The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-01-13

|
at festive board
, Mr. FISHER. MIR. President and Gentlemen Of
the Typographical Society: l had INDUCED the
hope. until this moment that before il came to my
turn to speak, If that turn came at all. should
have the benefit Of the inspirations of of the
other conductors of the Metropolitan Press, besides
the venerable gentleman on my right, (Mr.
Ritchie) But, from some cause or other, there is
an unaccountabie hiatus among the luminaries
which habitually and durnaly light up this great
city of the seat of Government. do not recognise
the features of the great Globe itself and while
have heard great deal of the Union, to night, do
not recognise the bland countenance of the Repu6-
lic on this occasion. But, perhaps, they will all
come in due time.
do most cordially concur in the sentiment ad.
vanced in one Of the oasts, the first in the regular
order of proceeding this evening. ] know of no
event in the history Of the world, since the advent
of christianity that is better entitled TO be celebrated
with all the festivities that characterize the import
ance Of the great events of past time than the dis
covery of printing. No event in the annals OF his
tory has produced greater change in the charac-
ter and condition Of mankind. We who are
accustomed to the widespread of this inven-
ton, scarcely realize the immense contrast that
it has created between the condition OF modern
ciety and that of the period, even the most refined
of ancient times, of which history gives any
count before the introduction OF that great art At
this day, man of ordinary capacity, man whose
thoughts are only to be numbered, and whose
dcrsanding is only to be graduated according TO
the average of his may yet secure for his opn
ions wider dissemination over the civilized world
than accorded to the most distinguished teach
spired attempts at eloquence in the days of an
uquity. Why, the most eminent State, the
most enlightened, the one whose fame has come
down to us brighter than that of any other State,
was, on account of the peculiar difficulties with re-
gard to the transmission of knowledge, more cir
cumscribed in the daily dissemination of its opin
ions, than this single city in which abide.
When Socrates took his solitary walks along the
banks of the lllissus when Aristotle taught the les
sons which have remained to this day as lessons
which governed the reason and the mind, they
which they taught, or the lessons they endeavored
to disseminate. to any thing like one fourth the
number that belong to the circulation OF ordi
nary daily paper. Among the changes which have
distinguished modern from ancient times, is the
art Of printing Il has had its most powerful effect
guage, and The most distinguished of them all are
the two States that speak that common language
which we are now speaking this day-Grcat Bri-
history of the world there any thing like the
same number of people speaking the same Ian
guagc. and united by that single tie: Never be-
fore in the history of the world could the art of
printing have exerted that immense power which
it is capable OF exerting at the present day If that
art had existed in the States of antiquity, it must
have been confined to the different tribes Of people
speaking many tongues-no tongue being spoken
by such multitude of people as the Anglo Saxon
race. So that, among the causes which have con
spred TO give the art of printing its extraordinary
power must number, above all others, the ex-
traordinary circumstance that at this day sixty
millions of people are speaking, in both hemi-
we designate our mother tongue.
Gentlemen, there were other causes, and many
other causes that have conspired to bring about
this great power of the art of printing Not merely
that civilization which is supposed TO belong in a
higher degree to our nation and to race than
TO any other, but variety OF circumstances have
combined to bring about that wonderful concentra-
tion, among particular race in the two countries,
where this language is spoken, which has produced
these extraordinary effects, which we now behold
among the results of the art of printing.
l. UnouestOnably 1t natural-lt
although it is a subject of considerable delicacy,
upon occasions Of this kind, for the mind, which
printing, to reflect the consequences of the pre-
servation of the great political Union to which
belong. Unqucstionably, no event that could tend
to destroy the political connexion under which VIC
have 50 long lived together, would be felt sensi
lively by those who associated with the Press as
by any other class of the community throughout
the wide borders Of our country. And no man is
more ready than myself to recognise the legitimacy
of that feeling which responded to the sentiment in
favor of the preservation OF this Union.
have conversed have travelled and have
heard think, the sentiments of large portion of
the people Of this country, during the period have
belonged IN any degree to your honorable trater-
nifty, upon the subject OF the Union, and think.
this is proper occasion to say that know of al
most within the wide borders of this politi
cal Confederacy that desires to dissolve it. But, at
the same time, must be permitted 20 say that
there is wide diversity Of opinion with regard to
the mode Of preserving and pcrpetuating it.
hope the sentiment may be indehbly impressed
of those elsewhere, that among the conditions which
are Indispensable to the preservation of the Union
must be the restoration Of that harmony of senti-
ment and that fraternity of feeling the absence of
which we are still compelled to deplore, notwith-
standing the congratulations in which my friend
on my right (Mr. Ritchie) has induiged.
Gentlemen, upon the ro--st"h"~
sentiment of Lriend--' -.enment of that
act--!- -s."p ana fraternity which char
LED the progress of this Government, for the
rst lory years of its existence upon the preserva
tlon OF these sentiments, upon the agreement of the
people IN thoSe great principles upon which alone
any political system can be maintained will de-
Pehd the preservation of this Union. In that great
work the Press OF the United States has, of course
10 perform the most conspicuous part The Press
ol we on1ed states Is that organization, that
ganisin that may more properly unite a great
Union party, than any other The Press Of the
United States, whether we consider the individuals
that compose i--whether we consider thoso who
are concerned in it, directly collatcray-is more
interested in the preservation of the Union of the
United States than any other part portion Of the
people of the United States.
Gentlemen, | have undoubtedly detained YOU
long enough; and, allaw me in conclusion, to give
you sentiment designed, you will see, to have a
personal effect:
The Prcss of South Carolina Equally distn,
guished for its ability, its courtesy and its patriot
ism and fit, we have on the one hand to be
represented in the Congress of the United States,
and on the oher in the Press of Washington city.
Mr. De LEON, of the Southern Press, said
Mr.. President and .Gcntlcmon As an ex- |
associated with the Washington Press feel bound |
to say few words in reply to the undeserved |
compliment which has JUS, been paid to myself,
and to express my appreciation of that paid my |
native State.
know very well that the little State which l |
nave the honor to represent in my editorial capa
city is not in remarkably good odor in acc
uons, or with certain classes of persons in this Con-
tederacy. l believe, however, that the enlarged |
intelligence which charactcrizes the fraternity |
whom ! have the pleasure of addressing puts
therefore feel that it would be utterly unneccs |
sary to say word in vindication either of the |
character the patriotism of that State, which
deem it my highest privilege to claim as mother,
and whose honor and welfare prize as | do my
own
| As regards your meeting here TO night, con-
cider il an occasion on which not TO indulge
in political harangues; simply from the fact that
politics noreity to you. Ipresume that your