American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1855-05-31
VALEDICTORY.

Win tne clIlzenS Ol tnls county rs puOHc
journalist, ceases with the present issue
Two years ago We tremblingly entered up
on the arduous duties necessarily incident
to the life of an editor, with many foUebod-
ings as to what would be the result of our
youthful inexperience. yet with firm re-
solve to faithfully and fearlessly discharge
our duty. How far we have succeeded in
advancing the interests of the public and
giving tone to popular sentiment, alone re-
mains for the readers of the Gazette to de-
termine.
During our short connection with the
press many and great are the changes that
have taken place in the public mind. The
people have almost unanimously alienated
themselves from partisan organizations,
and condemned in a manner not to be mis-
taken the huckstering leaders of both the
old parties. For the past twenty years the
great masses of the people have had but
little to doin the selection of those who have
administered the Government, either in
its Executive or Legislative Departments.
Through the instrumentality of caucus
and conventions, comparatively few men
have managed to'control the destnies of
this nation, and make its power instrument
al in advancing schemes of personal and
partisan aggrandisement. 1t is this that
has made politics trade, and not pro-
fession as it should be for the rearing of
statesmen,-but as a means of living. OF
barter and traffic. 1t is this that has de-
moralized the public sentiment 1t is this
that has vitiated the public morals. 1t is
this that has given rise to apolitical Clique
in every State city and town in the Union,
whose favor has been the passport, and the
only passport to honor and station. For
bearance, however, is no longer a virtue.
The people have placed their seal of con-
demnation on men by whom they were
formerly lead, and have resolved to ee-
vate men from their own ranks to fill all
places of public trust tnd profit. The
tratfickers in politics have lost their capital,
and the people no longer recognize as hon
est men political stock jobbers; but with
an eye single to honesty and capa city
enter into the contest with full determ-
nation to renovate and purify both Federal
and state Government.
To bring about happy consummation
of this object we have, for the past year,
devoted our time and talent. For this we
have received the most bitter anathemas
from all the opponents of this great politi
cal Reform. Persons for whom we once
entertained the warmest friendship, and
who. as we had every reason to believe, as
warmly reciprocated, have, in view of our
position on great political issues, turned
their most deadly venom against us. We
mention this fact as an evidence of the crit
ical and disagreeable position of the man
who independently undertakes the control
of fapublic journal, and the paramount i'm
portance of receiving the most hearty CO.
operation of all those friendly to his posi-
ton. The editor who boldly advocates
any principle that meets the appreciation
of the community in which he is located
should receive the warmost encourage
ment at the hands of that community, and
without such encouragement it is impossi-
BILE to sustain, for any length of time, an
independent press. Whenever an editor
begins to vacillate between two opinions
and parties, and maintains kind of neutral
position in order to meet the appreciation
and receive the patronage all classes, he
at once yields his independence as an A
merican citizen and frequently becomes
the miserable tool ofall parties in order to
prevent bankruptcy. To hold your sup
port from an editor who is the fearless and
able expounder ofyour own views on great
and important public measures, merely to
crafty personal animosty, is system of
revenge no honorable and high-minded
man should be guilty of, and would be a
debasingly shameful sacrifice of principle
There are some men, however, who are al
ways picking out flaws in an editors char
acter-for such men we have no sympa-
thy. They only remind us of those birds
which resort to dead and decayed limbs of
trees to feast on worms. In the characters
of most men we shall find more good than
evil, moie kindness than hate-and why
should we pick out the flaws, and pass over
sterling traits of character? We hold this
to be the true. doctrine; to portray real
goodness and hold it up to the gaze and
admiration of all, while we suffer the evil
to remain in the shade and die. With
these remarks we commit the Gazette to
the charge of our successor.
But we cannot takea final leave of our
patrons without expressing our sincere ac-
Acknowledgements and heart felt thanks for the
kind and generous manner in which they
have received our humble efforts. 1t
indeed with feelings of deep regret that
we bid them adieu--and did we not be-
lieve that we could do ourselfand the pub