True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1856-05-28
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Newsnanars.

e. A.A AAss WSRseGNNSs s.. Sd
Reading people have been fond of news
papers ever since newspapers began and
complete catalogue Of ths various dishes
ofintellectunl hotch-poch, which this taste
las called forth in modern times, would
considerably out measure, we suspect, the
longest " bill of fare " ever displayed in
French eating-house. They have been
prepared TO suit the palate and diges tion
Of every species of literary gourmands.
To enlarge on this, however, would lead US
to say something of what is trivial. and
more of what is dull. AS we happen to be
inditing neither sermon nor lecture, we
shall therefore especially endeavor to avoid
the fatiguing and long-winded.
This last word alone, indeed. gives us
nearly complete definition of all that a
newspaper should not be. There is scarce
ly anything capable of being put into
newspaper of which it may not contain
little. The acts, and sayings, and fortunes
of individuals; public events; the manners
and customs Of different ages, and nations,
and states of society; curious and inter-
esting facts in all the departments of natur-
al knowledge; the wonders of science and
Of art; all the turnings and windings Of
human opinion sagacious maxims for the
conduct of life /; even ingenious thoughts
in speculative PHILOSOPHICAL things, in
short, thct, have either wit or humor in
them, or finer intellectual life or spirit of
any other kind, may here enter as ingredi-
ents, and be mixed up together in rich va
riety.
A man, says DR.. Franklin, eats up
pound of sugar, and the pleasure he has
enjoyed is ended; but the information he
gets from n newspaper is treasured up in
the mind, to be used whenever occasion or
inclination calls for it. A newspaper is
not the wisdom of man or two men; it
is the wisdom of the age-of past ages,
too. family without newspaper is al
ways half an age behind the times in gen.
erul information; besides, they never think
much, nor find much to think about. And
there are the little ones growing up in ig-
norance without taste for reading. Be-
sides all these evils, there's the wife, who,
when her work is done, has to sit down
with her hands in her lap, and nothing to
amuse her mind from the tolls and cares of
the domestic circle. Who would be with
out newspaper!
Very few persons are aware of the vast
circulation of newspapers of the present
day. Tell man that such a paper prints
twenty, thirty, hundred, or hundred and
fifty thousand copies weekly, las the case
may be-, and he almost doubts your word.
Where do you find SO many readers !" is
the first inquiry. "Well," We tell him,
"that's question easier asked than an
swered;" adding the well-known fact that
newspapers create readers, just as schools
and churches create villages" He mods
assent rather obviously; and goes away
fully impressed, in his own mindthat Soon
science" and caoutchouc" mean "the
same thing, only spelled differently" Now
the fact is, there are newspapers in several
of our large cities whose regular weekly
circulation far exceeds the highest figure
above named
Newspapers, in word, are now the
great educators of the masses. Man hat
built pyramids, waged war, and founded
empires he had sailed round the globe
and written epic poems. With this strain
ing and striving he had achieved name
All this was well enough in It's way. But
it would make O weary world if we hat
nothing else. The repose Of the newspa
per was needed, to teach the arts OF peace
and soften down the scene Of public display
and struggle. In the spirit, therefore, o
Sancho Panza's honest horror at the idei
of constant movement and exertion. we ex
claim, "Blessngs on the man who hrst IN
vented newspa pers"