The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1849-11-15
TaE NEWSPAPER PRESS.

TIE NEWSPAPER PRESS.
The Wings Of New York held fesiiva
At the Irving House recently, al which Mr.
Raymond, Of the Courier aud Enquirer
made speech, from which We extract the
following, responsive TO toast in honor d
tho newspaper press:
He saidit was not fair to deny to the
press any Of the power which, it claims
Why should il not have Powers Suppose
that you, sir, or any intelligent man, eoulc
90 each day 10 any man md tell him 81
no knew Of the events ,ranspirine in. the
world around him--making upon them
your own comment, setting forth The prin.
ciples they cstablish and tie light ID which
they sre 10 be viewed. No matter. whal
might be that man's opinions Of yoo u drss,
how is il possible that you should not influ.
ence his jndgmen, in the cndf Now each
newspaper visits, each day, perhaps ten
thousand resdets-1teis them every morn
ing all the events Of the day, makes upon
them iis own comment, and shapes their
opinions III regard 10 them. And this i,
does, month utter month, and year after
year. Why, then. should not its power bs
tremendous upon public opinion, which,
in the end, is the true sovereign that rules
tho world?
The toast intimatcs doubt tbse the
press is always in the most worthy hands.
Tho doubt il Just. And il would BE strange,
indeed, fit were otherwise. Consider, in
the first place, that newspapers are printed,
primarily. ms matter Of gain--of liveli-
hood; and il YOU and the public will buy
and pay fof that which is mot the best,
where l. the wonder that men shnnld bc
found 10 write and print aud sell it? He
did not Justify them in SO .loing-but only
asked that, in judging them, you do not
erect a standard above that Of other pro-
LESSONS.
Consider, agnin, how articles arc writ
ten. lfa lawyer is to defend horse thief,
he takes week to collect evidence and
slit and arrange il, and then he comes into
court prepared to make the best Of q bad
casc. But il the telegraph brings word al
midnight that all Europe is involved in war,
you gentlemen expect that we Of the press
should lay down the law Of nations in re-
gard to it, and either vindicate or denoqnce
il, on your behalf, in time for breakfast
next morning! And then scripta nsanent
--whcn once wriltea down. the Judgment
must stand.
Nov, oil these are drawbacks upon the
profession .of an cdiiSr, and tie press pceda
reform. But how shnil il be done? By
dennncia,ion from the pulpit By your
scorning TO enter into newspaper contests,
as you Style them, and leaving tho press
entirely 10 The least worthy handsf When
will men learn that reform not only docs
not imply, hut excludes, BY its very nature,
the idea Of dcsfruciionf How do you, who
are horticulturists, RETURN tree that does
not bear good frui,r By grating il, not
BY cutting il dawn. Sodo, then, ia regard
to the press. Denonncc il rint-destroy il
not-do not abuse h-but write for IT,
You, who know SO well what the press
should be- YOU, who have the ability, the
education, tic qualifications for such task
--deem il no longer beneath your dignity
to write far newspapers. Look upon The
press, as il is, as a great engine, capable 81
being used with tremendous power for the
public good. Write for it,. Graft il witt
YOUR choicer buds, and then will you sec il
bringing forth. fruit worthy lie position
worthy Of you, aud for the healtliful food Of
all mankind.
IMMENSELY or THE UNlvEnsE.-Barou
ZACH. an eminent astronomer, computes
that there mny be thousand millions o.
stars in the heavens. lf we suppose each
star 10 be sun, and attended by ten planets
(ieaving comets out Of tho calculation.
We have ten thousand miilions Of globes
like our sar,h, within what are considered
the bounds Of the known universe Al
there are suns to give light throughout oil
these systems, We may infer that there are
ewes also 10 behold it, and beings whose
nature, in this one important particular, is
analogous TO our own. TO form an idea Of
the Infinitely small proportion which ouI
sar,l, bears to this vnst aggregate system
lei US suppose 5000 blades Of grass to grow
upofi'a square yard, from which we find, by
calculation, that meadow one mile long BY
two-thirds Of mile in breadth, will contsin
10000 millions Of blades of grass. Let Us
then imagine such a n,eadow stretches on,
for mile before US; and the proportion
which'a single blade Of grass hears 10 the
whole heritage on its surface, will express
the relation which our Garth besrs 10 the
known universe!
But oven this is exclusive. probably, Of
millions Of suns, ''bosomed' in tho un.
known depths Of space, and placed forever
beyond our ken, or tho ligh. Of which may
not have had time TO travel down 70 us
since the period Of their creation.
ETERNITY. is tho age Of Coda pc.
Rod that had TO beginning, that has no
end. The limited mind Of man cannot
urasp II. the mist learned ari,hmeiician