The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1849-05-31
NEWSPAPERS.

Mr.. Senator ALLEN, III a speech in the
Senate, not long since, said that he looked
upon the newspapers of this country as the
great book of the people-as the great me-
dunn of communication, without which
public liberty itself could not subsist.
The multiplicity of newspapers III this
country form prominent feature of our
social and political system. They are
representative in their character, as all
such emanation from the bus iness interests
and political sentiments fthe people must
of course be.
Yet they possess a reactive influence of
wonderful powers. That power, howev-
er, is as yet but rarely recognized in its
nature; it is not organized at all; it is in its
first elements. The time will be when the
first order of intellect, of knowledge, of
refinement, the substantial governing pow
er, in short, which is to give direction to
opinions and taste throughout the Repub-
lie will be found as in France at the head
of the press.
The power, however, thus indicated and
exercised should not, properly speaking,
be called the power Of the press-because
the press Is mere lnstrumentalIty by
means of which truths and fact and Just
references and elevated sentiments are
brought to bear upon the public mind
The newspaper press is the more efficient
lnstrumentallty, since it can cause more
immediate, continual and thorough diffu-
sion throughout the masses OF the people,
OF those wholesome influences which are
so potent and so salutary in their opera
| ton upon society.
NJ hero tho rraSS iS froo ,s
this country, it must follow that bad prin-
clples as well as good will find diffusion
through 1t. Any one man start a newspa-
per, who has sufficient means and is dis
posed so to apply them-just as any one
may invest his capital in the dry goods
business. Hence there must be many va
rletles of capacity, of fitness and unftness,
among those who assume the responsible
position of conductors of newspapers
men who by their own election undertake
| to form and to express opinions on all sub
jects of public concern.
The egotism of our American journals,
| as general thing, is perhaps the most Sc
| rlotfs drawback upon their usefulness in
the more elevated sphere ofin1lnence. A
newspaper should be an mpeFsonality.-
The journal speaks; the editor never. 1t
| is bound to the community by public rela-
| tons, III which all individualism of persons
Is lost. journal is unity-comprised
indeed of many parts, but IFS aggregate
| character is one. The personal concerns
of an editor, his likes or his dislikes, his
| enjoyments and grievances, have nothing
! 10 do with his function as a journalist
The public care nothing for him as an in
notwithstanding more than for any one
else of equal merit. The fact that he has
| printing press at his disposal gives him
no privileges of obtrusion, no special claims
| to sympathy in his private griefs. He
has his duties and his rights as a citizen,
precisely like any other man.
But newspaper appearing regularly
and constantly before the public, becomes
a seperate entity-a distinct existence. 1t
gives intelligence relative to business and
events; the public are entitled to the ut
most accuracy of information. 1t texpress-
es opinions on great public questions; the
public are entitled to knowledge of the
pertinent facts. 1t advocates one side or
| the other In controverted issue of policy;
the public are entitled TO the honest exer-
else of Its best judgment and to fair and
courteous demeanor in discussion. These
| qualities, or the want of them, give char
acter to journal and effect its influence.
/ The newspaper press, in its representa-
/ tive character, merely exhibits .the age
and body of the time in its form and pres
sure, without influencing it one way or "a
mother. The representative character,