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Transcription: "LIBERTY OF THE PRESS! A deadly attack having been made upon the rights and libe…
Liberty of the press! : a deadly attack having been made upon the rights and liberties of the people of this province, by the fining and imprisonment of the editor of the Canadian Freeman
Transcription: "LIBERTY OF THE PRESS! A deadly attack having been made upon the rights and liberties of the people of this Province, by the fining and imprisonment of the Editor of the CANADIAN FREEMAN. The friends of public liberty are requested to meet in the Market Square, at 12 o'clock noon, on Monday next, in order to devise means to repel the attack that has been so unexpectedly made upon this great bulwark of our liberties, and to shield a free PRESS from annihilation. York, 30th Oct., 1828."

Liberty of the press! : a deadly attack having been made upon the rights and liberties of the people of this province, by the fining and imprisonment of the editor of the Canadian Freeman

DateOctober 30, 1828
FormatEphemera
Notes
Here's a notice from our Baldwin Collection of Canadiana dating back to 1828 in York (now Toronto). It calls for citizens "to shield a free press from annihilation" after newspaper editor Francis Collins was jailed. Collins was sentenced for libel, among other offences. While incarcerated, he continued to edit the Canadian Freeman and publish scathing editorials against his opponents. However, Collins failed to defend a free press when the editor of a rival newspaper was also persecuted by the government under the charge of libel.

Read about Francis Collins on Dictionary of Canadian Biography: http://ow.ly/hQJ850EdKVP

GeographyCity, town, townshipToronto
GeographyHistorical locationYork (Ont. : Township), 1850-1922
GeographyProvince stateOntario
GeographyCountryCanada
Dimensions22 cm x 17.5 cm (8 11/16 in. x 6 7/8 in.)
Language
Usage Rights Public Domain (Learn More)
Object Number1828-LIBERTY-SB