it was before.

This number closes the second volume of the Gazette. The first number was issued on VVednesday, April 29, 1857. Although the paper was commenced under unfavorable circumstances,’ failure of crops, the croakings of its enemies that “the editor would get his eye teeth cut before a year rolls over his head,” &c., the paper has continued prosperous up to this time; and we flatter oorself that it is an honor to Jasper county, and that the friends of free institutions are not ashamed of their organ. The publisher has not grown rich in the undertaking, neither did he expect it; but during the past two years of universal scarcity the people of Jasper county have not allowed him to suffer. They have paid up as well as could be expected. Our people are struggling through the hard times manfully, and it is expected, that if the crops do not fail the coming summer, Jasper county will be all right again. The terms of the paper are somewhat modified. For the next year they will be {as follows: In advance, or within one mdnth> $1,50; within six months, $1,75; within one year, $2,00. These terms are fair, and will be strictly adhered to. Those of our subscribers who do not desire the next volume, will please request their postmaster to send the next number of the paper back; and all who are Indebted for the first or second volume. or both, are requested, if they cannot spare the money, to se’nd in their notes, or, what we much prefer, call in and have a chat with us when they are in town. If they can’t make it convenient to pay, that needn’t trouble them; they can pay when they can; we know that they are hone t—we don't have any other kind of subscribers.

[For the Rensselaer Gazette. Rensselear, Aprl 15, 1859. Mr. Davies— Str: Some time since, a notice appeared in the'Gazetle informing! its readers that you purqtesed publishing the speech of Hon. Owen Lovejoy, and also the letter in reply by hiis brother—Joseph Lovejoy. In due tiihej the speech appeared in the Gazette, without note or c 'lament, ami it was reasonable to suppose, insomuch as it was claimed that the speech was more than a match for the letter, and occupied considerable more space, that the latter would, i also, appear under like circumstances. It was, therefore, a matter of surprise, with i many of your readers, that you should accompany it. with three co unins of your own j comments—a compliment by no means flattering to the speech of Mr. Lovejoy. I am informed that permission has been solicited to reply to these comments, and that the request is denied unless the article appear over the proper signature of the writer. This, under the circumstances, is an unusual restriction, and. outside the usage of the press. The individual making the request, I understand, is willing to avow the authorship and assume all the responsibility that may attach to his article, and only desires to withhold his proper signature for reasons w hich must be as obvious to yourself, as they are to others. Jt will be regarded as a personal favor if you will state publicly the grounds upon which you impose this r-stricti m. Yours

very respectfully

J. McCARTHY.

reply. Friend McCarthy: I will answer your letter publicly, as you request, and briefly, although you, in my opinion, take a roundabout way to seek for information, as the opinions you gratuitously express in regard to Owen Lovejoy’s speech, his brother’s letter in reply, and my comments on the letter, are not pertinent to the request you make. •Since I have learned, by experience, how newspaper controversies in this place degenerate into personalities, I have made it a rule to permit no anonymous writer to criticise or attack, through the columns of the Gazette, the position taken by any person over his proper signature. This rule I have enforced against Republicans, and in favor of yourself, while you conducted the Hanner, and have frequently enforced it on various topic.'). Were all editors to adopt ♦,i. plan, the character of the press would ;ia greatly advanced. in tha estimation pf the

[public. A celebrated writer once said: “T he man who has not the courage to sign ■ his name to what he writes, had better not ■ write at all.” It is another rule with me never to notice, editorially, an anymous communication in reference to myself. I will not trouble myself with a “man oT straw.” If any gentleman desires to join issue on any position I may take as editor, he must publicly ta.k- the responsibility of his own articles, as Ido mine. Is this not fair? Doping this will prove satisfactory, I subscribe myself, Yours truly,

D. F. DAVIES.