The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-11-27
MISCELLAN EOUS.
THE NEWSPAPER PRESS OF OUR
COUNTRY. s

among our people is greatly to be desired, mo- on
denes but It's peculiar importance IN this country
is not fully appreciated by many. The monarch
zeal governments Of Europe and Asia will be un
shaken, though their subjects make no advances
though they retrograde in civilization. But the
position may be safely maintained, that, if the
American people do not improve, their government
must fall.
Since moral and intellectual strength are severely
tried by the possession and exercise Of power, the
virtue and wisdom Of the people should be in pro-
portion to the magnitude of the trust confded to
their charge. If they be not, the government
will be too good for the people on whom it operates
Is, then, the American government too good for
the American people9 Thus far, it is true, its ope-
ration has been salutary; but its age is not suf
| 6cient to determine the question. De Tocqueyille
profoundly remarks, shat the early stages of ma
tonal existence the only periods at which II is
| possible to maintain the complete logic OF legis-
ation; and when We perceive nation in the enjoy
ment OF this advantage, before we hasten to con-
clude that il is wse we should do well TO remem-
| ber that il is young" As our government grows
older, its perils increase; population grows
more dense, and our territory more extcnsivess
hostile interests spring up sectional preudices are
| excited, strong passions aroused This conflict of
/ interests has Commenced. As il grows warmer a
deeper foundation Of popular intelligence will be
necessary for the preservation Of our government
continual advances in knowledge and morality must
more fully Impress upon the people Of these States
| the excellence of their constitution, and value Of
their union-a fervent patriotism must awaken, in
all serious difficulties, conciatory spirit of com
pronise-or internal strife will destroy this repub
lic and sound throughout the world the death-knel
offrce government.
l. If, then, the moral and intellectual advancement
ofthc American people is essential to the integrity
OF our Union, and the existence of our government,
| our columns cannot be better employed than in
pointing out by what means their improvement may
| be effected.
Nothing else exerts, in this country, an influence
upon popular sentiment so omnipotent, for good or
| for evil, as the newspaper press
The public harangues of politicians make, il is
true, no nconsidcvable impression. But their ef-
| feet is confined to times Of high party excitement
Ii does not then extend to all sections Of the land
and the newspapers furnish most of our stump ora
tors with their facts and their arguments,
Eminent individuals may do much to improve the
condition of the people; but their personal influence
is small, compared with that which they exert
through the press. 1t is in the power Of great
man. If the sphere of his acquaintance be extended
to change the views Of hundreds, perhaps, by what
he says in conversationmlllions feel the force of
what he prints in the papers If he makes Speech
the press is the vehicle which bears it his constt
uents, which gives it to the world. If he wants TO
remove popular prejudice, he must address the peo
pie by the u. ess Ii he has important reforms to
propose, or wishes to build up new systems for
their benefit, the people must be spoken to; they
constitute the final appellate tribunal; they arc the
supreme power in America; and their minister,
their organ of communication, is the newspaper
press.
A powerful influence is cxcrted upon the charac-
ter Of its citizens by the educational system of
country But this too, must in our republic, great
ly depend, for its efficiency, upon the newspaper
press In most Of the States, the common-school
system is defective In all, it admits of improve
ment; and, while party wrangles consume the
time and talents of our Legislators, an alarming apa-
thy exists in the great of education If these
defects are to be removed-f this apathy is to be
ever changed into action the press must be the lever
to effect It. Its incessant appeals must awaken the
people to the importance of the subject; and public
opinion, aided by the ballotbox, will compel all
classes Of politicians TO lend their sincere coopera
ton TO further the good work of popular instruc-
ton
Standard works and public documents are Access
sible to few. Few fitted by education to receive
benef. from their perusa In thousands of log
cabins throughout the land, no book will be found
in thousands, none calculated TO develop the mind
or form the opinion subjects Of Importance.
But newspapers find their way into every nook Of
the country. They reach the mountaineer on his
cliff tho pioneer in the wilderness. They pass from
hand 10 hand, from cabin to cabin--are discussed
with coffee at the breakfast table, with brandy at the
grog shop.
Even valuable books are suffered to moulder from
disuse on dust-covered shelves, while yapid journals
are thumbed into fragments by multiplicity of read
| ers Folios and quartos deter by their method,
| frghien by their size; papers come IN the most al
Turing form, at the most seasonabe hour; and their
columns hold sufficient variety to crafty the tastes
| of ALL The gay city belle would not take up the
papers to scan its advertisements the gray-headcd
merchant would not consult it for the fashions; the
lovc-sick schoolboy does not read essays upon the
tariff nor does the heated politician dwell stories
| Of romance. But each one will soon find other
things to attract attention, besides the subject for
| II 81, n, han or has
seated himself and opened paper, a breach is made
in the fortress Of his laziness. 1t is less trouble to
him to continue reading than it would be TO change
his occupation. The eye involuntary glances from
column to column. The butcher learns more than
the price Of pork; the planter learns more than the
state Of the couon-market. The ploughboy secs
some thrilling anecdote-some pithy apothegm; a
chord Of reflection is touched in his brain, the su-
bering fires Of his genius cnkindled. The de-
i scription of new invention meets the young me-
chanic's eye; his ambition receives stimulus--hs
| creative faculties put in motion.
! The influence Of the newspaper press is not con-
| fined to the sphere of politics; it extends to the
| heart TO the character, to the mind. Newspapers
control the moral judgments, as we'll as the political
opinions Of numbers; they furnish many with cv-
cry notion which they do not derive from intercourse
with others, or their own observation. Thousands,
old and young, parake of no intellectual food but that
| which they derive from the journals of the day; and
upon these, the influence Of the press is the more
/ powerful, il is the less restricted. The human
i mind Is ever acting upon something's If its subjects
! be few, they will be more frequently dwclt upon,
more thoroughly digescd; and those who con6ne
their reading to the newspapers are unconscious Of
the extent Of the sway which they exert over their
i thoughts.
4 Numbers, moreover, are ignorant enough to give
1 entire credence to all that they see in the papers
4 Few are proof against the sophstres they hold.
Upon all classes their influence is greater than it is
felt to be-; for its chief action is indirect, and il ia
influence unccasing in its operation. A single drop
Of water makes slight impression the surface ofa
1 rock single newspaper may have little effect on
the mind. But the hardest rock is gradually worn
away by long-contnued recurrence of the drops;
and the strongest mind will nsensbly receive bias
4 from the journal that comes before its view every
day in the year.
On particular questions, some may be unmoved
by the appeals of the press But these appeals 60
/ to all What may not impress one mind, will have
effect upon another. Those who are convinced,
influence others who are not Upon numbers, there
1 is Simultaneous impression The doubt Of the