Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1851-10-25
journalism.


4" Let newspaper enter q family, and
there reiterate, day after day, for a twelve.
month, the most hetrodox ideas, and | will
warrant gradual corruption of the family
ppiniQps." The frequency and importantly
pfihe attack must produce the result. We
undernle the importance of the press, when
Wc recken il the follower and not the lrnmer
Of popular sentiments. 1t is both. Its rela-
lion 70 the popular bias. is perfectly recipro-
cal. Ii creates occasionally monsters of er-
ror, TO which, sooner or later, il falls prey,
And, at times it is carried away by gusty and
ill-regnrded explosions of sentiments, for
which il is not Responsible, but is always I'M
reasonably held TO answer. In all vicissi-
lndcs, the Press is positive power; its in
nuence is direct in advancing its own views.
and direct in developing the current ideas Of
the day. Aud if we cQnfne its objects to
the mere reflection of opinion, we may rest
pssured we rate its calling at too Insignificant
mark.
in England and Germany the tone Of the
newspaper press has been rather more mag
isterial and didactc than in France and 1. .
merica. The German editor elnborates a
homily day after day, and breaches it into
lis auditors er-cdthedrd. His chair is the
ideal ofu tripod. Ills words are oracular.-
lie states his proposition rs carefully as Spi-
posa might metaphysical theoren, and
reasons il quIt'according to Quiutilan's most
approved rules Of rhetoric, His pednntry
runs into an item, and coors crilique of a
hallet-dnncer. A volume of essays might he
selected from the editorial columns of "De-
utschlnnd" ZeitungS, not entirely upwnrtly
of place Jurisdictions from British Quar-
ierles. And throughout the volume the
characteristic we ullude TO would be found n
constant quantity; the teaching pertiracious-
~ dogmatical aud authoriliye,
The London Times, the type of English
news literature, is less modest than its cis-
atlantic namesake, and dictates opinions as
hespotically as Stultz the cut of your paletot.
Unencurnbered with any pecuniary or politI-
cal fears, it valiantly claims an autncracy of
the understanding; more than papal iniali-
bility. No drifting in the tide of popularity
is worth mentioning there. The question
once reconnpItrcd with proper care its ten
dencies measured by the rule nf stiff and
obstinate conservatism, aud irrespective of
external influences, the press in unaiterably
committed. What is true of the Times, is
relatively true of less important Sheets
They assume the air and attitude of dicta-
iion, and inculcate their own notions unres-
trained by pre-ca,cuation of what capri
cious public may think of them, The Eng
lish press, from the Times down to the
smallest country weekly is vastly more in
dependent and selEreliant than the great bo.
py of French and American papers.
In our own country the editor makes less
prctenson--clothes himself IN the garments
of Humility, and repudiating any design Il
lead opinion, effectually accomplshes more
in directing it, than they do anywhere else
out of Paris. In the tumult and conflict o
ideas, embracing the rights, interests aud du
lies of so many differing commonwealth
and individuals, there must be something fol
the indolent thinker 10 pin fhitl upon. One
man in ten thousand does his own cogita
ton, proving his existence by the Cartesiar
rule, and the rest have heliefin "tbe paper'
for sole confession of faith. The press, tn,
country more than the city--the week.,
more than the daily, does create aud rule the
prevalent sentiment, and il is the folly OF af
iectation, or the dreud Of responsibility, tina
refuses to admit the fact. Such being the
iact, greatly is the need increased of n NOR,
Elevated editorial character, Make the pres
answerable for its emenations, MS the soursI
of immense issues for good or i'll, and W.
shOll benefit il infinitely more than hy depre
ciuting its power. Its propositions wouI,
then be more maturely considered; It's Ian
Euage more cautiously measured; and its in
tluence more benignly felt. The editoria
Of an American paper is usually the warn
first Impression ofa fact, set down NJ frs
white heat. The editorial of the German
md English reGacter is generally sober
alaboraie essay, embracing none but mature
rcsults of reflection, When we have bor
owed few Of these foreign tiaits, the pres,
amy be equal TO its mission. They are need
I'd aud easily had,-,New York Times,