Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-12-31

4 luc SUulueTu PRESS, tEeI, W tuo pattio loi
the Constitution, to be ever among its de.
TENDERS, and to cling to it with unwaverine
devotion, so thatin the day of the final strug'
gle, which | believe from presentindications
must arrive, the people of the South may
come out of the contest with their honor
untarnished, their rights ndinstitutions main,
tanned and vindcated, and that in the forma'
ton of new Confederacy, they may still
claim as their own that unerung chart ol
republira liberty.
There :. other dulles devolving upon the
conductors of the press which more imme.
diateIy relate to the welfare, virtue and hap.
piness of tue community. Editors, by all
means, should jealously watch over their
columns, lest the slightest taint of immorali.
| ty or impurity should be found there. The
newspapers once luxury has become a
necessity to every family, and no matter how
attractive may be the garb in which wrong
teachings are clothed, they should be rigidly
excluded from its pages. Flash novellettees,
highly colored descriptions of fashionable
vices, thrilling accounts of murders, robbery
and other crimes, constant publications OF
the fobles and failings of human nature, all
tend to the decentralization of the taste, es.
pecially of the young reader, five desire
to see our children grow up virtuous, the
purity of our magazine and newspaper lite.
rature must be assiduously watched over and
cultivated. Apd this must be done, for the
reason that it counts its thousand of readers
among the young, while works of higher
standard Of literature are totally neglected
by Them. In this respect, then, the conduc-
tors Of the press have responsibility rest
ing upon them which cannot be measured.
It is reasonable 10 suppose that in this
day Of universal reading the peace and hap
piness of very many must be affected and
.aGtedspeIs.by what may be called their dai-
ly mental food 1t is much easier to pull
down than build up, and all history teaches
?nssthat-among the people who have, passed
away, the seeds.of decay first germinated
in the corruption OF ofsEcentiousness, and that
the first steps towards the. destruction and
downfall of ruined nations were those taken
from the paths of religion and morality.
Then, as brotherhood Of teachers, whose
influence penetrates into the domestic circle
of every fresde in the land; as patriots,
who desire to transmit to those who come
F7afftefeussour heritage Of liberty; as men; as
fathers, and as brothers, we cannot be held
justi6able in the sight Of God or man if we
fail to discharge our duty in this respect
with the utmost fidelity. Happily for the
South, and it speaks volumes in her favor,
the style and matter Of some flash icentious
prints we have seen emanate from Boston
and New York, are not initiated in her lati.
tude. They could not exist, because within
her borders they would find neither patron.
are nor encouragement.
A very offensive feature of the journalism
of the day is the system of universal and
udiscriminate "putfing" of every person and
thing for which some slight equivalent may
have been given. The public are fast losing
confidence in editors notices of exhibitions,
books, quack medicines, charlatans and hun.
bugs; and, until the press shakes off The
habit, and abandons the idea that every
thing, good, bad or indifferent, has to be
commended, for a notice of which they
have been slightly comp!imcnted, the rea.
ders OF journals will think the space devo.
led to such notices very poorly occupied,
and will very properly give up paving any
attention 10 them.
Another unfortunate characteristic Of
modern political journalism is growing
tendency to personalities, invective and
abuse of those who differ from us. This is
really injurious, not perhaps so much to the
public, as 10 journalists themselves. Our
own experience, and that Of others we have
been acquainted with, teach us that, after
cool reflection, departures from the true
mission of journalism bring nothing but re.
gret to the party who permits himself so to
deviate. In saving this, however, | must
not be understood as lavoing any restnc.
ton on the just and beneficial criticism-the
free expression of opinion, whether Of praise
or censurc, on the public acts of public men.
If eternal vigilance be the price of liberty,
it is not only within the legitimate province
of the press, but it is one of its highest and
most sacred duties, to arrest the triumphant
demagogue in his career-to expose his hol-
low.heartedness and selfshness-.and to point
put the danger to public liberty by the ele.
vation of such an one to any Office OF trust
within the gift of the people. From this
duty, fortunately for US connected with the
press of this State, we are comparatively
exempt There appears to be noble gui
ding and ruling principle in the nature and
composition Of the men whom the people Of
Carolina honor with their confidence, that
prevents them from becoming amenablo to
the structures of free but conservative press.
The, public records Of the State and of the
country will bear me out in this eulogium
on the general rectitude and fidelity of the
public officers and statesmen of South Caro-
lima
But if mans public acts, or the manner
in which he discharges the duties lie as.
sumes, be legitimate subjects Of editorial su-
perversion, we must never forget that his
private character and reputation are exclu-
sivcly his own. They cannot be made the
theme of newspaper gossip, or be dragged
forth to serve political purposes, without the
prostitution of that great instrumentalty
placed under our control. The publication
that makes its columns the medium through
which the prejudices, spleen, or revengeful
feelings Of its conductor may be gratifed,
must soon become a wholesale slanderer.
Such a print should be stricken from The
roll of journalism as unworthy of recogni.
t;on nv its compeers or cotemporaries.