The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-11-09
4 Good Paper.

There are not many newspaper readers Of the
present that ever propose to themselves nm idea
Of a goud paper, or what kind Of paper is rcqui
red to meet the wants Of an intelligent family
The objects of such publications, as issue from
the news paper press, doubtless, are two fold and
no more:
First, to present n summary or important and
interesting events; and, secondly, to be medium
through which to educate, instruct, and persuade
the mind
Accordingly papers have before them the broad
field Of the world from which to gather facts that
are desirable to be known, and the equally broad
field Of human though, to gather instruction and
life for the mind
To accomplish their work more perfectly, and
10 meet the distinct demands Of the mind. the
work Of gathering and seec,ing-of unfolding and
impressing !, divded,-One class Of periodicals
takes what pertains properly to the business AZ
fairs Of mcn-the affairs and relations of civil so
ciety The other chiefly confne. itself to the fields
Of morals and religion. These two distinct pro-
yinces arc properly separated and treated Of in
different papers, and both nre far more success
fully surveyed and the matter. of each more full
ly discussed and presented in this way, than they
could be il both fields and both objects were uni
ted in one,
This division OF labor creates the necessity for
what are termed religion, papers in distinction
from those which are secular.
1t is not the object Of this writing toinstiu.e
comparison of the relative importance of these
two kinds Of papers They are both necessary,
and this is enough now.
No man can be thought to DO rational, in tho
highest sense Of tho word, who neglccts to ac-
quaint himself with what pertains to the moral,
intellectual md spiritual condition Of mankind.
The interests Of human minds far transcend in i'm
portance the contents Of a leather pocket'book.
The ETHEREAL souls Of men, in their relations one
to ano'her-the iJe that animates our mortal
clay, for which all business is conducted, for
which all other interests are important-the life
that is to continue without cessation cannot in the
rational soul of man, wholly give place to speeu'
lations in "hides and tallow."
In order that every man may acqualns HIM
self with the manners and customs Of the wide
spread, variegated. human Observation-Disclosures
condition, mentally or morally-ther hopes and
fears-.heir woiul or joyous anticipatons for the
present, the future, and the hereafter, he should
take religious news paper A paper whose nc
curacy can be relied on--whose breadth OF view
takes in the world-whoss sympathies are large
Ms the human family, and whose bases are ever
towards the higher and nobler interests Of the en-
tire human race. No man who has health md
strength should deem himself too poor for such nm
ennobling expenditure. No man in sound condi'
ton 10 too poor, or can afford to b. destitute Of
such medium Of acquaintance with the numsr'
GUS scattered relatives Of his own family kin, and
with tho way they are thriving or otherwise IN
der tho providence Of the common Father
For our part we know Of no paper in this eoun.
try, that 90 well meets our idea Of good paper,
in ia department Of morals and religion, as ths
New York Independent We should like to see
this, or some such periodical, in the family Of sv.
), cry man--to know that u IL read and "inwardly
0 dgssted." II would DO hopeful thing for our
land