22

It was soon evident that Edwards was in dire need
of money. On May 6, 1797, he offered for sale "a
valuable lot of ground, fronting on Bridge Street ⁵⁹
and on lay 31 advertised

To printers. I have several founts of half worn
letter for sale — cheap for cashl - viz. Eng-
lish small pica, long primer and burgeois - Also
several founts of large types.⁶⁰

The Maryland Journal had been sinking for a long
time; and now it had failed completely. On June 29,
Idwards announced that, "such are the difficulties of
my present situation, that I find it necessary for me
to decline the publication of my paper altogether."
He asked his friends and customers to settle with him
as soon as possible, for "CASH is a valuable article,
and extremely acceptable, especially at the close of
an unfortunate and losing campaign"; and he announced
that he would "continue to execute any kind of print-
ing, in the neatest manner, at no. 1, Light-Street".61

He did not long continue in the printing business
after the demise of his newspaper. On January 15,
1797, the General Assembly of Maryland passed a law re-
leasing Edwards from the payment of his debts. A
separate act of the Assembly was necessary in this

59 Maryland journal. May 8, 1797.

60 Ibid. May 31, 1797.

61 Maryland journal. June 29, 1797.