39
newspaper's political stand;

Influenced in their editorial capacity by no
motive but of rendering their paper the most
useful and early vehicle of interesting and im-
portant information, they [the proprietors]
have been cautious of enlisting under no banner
but that of impartiality; determined to observe
that strict regard to Truth (as far as she could
be followed through her mazy path) that was due
to the dignity and understanding of their numer-
ous readers. As far as relates to their politi-
cal selections (since they have become insepar-
able from daily papers) they fear they might not
have steered entirely free of censure:. But
viewing the political situation of their country
as the most eventful since the revolution, they
have only observed that caution and circumspec-
tion that the crisis required, and while they
have ever avoided propagating the doctrines of
mercenaries, hired to sharpen the daggers of
calumny, rouse the indignation of a too ir-
ritated public, against the officers of govern-
ment and the laws; they at the same time have
been open in declaring themselves the supporters
of rational liberty, and the friends of candid
and manly investigation.³⁴

In the same issue, the publishers announced their in-
teption to alter the newspaper's title to the Federal
Gazette and Baltimore Daily Advertiser, beginning
January 1, 1796, "more through convenience than a de-
sire of novelty"³⁵.

Per advertising purposes, the enlarged Federal
Gazette was distributed gratis to various Baltimore
homes, for on January 6 the recipients were warned:

Those gentlemen into whose doora the Federal
Gazette has been thrown since the lst instant,

34 Federal intelligencer. December 26, 1795,

35 Ibid. December 26, 1795.