The republic., 1851-12-18
Rnasuth,a si,nenh

Al ths Banquet given him by tts Nelo York Press.
GENrLEnEN: Rising respectfully 20 return my
most warm thanks for the honor Of the toast, and
the high benefit Of the sympathy manifested by this
solemn demonstration, it is with mingled feelings
of 10y and fear that address you, gentlemen
/ address you with joy, because, conscious Of the
inmensity Of the power which you wield, IL is ma
tural TO feel some in addressing those in whose
hands the success or the failure of our hopes ia
placed; still | equally know that in your hands
gentlemen, the independent Republican Press is
weapon, but weapon TO defend truth and justice,
and not to offend; II is TO hide, snufi
crs to extinguish the light, but torch lit at the
fire of Immortality, spark Of which is gll:tenlng
in every mans soul TO prove its Diylne origin;
torch which you WELD iohiy and high to spread
light with 1t TO the most lonely regions OF hui
mnnity.
And as the cause OF my country 10 the cause of
Justice and truth, it has In no respect TO fear
light but rather wants nothing but light to
cured to il the support and protection of every
friend of freedom, OF every noble-minded man
these the reasons why address you with joy,
gentlemen.
The more with Joy, because, though il is SORROW
ful to that i'll willed msrepresents tions
cret Austrian intrigues, disorting plain open his
tory TO a tissue of falsehood and lies know how TO
find their way even TO small, insignificant part
Of the American Press--stili am proud and happy
70 see that the immense majority of the American
press not only proved inaccessible to these venom
intrigues, but conscious Of the noble vocation
of an independent Press, and yielding TO the gen
inclination of freemen, of protecting truth
ana lustce against tne udrK plOts OF tyranny
without any interference from my part come forth
20 protect the sacred cause of Hungary.
The independent Press of this great Republic
has in this very case also proved 10 the world that
against the mischievous power OF calumnies
the most efficient protection Is the freedom OF the
Press, and not preventive measures, condemning
human intellect TO eternal minority.
address you, gentlemen the more with JOY, be.
cause through you have the invaluable benefit 20
address the whole university of the great, glorious
and free people of the United States.
That is great word, gentlemen, and yet is lite.
rally true
While eighty years ago immortal Frankn's
own press almost the only in the colonies,
now there three thousand newspapers in
the United Stntes, having circulation of fge mil
hons OF copies, and amounting in their yearly cir
culation to the prodlgious number OF nearly four
and half hundred millions; every grown man in
the Union reads on the average two newspapers a
week and one hundred and five copies year;
nearly eighteen copies fall, in the proportion to the
population, to every human beng in the Union
man. woman, and child.
am told that the journals of New York State
alone exceed in number those of all the rest of the
world beyond your great Union, and the circulation
of the newspapers OF this city alone nearly exceeds
those of the whole empire of Great Britain
But there is yet one particularly remarkable fact
which cannot forbear to mention, gentlemen.
boldly declare that, beyond the United States
there exists scarcely practical freedom of the
Press; at least. in Europe, not except, perhaps,
Norway, of whose condition in that respect | am
not quite aware. You know, gentlemen, how the
Press ia fettered throughout the European CONT
nent, for the present in France itself, whose
great nation, by strange fate, sees, under
inally republican but centralized government all
the glorious fruits of their great and victorious
olutIons whitening between the blasting fingers Of
centralized administrative and legislative omnpo
tence. You know how the independent Press Of
France is murdered by yimprisonmentoftheir editors
and by fees; You know how the present government
of France feels unable to bear the free word of public
opinion-so much that in the French republic the
a RenubliOue' IN
almost become crime. This very circumstance
10 sufficient to prove that Ill that glorious land where
the and noble heart Of the French nation
throbs with self-conhdence and noble pride,
revolution is unavoidable necessity. 1t is
Inonrnful view which the great French nation now
presents; but it is also efficient warning against
the propensites OF centrazation, inconsistent with
freedom because inconsistent with self government,
and it is also of hope for the European
tinent, because we know that thing III France
not endure thus as they are; we know that to be-
come true republic is necessity for France, and
thus we know also othat whoever be the man, who
in the approaching crisis will be honored by the
confidence of the French nation, be will, he must
be faithful to that great principle of fraternity
wards the other nations which, being announced
by the French constitution to The world raised such
encouraging but bitterly disappointed expectations
through Europe's oppressed continent
But II is chiefly, almost only, Great Britain in
Europe which boasts to have free Press; and 10
be sure during my brief stay in England joyfully
saw that really there ID freedom to print, almost
tlsements spread at every corner, and signed by
the publishers, stating that Queen Victoria is no
lawful queen, that she ought to be sent TO the
Tower, and all those who rule ought to be hang ged.
Men laughed, and nobody cared about the foolish
extravagancy.
And yet dare say, and hope the generous peo-
pie of Great Britain will not feel offended at my
stating the fact, that there is practical freedom
of the Press.
The freedom of the Press, to be practical one
must be common benefit to all-else it is no free
hT1t n q
ents--freedom OF printing and freedom of reading
Now there is no freedom Of reading there, because
there is possibility for the people large to do
so; because the circulation of newspapers the in
dspensabe moral food of human intellect is by a
heavy taxation, checked. The Press is source of
public revenue. and by the incumbrance of stamp
and paper and advertisement duties, made almost
inaccessible to the poor Hence II is that the
papers IN the United States only one TENTH and
IN some cases one-twentieth, the price of English
or French papers; and hence, again, is the i'm
mense difference in their circulation In the Uni
ted States several of the daily papers every morn
ing reach from thirty to sixty thousand readers
whereas the London 1inrs ID considered to be a
monster power, because il has circulation of from
twenty hve to thirty thousand copies, of which [
was told duflng my stay in England that the good,
generous sense OF the people has abated come six
thousand copies In consequence Of its foul hostli
ty TO the Just and sacred cause OF Hungary
Such being the condition of your Press gentle
men, It IN ust OF course be high source OF joyful
qualification to me TO have the honor to address
JNuB OtCduEe IN aQOre8SlnR YOU reallV
address the whole people of the United States-nGt
only whole people, bat whole intelligent peo.
pie, gentlemen.
That is the highest praise which can upon q peo.
pie be bestowed, and yet ID no prase-t is the ac-
knowledgment OF a real fact The very immen-
sity VI the circulation OF your journals proves il to
De so-because this immense circulation il not only
due TO that constitutional right of yours to speak
and print freely your opinions; il ia not only due
TO the cheap price which makes your Press a com
mon benefit 10 all, and not privilege 10 the rich;
bat II il chiefly due the universality Of public
instruction, which enables every citizen to read 1t
Is glorious thing to know that in this fourishing
young city alone, where streets of splendid build
lngs proudly stand where few years a go the river
spread Its waves or the plough TILED, nearly one
hundred thousand children receive public educa-
ton annually.
DO you know, gentlemen, where consider the
most glorious monuments Of your country-if it
be so as have read it oncel II ia that fact that
when in the ateps ol your wandering equallers your
engineers go on TO draw geometrical fines, even
IN the Territories where the sound of a human step
never yet has mixed with the murmurs by which
virginai nature 10 adorng the Lord; in every
place marked become n fOv hin si,S