Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-07-11
NEWSPAPERS.

IL is an astonishing TACT, that IN country Tree
as ours is, and where every voter once or twice
a year is called upon to discharge duty at the
ballot box, there are many persons, who never
read newspaper, and who know but little
more what is going on in their own country
than in the dominions Of the Grand Mogul.-.
What they learn of their own political affairs,
they learn from verbal communications, SUBJ
ject as it is to various perversions, colorlngs,
and Observation-Disclosures acting upon such COM
munications only, they venture to attempt to
discharge the high and holy, and OF course res
ponsible duty of Judge over mems actions
and principles They venture upon attempting
10 settle the affairs of great nation, extending
through various degrees of latitude, and emoo-
diving an immense variety Of interests and pre-
understand this without the study OF qualifica-
tons demanded even in the teacher OF a com
mon country school, extending not over 20 feet
SQUARED What judge!
Newspapers are in this country one of the
necessaries of life, second only to food and clio
thing, and as imperiousy demanding the atten-
ton and forethought ofmen. as fire and habita-
TONS Think of living in this world, and OF
knowing nothing of what is going on within il!
Think Of a revolution here, and an earthquake
thereof grand discovery here, sublime in
yention thereof movements and agitatlons IN
one place, influencing the destnies of nations
and the world for years, and of improvements
and advances in other places, eevatng and en-
nobling the condition of man-and yet a free
man, in free country, standing amidst all al
fected by all, and yet ignorant of all! What
blank, cypher, is such a man! how little above
a mere ANIMAL who eats as he eats, breathes as
he breathes, and above whom he is, only in the
faculty OF speech! For what is intellect without
facts, information, direction, calculation? What
but a mere s!umbering, raked up, smothered
ember, needing the tanning breeze Of what is
going on in the world, what the world does as
inspired by what il knows-and that breeze, the
a kl&, no h.,st flo nd nv
element of the time in which We live, move,
and think2 Talk ofpast knowledge. 1t is good
foundation on which to build. But the super
structure is to be reared now. This moments
knowledge, is worth all past knowledge, as time
present is worth more than time past. As he
who would benefit mankind, or do honor TO him
SELF must come forth into the world, and know
what the world is doing, and shape and embo-
DIV its energies.
History is. important; every body grants
Science is important in all estimation. Politics
are government and as government is good
or bad, so is people prosperous or wretched.
generally speaking. But here, in n newspaper,
We have the history of the very day, all spread
before us with vitality and freshness no histo-
rian can equal The very things themselves,
not their images, not their shadowy ghosts, fit
before you. The substance out of which. histo-
nv is to be woven, is upon the table. Men talk
for themselves-and no historians talk for them
You are living among ALL and are interested in
a-and will We refuse to buy, to read, aye, to
study, what We are SO much interested in? But
newspapers are more than historians. They
parade before you all the inventions and disco
veries Of the times:-they trfe with you sport
with YOU and amuse you, and condole with you,
as well as instruct you. By your own fire side,
far from the scenes of interest, no matter whe-
Their you are in the crowded city or in a remote
country house, yet they bring all before you,
and to The very lfe:-and you are as well and
better Informed by them than he who has seen
and participated in all You need not stir from
your farm or your own chair, from your bed
even; and yet these little messengers, silent and
SPECIFICS as they are, will take you into the
wide world and show forth all that is going on.
Portland Advertiser.