Smyrna times., 1856-01-16
City and Country Paners.

ne ioiiowing sensible remarks upon this
SUBJECT are taken from the Phila. Bulletin:
The poufest Of all men, both in \ necuni,rv
ana literary sense, is he who cannot afford TO
take paper, and next to him in ind,gence is
the one who cannot afford to take two. There
is probably no one living who is enab ed by his
labor to feed and clothe himself who doeS rot
ehueaVor 10 obtain amusement, or at least mem
tai relaxation, IN some form. 1t is a necessary
condition fife, necessary qualification of
sound state of mind And within the entire
range Of amusements or of mental relaxntion
Is there one which for cheapness, or for the
extent to which it combines pleasure and profit,
eau DC compared with q newspaper!
10 be an intelligent human being, you must
be IN the world and of it; :. and though .your
home be far away in the forest, or by the lone
~ shore, you are still part of the great hu-
man confederacy; and it is your duty, if only
Tor your own interest and for the interest of
those who depend, or many at some time de-
pend on you, TO know what is going on in the
world, and to reulize that you are not lost TO
it by ignorance.
vi all knowledge there is none which can
Tor an instant be compared to the knowledge
OF "what is going on" Before this, all the
learning of universities is mere dead wcirht-
valuable perhaps to few, but worse than use
less to the many for any practical purpose
And can any one point to any source which
supplies so much of this knowledge, or where
II Is gwen In such n cheap, concentrated, ia
clIe, form, as in the newspaper? Does any
indulgence t" an intelligent mind become more
a matter OF pleasant expectation, and would
any thing ofthe same cost be so desirable, day
after day!
AT present, however, the man who takes but
single paper, is almost in the relative condi-
ton ofone who, fifty years ago, took no pa per
1T all. 1t is impossible to point out any one
journal which supplies the variety requisite, or
which cantains all that one requires who does
not happen to reside in city. To all thus
situated, we would say, &" Do not neglect your
local paper" That which is taking place i'm
medlatcly around you, is, or should be, of the
greatest Importance to you. If one number
does not contain something which an intelli-
gent schemng mind may turn to advantage,
the next may, and even if the paper does not
display that ability which you require, it is all
the more your duty to incourage it, for genius
like everyth ng else, requires substantial food.
The country editor has much to centend against;
he represents you aud your interests, and if
you withhold your patronage from hmyou NAV
rest assured that you disgrace yourselfby los
ing your share in that distinctive trait of the
American, which is that 90 where he may he
must have newspaper of his own. And if YOU
ar" a creditable mcmber of respectable neigh-
Oorlood the excellence and influence of vour
local paper soon wIl-or ought to be-a mat
ter OF personal pride with you. Many a place
which would otherwise be nothing-without
business and without name-has become known.
has attracted, first attention and then business
merely because few inhabitants had the spirit
to patronlse good paper and keep it going
There are towns and even cities in the Yves,
which have been literally newspapered into
prosperity, and that not by empty huulbug, bul
by attracting attention through a talented,
press.
By all means support your local paper. But
when you have done that, if your means at all
Fuitice, that is to say if you be single degree
removed above poverty, take another from a
dIStnnce' tor general and entertaining reading.
The two papers together, it read as they should
be- will keep you posted up on matters at home
and abroad. aud you will find that the next
thing TO living in the city is reading its pa pers.