Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1855-10-11

Extract from Rev. E. H. Chapin's speech at the
Publishers Festival in New York:
The printing press, through all stages Of its i'm.
proVement may be taken as the fitting symbol Of
mechanical progress of the last four hundred years.
And now, in order that you may realize the
marvel Of that progress, only ash your to go back
in Imagination, TO the first work shop of G uttem-
berg, striking of that very copy Of the Bible which
is lodged scarcely more than mile from this spot;
or into the presence Of Caxton, holding up camp
sheet Of the 'HistoueS of Troy or the Golden
Legenl;' and then Just take walk through the
vast manu- factories OF the Harpers and Appletons.
Begin down in the cellar with the best hand they
have Ill The shop, the old fre-eateItha tugs away
there with forty or fifty horse power, aud keeps
everything moving, and all hands busy; and then
20 On aud go up, through Chinese walls oil PRINT
ing paper, aud catacombs OF type, aud armies OF
well employed men, and healthy, happy girls, each
with an appointed task, and look at The IRON aims
lifting and folding; the whizzins wheels, the enOr-
nous slabs Of pressure, the delicate StompS-ths
countless agents, that with ncuuceivable quick
ness work between the manuscript and the pTIn-
ted book, turning brains (wheIe they do not them.
selves furnish the original materaD INTO lead, and
lead into print, aud PrIut into folded sheets, and
SHEETS into volumes, and volumes into Influences
Of different and lllimitoble power.
Now, certainly. tits is vast sweep OF mechan-
icai imprOv ement; but you Will observe that II IS
not mechanical improvement merely Tor II is absurd
it involved everything else. ltpre-SuPpoSeS pm
or improvement, development and enlghtHent
of the common mind that represented III Tue mat
yeliouS agents; and 1t argues existent Improves
ment IN the public intelligence which Creates The
demand Tor those productions.
But, sir, the printing press and the age oil steam
and electricity is likewise actual aud mIgh!y pow
CT. Let its tendencies balance which way they
may, fOr good or for evil, here 1t stands, aud lO
man, with half soul him, W. nld cham IL If
he could. suppose there is TO agent Of our lime
that has much power rs the printing press, con-
SldeTng all The influences that involved with H.
do not say that II IS the nest excellent rUSeT;
that it is better i'll qualify mlgL tier i'll proportion
10 area than Some others, think that The hui
man voice has greater power within The sphere
otis Influence, and that nothing equals lhe nvns
ulteTance OF truth the effect OF agnelIc person
allty. Nor do speak OF II as especially All IN
dISpenSable power. Perhaps IL IS tulI as much the
organ us The guide of pubic OpInLOn--a barcme-
Ter compressed by the air. aud not always retlec-
tor of the pure daylight; so that we can Tell, IRON
this or that newspa per. how low down, or Ill what
social stratum 1t lies, ieaTn 10y book, as we'll as
bottle what currents ale running.
But even lhe concentrated force Of public
opinion OF the expression Of live Thought, ii is an
lncalculable power. From its own lips lhouSL nd
take truth OF error. II lines the LunblrSt cUtIuge
with IT'S cheap Libraries. They will Us soon 20
without their breakfast the Tally paper: aud SO
"Hle Is us scope anu so taplu lis movement that
people half way up 10 Albany will read report of
this meeting before we hall Out OF bed. And
II II emgendeS evil, 1t Is the only vehicle through
which the remedy eau be poured into the word.
Aud then, SIR just cUnslder its power Us money
interest. We are hardly aware, many of us, OF
the amount OF capital winch is employed; of the
amount If wealth imhed.d i'll Stereotype and steteo-
type plates alone crowded in the vaults oour great
publishers, as the merchant Glow Us the hold hrs
ship.
Why, sir; i'll this very city there is hidden treas
nre, treasure under ground, not d amonLS, nor in
gots, but treasure worth far than any said TO
have been Ind by Captain Krdd-G emli, mpIisiun-
ed in little boxes, at tie beck OF the publisher
start out with power more potent than that of the
spirt described IN the Arabian tale Surely, then
the press does indeed constitute the fourth eSste
aud If ii were not, as have observed, so democrat
lc' should say that ii belongs one OF the greatest
diaGemS Of the world.