Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1841-12-03
THE NEWSPAPER PRESS.

Ii ~ Il ~ y H I lIN INIlCOs
The following eloquent passage is ia
ken from an address recently delivered
in Jefferson College, Louisiana, by Pro.
lessor A H. Evertr:
can orator IN the British Parliament,
for exa mpIe, finishes his speech at four
O'Clock in the morning, and at eight re.
Celves 1t in his newspaper with MS NOR
ming meal, reported in full, and ready to
be hurried on the wings OF steam, more
swift than those of tie wind, TO the re-
motcst corners of the globe. Though his
voice is heard by only two or three hun
dred persons, he speaks in fact to all his
countrymeG far and near; to foreign ma,
lions; TO The world. BY the JOINT result
of those two prodiglous inventions,
stage is erected in every printing Office,
around which the whole cotemporary
race is assembled as an audience. In
this country alone, there are already
more than two thousand. What a spec.
taCle Of wooders!. What potent mach.
merry for good and cvll' know the a
buses that belong to this system; that
are, perhaps, in greater or less degree,
inseparabIe from it am aware Of the
frivolous and even mischlevJus character
of.much Of lhe popular literature, Of the
narrowness and coarseness; | may say
brutality Of portion Of the periodical
press, without distinction Of party. Yet,
with all its faults, OF omissions and com.
missions, how much really valuable mat
ter s, after all 10 be found in hese brief
chronicles Of the times? How much
useful Information and rational enter
tainment does not almost any one of them
-evene the least conspicuous; carry home
to the fireside Of the remote inhlhtant
Of the country? 1t costs him dollar to
90 to one OF our city theatres, and assiat
for three or four hours at pretty indif
ferent representation Of, in general, an
ordinary play. For thrice that amount
the publisher Of his newspaper furnishes
HIM for whole year with weekly ad,
mission to the great world, "A spectacle TO
which | have alluded. He listens io'lhe
debates in Parliament and Congresses;
the palaces and Council rooms Of Princes
are LAID open 10 him; he witnesses the
tumut of contested elections; the shock
ofcontending armies engaged upon the
field OF battle. The progress OF letters
and the arts, the stirring incidents Of
private life, come in as nterludes. Con-
sdered as mere entertainment, bow
much superior is this vast and sacred
panorama TO the empty poge0ntry OF the
initiative stage. 1t has sometimes been
said that The Ci,izens of the United States
have no relish for amusement. This
great world spectacle, which is regularly
furnished by newspapers, is The principal
amusement of the American people
What makes 1t far more interesting is,
that the spectator is also at the same
time an actor. The same convenient
sheet which spreads out weekly upon ev-
cry village table a summary OF the affairs
OF the whole contemporary world, also in.
forms the citizen when he election is
coming on at his own door, aud when be
may have the delightful excitement Of
voting in or voting out bis neghbor; or,
better etil, Of being voted in or voted out
himself, as the fiat Of the sovereign Peo-
pie may decide. Independent, however,
of this consideration, the value Of the
general diffusion of knowledge, which is
chiefly effected by. the newspaper press,
can hardly be overrated. There can be
huie risk in saying That, without The ia
ciIlies for conveying information which
are afforded by The joint action Of the
great modern Improvements in locomo-
tion and printing, the existence ofa Re
publican Government among population
so thnly scattered as ours, over so vast
territory, would huVe been entirely i,npos.
ble."