The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-09-02
For the Journal
Newspapers, &C.

every OtnoF species vi LpOSlGLOu'-
Articles on any subject, must be short pointed,
piquant and pithy and particularly if the pa
per be exclusively a business one, all ornament
is inadmissible. Plainness, clearness, force
and breyity, are the qualities which character
ize the style suitable for daily newspaper
But if, like the Journal, it is as much family
friend, as business help-mate, deviation
from the dry matter of fact method of stating
cases, is quite allowable and even desirable.-
Many persons conceive that to edit paper,
or compose readable article, is an easy per-
Torrance, but let those persons undertake
the job, and if they have any idea of how
the thing is to be done "ship-shape" they will
be speedily of different opinion.
ttTrue grace in writing comes from art chance,
As those move easiest who have learned to dance"
Weekly papers differ from their daily con-
panions, and they have a very great advan-
tage over them. Daily papers are read most
ly by those who have leisure, and weekly pa
I pers, by the masses. The merchant can afford
time to read, in fact his success in business is
intimately connected with his industry, as a
reader of newspapers. The laboring man,
though of an enquiring mind, cannot be so
much benefited by his reading, as can he
whose bodily powers are not constantly over
wrought. Hence it is that reading rooms are
so seldom visited by the artisan, or laborer and
hence it is that the weekly is taken by him in
stead of the daily. The rest he enjoys on
Sunday, refreshes his body and of course in
vigorates his mind, and disposes him to treat
himself to the perusal Of a weekly newspaper.
There is, too, great difference in hebdomadal
periodicals. Some are the garnered results
from daily issues, others are compilations from
various sources intermixed with original ar
ticles. Some are decided in their political
opinions, and also are neutral in nothing; 9TH
ers simply aiming at giving synopsis of news,
and an hours light reading are Indifferent, or
independent, on all questions. Many week
lies are exceedingly entertaining, and a few
are of no value on account of their tiresome,
disgusting hebetude.
1t is but natural that an EDITORS first con-
Germ is the revenue his paper brings him, for
it is right that his means should be an impor-
tant consideration, as without money "the
mare wont go'' His next concern is his pa
per's reputation, and its ability. If mans
heart is in his work, he will endeavor to do it
we'll, and when done, will be pleased, if it
meet with appreciation 1t is proud position
to be the Trainer of popular sentiment, and a
man of integrity will be CAREFUL that no opin-
ion derogatory to morals, religion or the good
of society, in general, will be conveyed to the
) public mind through the columns of his paper,
and by his instrumentahty. But where one
man, imbued with a sense Of the responsibility
high and noble calling of editor, there are many
J who are totally reckless as to the good or evil
) resulting from their labors. Profit is their OBJ
} ject, ana the motive actuating them in all they
!, do. Public esteem they deride and contemn,
and let them get but dollars and cents they
are quite satisfied. Such men are usually the
idols Of numerous, ignorant, brutifed, de-
based mob. They know how to guide or mis-
guide their debased and foolish admirers, and
as they have no principles Of either honor OF
honesty, they make no scruple in producing
mischief, if they can by so doing benefit them
selves. The position Of editor, is but a means
to an end with them. By their writings they
obtain notoriety, and when an opportunity
occurs they use their silly followers as lad
der, by which they ascend to fat office, bat
often, as with the fox and the grapes, they find
the object they desire is as far beyond their
reach, as beyond their deserts.
OF all the instruments which mankind have
ever used for the diffusion of knowledge, the
, defence of society, and accomplishment of the
liberty of man, none have been so efficacious as
!, the newspaper. The newspaper is in fact the
| guardian of popular rights; it is the watchman
which warns the public when there is an at
tempt to invade those rights, it is the sentinel
, to whose custody the welfare and happiness OF
the community are committed, it is the guard
whose vigilance should be undoubted, whose
honesty should defy impeachment, and whose
strength and courage are sufficient at all times
l for public protection. Ignorance is the cause
of nearly all the misery to which mankind is
liable. Kings and other despots find it suffi-
Gent to keep their wretched subjects, slaves
A free press in their dom1nions, they will not
suffer- for freedom of discussion is Synonymous
with freedom from tyranny. A free press is
the palladium of liberty, and when it dies, lib
erty is lost. The press is not only the cham
: pion of popular rights, but also public bene-
factor in another sense. The Times newspa-
per some years ago, detected and exposed a