70

of the state, the editor ©f the Baltimore

"American" solicits the patronage of his fellow-
citizens for the publication of a newspaper three
days in a week, which every exertion shall be
made to forward to its customers with the utmost
puntuality sic . The name of the proposed paper
shall bo

The American.
A gazette for the country,

Conditions

1. It shall be published three days in the week,
which days shall be arranged so as to accom-
modate a majority of the customers by the
mail conveyance.

2. It shall be printed on the largest size paper,
a new type, and totally devoid of advertise-
ments, except those interesting to its cus-
tomers .

3. The price to be five dollars a year, paid in
advance, after the receipt of the first
number, to such persons as may be appointed
for that purpose.

4. The first number to commence with the now
year 1800, provided 300 subscribers are ob-
tained, and regularly continued thereafter.¹⁴⁶

Exactly when this "country gazette" began publi-
cation is not known, for the first issue which has been
located is that of July 30, 1800, but it is possible
that it began with the new year, as Martin proposed.

It was Maryland's first country edition. Phila-
delphia's Aurora, edited from 1794 to 1798 by Benjamin
Franklin Bache, from the fiery Republican columns of

which newspaper Martin drew many editorials, had a tri-
weekly edition as early as Juno 14, 1797;¹⁴⁷ and it is

146 American. December 6, 1799.

147 Brigham, C.S. Bibliography of American news-

papers, 1690-1820. Part XIII,Pennsylvania

(Philadelphia) p. 89.