The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1856-01-05
OUR NEW ENTERPRISE.

our readers concerning Oul Pl%uS; primer
pies and prospects in the enterprise we
have undertaken. This then We propose to
do, that we may start fairly in our work.
Our first, and one of our frmest cOnyic-
lions is, that we shall not always please
every body, and lest every body should
consider this is a personal reflection, we
Will add, that we are equally convinced that
we shall not always please ourselves. We
are deeply impressed with the solemn re-
sponsibility of furnishing the religious read
inc of thousands of families, and as deeply
impressed with the difficulty Of making suit
able provision in this respect. Necessities,
tastes, and views are so endlessly various,
that 40 ordinary sheet can be expected to
furaish what is adapted to all, and the bust
ness of newspaper publishing has been
brought to so much perfection by those
who have large capital to employ in con-
Quoting it, that a new sheet, that has not
the advantages of older and richer estab-
Eshments, must expect to be subjected to
disadvantageous comparisons in the eyes OF
some readers. We begin our work, fully
sensible of all these difficulties, and aware
tlat we cannot meet all the expectations
which some of our readers may have formed
in regard to our paper, for we cannot make
brick without straw.
But whilst we make this avowal, we also
believe that we can, with the hearty CO.
operation of our brethren, furnish our peo-
pie with paper more suitable to their cir
cumstances than any which they now receive,
whatever be its excellence when judged by
a general standard. If we did not believe
this, we would not at the cost of so much
toll and trouble, have undertaken the work
of editors.
We need home paper, paper under
the management of those who understand
and consult home interests, and who Will
devote themselves to their promotion. The
London Times is greatly superior to our
Virginia and North Carolina papers, but
no man would dream of making that fact an
objection to these papers, or a reason for
not sustaining them. Men feel that they
must have State newspapers, to attend to
State interests, and that for these interests,
those State journals are the best. To al
low such journals to die, because they have
not the corps Of correspondents that the
jupiter Tonans Of London possesses, would
be a folly and a crime. The same general
reasoning is true of religious newspapers to
a certain extent. There may be some that
have a larger sheet, a wider circle of cor
respondents, and more elaborate contribr-
lions than we shall be able, at first, or even
at last, to present. But it viii not follow
from this fact, that these sheets will be bet
ter, for the purposes of newspaper circula-
ton, among our people, than our own. As
the exclusive newspaper circulation amongst
us, we believe that they viii not be as good
for our interests and necessities.
1t is not our design, or even our desire to
Danish other religious papers now taken by
our people, but simply to introduce our own,
as matter of home necessity. These papers
are admirably furnished with general reG-
cious reading, but it is impossible for them
to bestow any special attention on our sPe-
cial interests. Ranging over largessur-
face of territory in their circulation, they
can only devote a small portion of their
attention ON our wants and institutions
The consequence of this fact must be very
obvious. We are affected by the thoughts
and facts most frequently and prominently
BROUGHT before our minds, and they III
sensibly acquire an Importance in our
eyes in proportion to this prominence
When our people are accustomed to read
much about foreign interests, and but little
about those at home, home interests must
naturally dwindle in Importance and have
but little hold upon their minds. Reading
little about them, they viii think but little
of them, and feel but little for them, and
be disposed to regard them as scarcely
worthy Of any deep or strenuous effort.
They will thus gradually nderyalue what
is at home, and take an interest only in
what is abroad. But as these foreign mat
tiers are too remote to allow them to do any
thing practically for them, they will thus
get into the habit of feeling where they can
not act, and acting where they do not feel
interested about whatis beyond their sphere
Of emotion. The result Of this is really dis
astrous to religious activity and Christian
character, and has the same effect on the
soul that is produced by other species Of
reading where the passive emotions are
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