Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-06-09
A clergyman's Opinion of the Newspaper Press.

A CIergyman's Opinion of the Newspaper Press
The Rev. Mr.. Bacon, in sermon on Sunday eve
ming, at the Church of the Messiah, Philadelphia,
pronounced the newspaper second only to the
Bible in representative government, a moral
force. With its twenty five millions of paper issued
annually, it penetraes every house and reaches ev-
cry reader If the preacher. with his hundreds of
hearers, has commanding influence for good upon
his congregation moulding their morals and enlight-
ening their understanding how much greater must
be the influence and responsibility of the press,
which talks daily to its fifty hundred thousand
readers It's good sign to see the preacher re-
cognislng the Importance of the secular press, and
taking liberal views of it's usefulness, and the pur-
pos"s which It subserves in promoting the great work
of civilization, and of human rights and happiness
The following remarks from the sermon are appro-
pirate and just
The newspapers, quite much as our public
schools, is in America the great creator of nation
of debaters and thinkers The American editor aims
not at the choice dicon of essayist, and pays lit
tie attention to mere distractions and vain theories
He writes as if he would give the greatest quantity
of thought in the brefest space; he exces in para
graphs which like the sharp shooting of rifemen
his heavy artillery he for occasional edo
rials, but he seldom plies the cannon where bule
will do the work. But, q characteristic of GU
people, he is ready to lay aside his editorial mat
ter to make room for news He knows men and not
deeds. His language possesses clear and concise
utterance. Every writer and public speaker might
can editor.
The pupil must first labor to effect an Improvement
in the character ofthe religious press. The religious
newspapers were far behind the secular press, in
breadth of views and comprehensiveness and liberal
ity of action, and, he might venture TO say, in reli
gion itself They take most of their news from the
daily press, and their reports of religious meet
ings-whe it is not unfrequently for them to turn
around and charge the reporters with irregion The
religious press is too often narrow minded it does
not seem to understand its true policy and duties !;
and the violence and anmosity that pervade lis col
umns than that of political editors on
the eve or election.
A HAPPY LAND.-A writer from Florence says that
in respects Italy is the most delightful country
in the world. 1t land, for example, where clean.
ing house, washing day. and all other such interest.
ing epochs in the American calendar, are ntoerable
and unknown. This exemption from the great do
nestle evil of cleaning house is owing not much
to love of dirt to the peculiar construction of the
buildings Thus for instance where the ceilings and
wall are rescoed, the latter covered with silk
paper hangings, there is no need Of white washing
and where the pannes or doors of marble or oak
there is necessity for securing paint The cell
ings and walls are kept clean by long handled brush
es. The carpets there fastened TO rings in the
floor, by means of large hooks in the binding. and
thus be raised and laid down again as noiseless-
ly and as easily as bed covers. In Italy, large
portion of the house work, such washing windows,
&c, is done at an early hour in the morning, be.
fore the family awake for the day and quiet
y Is it accomplished that to stranger it AS if
the invisible wand of eome mighty magician had
changed all in the night.
Brandy applications recommended by a wes-
tern paper for badness, continued externally until
the hair IS well started, and afterwards taken in
generous quantities internally, to clinch the roots