The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-08-20

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From the Phis delphia Ledger, August 10
One of the psculiarities Of the present age. and
the main one, perhaps. by which its intellectual &C
tvities quickened and the material progress Of
the world ia so greatly promoted Is the enormous
increase of newspapers and particularly the remark
able growth Of the editions Of single newspapers.
This has created new power in civilized commun
ties, power so vast that, when properly directed in
free countries it is able to control the action of
government, and is the most potent engine which
may be used either to arouse tine popular mind to
national danger, or TO combine its elements against
the mischiefs which affect social security and the
happiness and well being OF mankind The "power
OF the press is phrase frequently uttered, but
very few entertain adequate definite idea of it..
Its real power is not to be measured simply by the
numbers of printed newspapers Of various kinds and
OF different titles, which are daily issued from the
press, each of which exercises an influence TO an
tent equal TO its particular circua on ability ana
character but it is in the enormous editions which
few newspapers attain, that this idea Of the power
Of the press is most forcibly realized In the latter
class OF newspapers embraced the greatest COM
lination and concentration Of forces known in the
Intellectual world. newspaper distributing daily
II sixty thousand copies, among all classes OF read
ers, and impressng its own thoughts and feelings
spontaneously and instantaneOusiy upon as many
thousand minds, proximate to each other, as in o
large city like Philadelphia aud New York, is a
power OF such magnitude that II Is not surprising
The public mind generally has no adequate concep-
ZION Of it. because II Is infinitely above and be-
yond any other popular medium of intelligence with
which II may be compared. The orator who ad.
dresses q mass meeting il physically incapable Of
making himself heard by more than few thousand
persons at any one time, aud the most popular d.
vine is satisfied If his church is crowded with
still fewer numbers. But the newspaper has no
such limit TO its auditory its instructions may go
simultaneously to q hundred thousand readers,
with nearly as much facility to a thousand, re-
stricted only by the amount of population which
supplies readers and the imperfect power Of the me-
chanical agencies used 3 perform the vast amount
of physical labor required to print the largest ed
tions.
The power of the press, as implied and realized in
newspapers with such editions as We have referred
to- entirely Of modern growth IL is the result Of
combination Of causes coexisting and co operative
Universal educatiOn such as our system Of popular
instruction embraces, has created readers out CT
densely populated communities. Free institutions
prevailing, have established free inquiry as neces-
sary to maintain them. Our educational and our 20
Htical establishments have, therefore created new
popular wants, and extended the desire and neces-
sty for knowledge to the EXTREMIST circle of society
where human intelligence exists. Consentsneous-
ly with these new wants have arisen the power
and means of gratifying them. The intellectual
activities Of the age have vivifed and enlarged
the powers OF the mind, aud inspired its inven-
tive faculties. The wants Of an intelligent society
suggested the penny, or cheap press, and was the
means Of its rapid and astonishing growth. With
the increased editions OF newspapers which grew
out of the cheap press came the necessity for i'm
provenents IN the mechanical agencies employed to
print newspapers. Modern invention was equal to
this requirement and the mech anica genius Of Hoe
reached the highest principle within the grasp Of
inventive power Or application. The 'lsst fast"
type revolving press, in which the rotary principle
Is so beautifully, simply and effectively applied, 10
the most perfect conception Of mechanical sdapta-
biity to the requirements of particular art that
has ever been suggested. II does for newspapers
what Fulton did for propulsion, and the mechanic
arts in general, when he successfully applied steam
TO work the crank Of an engine, and put into the
agent; il is the adoption Of lending principle OF
nature, the truest principle OF automatic machinery,
and upon which all future improvements for the "a
pid multiplication Of copies In the printing press
must be based.
Since that period, about ten years ago several Of
the cheap newspapers Of New York have been COM
PEELED by their large editions, to procure four and
six cylinder presses, and no leading newspaper can
possibly do without them. Since seeing the opera
ton in London Of Of Hoes six cylinder presses,
the leading Journal for England-the LONDON Times
has just ordered Of the Messrs Hoe ten cylinder
fast press, its old machine, the Applegath press
q very ingenious and meritorious invention, being
found inadequate to print the daily edition of the
Times. Causes in England similar to those in ope-
ration In this country, have contributed to largely
increase the edition Of that journal. The war has
qnickened the political life OF the people, and the
iberahty OF the government recently In removing
he stamp duty from newspapers, has placed II with
a the ecunary ability Of greater portion Of the
population TO indulge In the prevailing taste for
newspaper information. The power Of the press In
England Is now descending into masses Of popula-
legislative restriction, the social condition and intel
gence Of the people, presented barrier which Il
could not penetrate at first, but which Is now rapid
ly dssolving In the dawn Of Q brighter intelligence
and the elevatng influences Of institutions becoming
daily more hberalixed and popular.