Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1852-01-10


and legislative omnipoence. You know
now the Independent Press of France is
murdered by imprisonment Of their Editors
and by fines ; 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 very legili-
mate shout o. "Nive la Repnblique" has
almost become a crime. This very circum-
stance is sufficient 10 prove that in that
glorious land where The warm and noble
heart Of the French nation lhrobs with
self confidence and noble pIide, a new
Revolution Is an unavoidable necessity
The Independent Press of this great Re-
public has in This very case also proved TO
the world that even against the mschievous
power of calumnies the most efficient pro-
lection is The Freedom Of the Press, and not
preventive measures, condemning human
intellect to eternal minority
addres, you, gentlemen, the more with
JOY, because, through you have the invalu-
able benefit 10 address the whole university
Of the great, glorious and free people Of the
United States.
While eighty yeats ago immortal Flank
Inns own press was almost the only one in
the Colonies, now there are over three thou
sand newspapers in the United States, hav-
ing a circulation of five millions of copies,
and amounting in their yearly circulation to
the prodigious number of nearly four and a
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, 10
every being in the Uuion, man, woman, and
child
But il is chiefly, almost only Great Britain
in Europe which boasts 10 have a Fee
Press, and TO be sure during my brief stay
in England joyfulIy saw that really there
is freedom TO print, almost an unlimited
one, so far that saw printed advertisements
spread al every corner, and signed by the
publishers, stating that Queen Victoria is no
lawful Queen--lhar she oueh, to be sen, to
the Tower, and all those who rule ought TO
be harged Men lanGhed, and nobody
cared about the foolish eA,Tavagancy.
And yet dare say, and hope the
generous people Of Great Britain will not
feel Offended at my stating the fact, that
there is no practical freedom of the press.
The freedom of the Press, 10 be prac,i-
cal one mus, be common benefit 10 all
else it is no freedom, but privilege. 1t is
wanting two ngredicnls--lreedom of prini-
| ing and freedom of reading. Now there is
no freedom OF reading there, because there
is no possibility of :he people at large 10 DO
/ so. Because the circulation Of newspapers,
the indispensable moral food of human intel
lect. is by a heavy IaXaton checked. The
/ Press Is Il source Of public revenue, and by
the incumbrance OF stamp and paper and
advertisement duties made almost naccessi-
bic TO the poor. Hence it is lha, the news
papers in the United States are only one
| teuGh, and in some cases one-iwen,ieth the
price Of English or French papers, and
hence, again, is The immense difference in
their circulation. In the United States sew
eral of the daily papers every morning
! reaching from thirty TO sixty thousand read
ers, whereas The London Times is consider
ed 10 he monster power, because ii has
circulalion OF from twenty-five 10 thirty
/ thousand copies.
Such being the condition OF your Press
geu'lemen, j, must of course be high
source ot joyful qualification to me, to have
the honor 10 address you, gentlemen be,
cause in addressing YOU really address The
whole people OF The United Staes,-nol only
a whole people, but a whole intelligent peo-
| pie, gentlemen.
This is The highest praise which can upon
/ people be bestowed, and Yet no praise--lt
i the acknowledgement OF real fact. The
very immensiIy of the circulation of your
journals proves it to be so--because this i'm
msuse circulation is not only due to that
constitutional right OF yours TO speak aud
Print freely your opinions; il is not only due
to The cheap price which makes your press
a common benefit to all, and not privilege
10 the rich but it is chiefly due 10 the
universally OF public instruction which ena-
blNo N't'l tIl"til W ltdu' II u a SlOllOuS
thing TO know that in this nourishing young
city alone, where streets of splendid build
ings proudly stand where few years ago
the river spread its waves OF the plough
liIIet, nesrly one hundred Thousand children
receive public education annually.
Do you know, gentemeH, where consid-
er the most glorious monuments of your
country Ill it be so as have read il once
1t is that fact, that when in The steps of
your wandering sqai,ers your engineers 90
on 10 draw geometical lines, even in the
, Territories where the sound of human
step never yet has mixed with the murmurs
by which virginia. nature is adoring the
Lord in every place marked to become
township on every sixteenth square you
place modest Wooden pole, with the
glorious mark "POPULAR EDUCATION
STICK" This is your proudest monu-
ment.
The other parts of his address are mostly
devoted 10 a history of the wronps NJ