Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1830-04-15
From the New York Daily Sentinel

From the New Y ork Daily Sentinel
Tic People and their .Ne,cspapess.----EI
proposed to inquire TO day what means III
pablo has reforming the periodical press 4
our country.
= The public press is somewhat like a besI !
tiful and -capricions wife. Even while sl
contFives 30 lead and govern her "lord arl
master" she remains entirely dependent a
him for countenanco and support. so il II
(learing the beauty out of the comparison. 4
which there is little ailoat in the psriodicl
woIi1 Of letters $50 1t is we saw with nc,rsl
paper. The puhjc must support it, before n
can govern the.pu!tie.
This, we shall be tod. ia notlingnew EE
very body knows that the press ia depeader,
on the pubic But that dependencies rather
a rouzycl than saiutary CHECK
Admitted; but it dees not follow thatitmus
necessarily rcTnain-so. The public ies trained
thai press TO be the caterer for their foles, tbs
hunloret of tiiei iancies. the ,ranGer Of tier
pfeiadces, the butipon Cor their Amusement
The public r,Sgla have trained the press tote
HE reverse of all this; TO be fearless, igis.
pendcnt, honest, bold; "a terror TO evil 0ae
ers, and a praise and protection to such as
do well" Aud If the paasic.had kno,-a tIleif
own interest, thnv would ioug since have
made the press what it ought 10 be.
Each legal voter has a small, but eertaia
lniiuence-in %he government @. the country:
and, in like manner, each citizen who takes
n newspaper has snali but certaininiluence
in regulating public opinion. 1t is true thai
men are often 'thoughtless enough to forget
that the mogntaiss is composed Of grains Of
sand, many go to the ballot box as carelessly
as they would to HE theatre, bat tlat dos,
not diminish the real importance Of theright
of universal suffrage And SO. many an one
thinks little cf the Individual influence which
he, as a patron Of the press, possesses. lie
ocglH TO think mach oft; and to use il most
and critically, and coascientiousIy
Every man ought to>lrel it duty to exam
inc what's the aestindependsnt, honest and
taieated paper in the city, village or neigh
forhood, where he resides; and to give that
paper his hearty. efficient support
But what Go men ito now? What is tle first
question theysass; about paper9 Tsit whe-
ther it has beenronsistenti in principal, mild
IN temper, courteous in languagep No, in
deed. These are The last questions asked
The FIRST IS what party does support? who !.
It's 1ayorite candidate? Ihe:rest,is all Sc
condry consideration, almost matter of in,
difference.
The consequences are nstural and evident
enough. newspaper instead Of being as it
might he, & useful consclnr, tlisnil;ed Enep.
tor, a moral and political giide, becomes a
mere s0uiless tool, machine 10 weave a
tangled political web, transcript of party
preludices, q retailer party ISLANDERS, deal
er cot OF party abuse and party 'denancia-
lions.
And ttpt1 tim ,aoola cea,o a. en- L.
and worship this demon of marty spirit. news
papers viii remain what the great majority
OF them now are, high priests minstering To
thc political idolatry ofthe hour.
II tae people will have them to be sornos
thing better, let them lend hand to msAe
them so. If the paper they take shows any
symptom of the smallest dererction from
principls-ifit lend itself to deti action, and
employ the language Of violence--lct lem
stop it al once. Do not let them suffer Il 10
drag on Cor few weeks or months or wears
Just To see what il tctN saF Let them With.
ORA" their support from what ought not to
be supported.
IT, on the contrary, the paper they take
show, uprgfItness of principle and indepet,
dence of spirit, Let them aid it, not only by
their own patronage, but by making il knows
This may seem a very round abou. way oil
reforming national abuses. and raising the
national character. But. if men could hs
persuaded to follow it, il would prove most
etieetual one.-Puhlic opinion governs th'
world; the press governs public opinion; aIt
popular patronage governs the press.
.Bos'sig for Wheat-This'is certainly III
age of wonders have frequently b. I'D
OF boring for scater; but never till REGENTS d
boring for ,cieGt.--Two persons. flaiheg aad
SOM lntely succeeded in obtaining two las,
rels of wheat lay boring with a coma,o.. az,
ger through the floor ofMr. llIs graaary Il
Farma--it being elevated a htiie above Tho
earth They ar cow feaping the reward
;AeIr iasenuity ~ tbs count jsii at 7; sia 4
'er,-ti'oehssteg =; publEa@