Being a Canadian living in America, I want to learn more about my adopted homeland, so I recently purchased The U.S. Constitution and Other Writings. It begins with the Silence Dogood letters, which were written by Benjamin Franklin in 1722, at the young age of 17. Using this pseudonym, he wrote 14 letters, which were published in the New-England Courant, a newspaper published by his older brother, James.
Letter #8 is particularly interesting because it deals with the subject of Free Speech. In the letter, he mostly quotes an article published two years earlier in the London Journal. You can read the entire letter, but here is a critical portion:
Without Freedom of Thought, there can be no such Thing as Wisdom; and no such Thing as publick Liberty, without Freedom of Speech; which is the Right of every Man, as far as by it he does not hurt or countroul the Right of another: And this is the only Check it ought to suffer, and the only Bounds it ought to know.
This sacred Privilege is so essential to free Governments, that the Security of Property, and the Freedom of Speech always go together; and in those wretched Countries where a Man cannot call his Tongue his own, he can scarce call any Thing else his own.
Fast forward 300 years, and we find scoundrels like John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Keir Starmer, Justin Trudeau and his fellow Liberals, and assorted government officials throughout the EU, all openly insisting that Free Speech be eliminated.
Make no mistake, we have entered a Very Dark Age, where there is a concerted effort by powerful people to silence, punish, and imprison anyone who dares speak out against their despicable policies and actions. The next time you hear anyone speak of misinformation or disinformation or “hateful speech”, know that the motivations behind their words lie somewhere between malicious and pure evil.
Obviously, you didn’t notice the limitations on speech that Franklin mentions in the letter. Twitter trolls and midnight truck honkers would not make that cut.
Poor Vince lives in Ottawa. Beware those scary Twitter trolls….
Vince is probably a government employee, or a retired government employee, acknowledging that his vote has already been bought.
Written in 1722, young Benjamin Franklin was appalled by the authorities locking up his brother, which is big reason, I suspect, he dedicated one of the Silent Dogood letters to the critical importance of free speech in any place that deems itself non-totalitarian.
Years later, I wonder if this played a part in the drafting of the First Amendment?
Vince?
“midnight truck honkers”
That one was proven false almost immediately. Nice try.
More dangerous than the turdos are cowardly Conservatives who go along with the freedom suppression.
or just get co-opted by it.
+++Jamie
FILTHY LIBERALS are the Domestic Enemy of a Free Man.
Everything they champion is rooted in Envy, the worst sin of all.
There is Only “Information” and we possess a brain to decide if we choose to ignore or consider it.
FILTHY LIBERALS are so disgusting and evil, they must pass laws to criminalize dissent.
I pray we don’t have to take up arms against them, but I think we will be within my lifetime. SO BE IT.
FILTHY LIBERALS are no match for real men.
Thank you Robert for the article:
Our country was so blessed to have our Founding Fathers. If caught they would have been executed or imprisoned. They made no money out of our Revolution. In fact, many lost all their property.
(5) of my direct ancestors fought against the Brits and their 40,000 German Mercenaries. Two were Minutemen.
Forever my heroes. God bless them.
“…..as far as by it he does not hurt or countroul the Right of another: And this is the only Check it ought to suffer,”
Franklin laid the groundwork for the HRT’s with that sentence.
It depends on whether the right in this case refers only to the right of free speech, not say, to the right to your legally acquired physical property. I think his statement, “as far as by it he does not hurt or coutroul the Right of another refers only to the right of the free speech”. As ssuch itmeans simply that evey man has the right to free speech, providing he does not impinge on another’s right to free speech. Thus I don’t think this right as articulated by Benjamin Franklin’s statement conributes the HRT problem we have today. That problem has its origins in the lack of understanding by most people of the true natural rights theory. The rights envisaged by the founders were essentially negative rights as opposed to the fake positive rights promulgated by the progressive minds in our midst. It is a shame, but not a surprise, that our government schools do virtually nothing by way of properly teaching what the word “freedom” really means. Because these schools are controlled by government they subsitutue the word “democracy” instead of “freedom” into the curriculumas. Democracy is a political institution and hence has nothing to do with natural rights as envisioned by the founders.
Somehow I don’t think he was speaking of feelings when he wrote that.
Marxists created their own addendum to limit free speech 45 years ago and few opposed it or forewarned of its threat. That happened way before my time but I remember reading articles by George Jonas who was one of those few to stand against it.
‘…..as far as by it he does not hurt or countroul the Right of another’
…
“Franklin laid the groundwork for the HRT’s with that sentence.”
‘Human Rights’ is a concept/construct of the 20th Century, to try
and make sense of the carnage arising from the ‘Industrial Age’.
In Canada, the RO Irwin Cotlerm, and his ilk, sought to create, out of whole cloth,
a morality superior to any which had come before by other words.
They then handed off their theories to governors who used powers
expected/intended only to improve access to plumbing, electrical, and fuel,
to their constituents.
In return, constituents would supply the personnel necessary to enforce
governor dictates.
As of 2025, everything beyond ‘national’ security is a wish list for Utopia, which
none appear to agree upon.
Franklin’s words may be common sense, however when studied long enough, as
when subject to ‘higher education’, become nonsense.
Life Follows Art dept.
A Serious Man – I need help
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDKHWRbK2_Q
“… carnage of the industrial age”?
The carnage of the pre-industrial age was much worse.
Life was harder, and much deadlier, before the industrial age.
Except for the ‘machine’ guns…
Things have moved on. I know of no one who does not guard his tongue now. No longer will the elites be able to effectively dictate thought, nor understand what is lurking in the minds of the sans culottes.
I know a delicatessen owner who is especially careful to guard his tongue. But I’m more concerned with what is lurking in the culottes of the sans-mind. Cue lots of concern…
Censorship is the tool used when the lie loses its power.
Very well said.
I like that.
Freedom of speech exists because of freedom of thought. You cannot control what people think nor should you.
Censorship exists because some people fear the truth and wish to suppress freedom of speech. Be vigilant.
Very well said.
“ “Freedom of speech’s purpose is so bad/failed ideas get to die …instead of people!”
Very well said
Supression by force, by laws, by propaganda and by shaming. You definitely have to watch your speech in this Canada, and there is a bill going through now to make it worse.
I find it interesting that talk never seems to secure freedom of speech, only action against those doing the suppressing has any real value.
The irony being that people are free to be anti-free speech.
And then you hang the fckers.
The Zenger trial in 1735 affirmed the ‘freedom of the Press’. Accused of libel, “ In defending Zenger, Hamilton and Smith attempted to establish the precedent that a statement, even if defamatory, is not libelous if it can be proved, thus affirming freedom of the press. The jury took 10 minutes to return not guilty.
The enemies of free speech are those we are not allowed to criticize.
I Refuse to submit, I will not alter my speech to adhere to the upside down loopy logic of the progressive-spit-leftwing loons.
My gf is a naturalized citizen born in Manitoba .
Sadly her winter visitor Canadian friends are leftist goons with no manners who think insulting the USA while here is appropriate. I refuse to associate with them for any reason.