Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-05-23
Newspapers.

| country form ~ prominent feature of our
social and political system. They are rep
resentativcs in their character as all such
cmanationS from the business interests aml
political sentiments Of lis people must of
course be, Yet they possess a productive
as well as reactivc influence of immense
power. Great as already are the manifes-
tations of that power, tits as yet but com
I paraiively recognised in It's true nature,-
It has not yet received the nllorganization
that will concentrate in it, to the fullest
| possible extent, the Intellect, knowledge and
refinement the substantial governing pow
or, in short. which is TO give direction to
opinions and taste throughout the Repub-
! lie. The power, however, thus indicated
and exercised should not, correctly speak
ing, he called the power of the press--be-
! cause the press s'the mere instrumcntality
! by means of which truths and facts, lust
references and elevated sentiments, are
brought to bear on the public mind. The
newspaper press is the efficient iIIstrumen.
taIi;y to accomplish this, since by It's per
sistcnt publicity it can cause the most i'm
mediate, thorough and continued diffusion,
throughout the masses Of the people, of
those wholesome influences which are po-
tent and sa!utary in their, operations npou
society. Where tie press, as in this coun-
try, $50 free as 10 embrace liuienliousuess
within the bounds ofliberty, it must follow
that bad principles, as well as good, will
find dillusion throughout. Any one may
start " newspaper who has sufficient means
and is disposed to encounter the perils of
the investment, just as any one may ven
ture his capital in the dry goods business.
Hence there must he many varieties OF ca.
pacity, Of fitness, among those who assume
the responsible post Of conductors Of news.
papers--mcn who by their own election un-
dertake to form aud express opinion upon
all subjects of public concern, and who,
without possessing The necessary qualIica-
ton, become "bhnd teachers of the blind"
exposing their own ignorance whilst at
tempting to imform others.
The egptism of our American journals,
as a general thing, is perhaps the most Sc
l'rious drawback upon their usefulness of the
mare elevated sphere of influence in Keep
ing in the background the more individu-
ahzed 81" which the editor is in too many
instances anxious to keep prominently in
the view of his readers. A newspaper should
he an impersonali,y The journal speaks,
the editor never. Ii is bound to the com
munity by public relations in which all. in
dividualism should be lost. It is unity
composed indeed Of many parts and ueccs,
sarily the product of many minds but IL is
with its aggregate character alone that tho
public has any concern. The personal con
Germs OF its editors, their likes or disikes,
their enjoyment and grievances have moth
ing to do VIII the functions of fionrnalism.
TO the public they are nothing as indivdu-
als---at least nothing more than others of
equal merit. Their cgotism is as disagree
able, their undue assumption as intolerable.
as itit proceeded from others, with tho ad :,
aed provocatiou that arises from supcrior
opportunity to manifest these unpleasant
qualities. The fact that they have print
ing press at their disposal gives them no
privileges Of obstruction, and no special
claim to sympathy except III the proper
discharge Of their trust.
But a newspaper appearing regularly
botoro the people, and sustaininga charac-
ter for prompnese in the diffusion of news
and unprejpdicci iairncss.in expressing It's
views, makes for itself, and is entitled to
hold, separate entity-a distinct existence
1t is a living, constantly speaking, and pow
erfdl iuHuence, 1t gives Intelligence rela
tive to business aud events, aud the public
rely uponthe accuracy and extent of its in.
nm,iic o%os, eap pd efceS f,I Tp,9.on on gfea'
| n