Mathew Carey, an Irish immigrant in America, used his printing press to publish the opposing sides of important issues of his day: the consequences of the British penal laws in Ireland, ratification of the United States Constitution, the federal banking system, immigrant rights. A friend of Benjamin Franklin, Lafayette, Henry Clay, and endorsed by George Washington, he particiapted in the most engaging conversations of his time. He was never afraid to stand up for what he thought was best for the good of his country. And, his life shines as a beacon for the principles of the free press.