The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1857-08-06
Close OF the Third VOiume-Ret-
respect Of tIle Year.

F1- fOS Speet Oh TIE near.
This number closes the third volume Of the
Sentinel since it came under our charge
We can hardly realize that three years have
gone by, since we took up cur hcme in Ra-
VIENNA, end assumed+he responsible and la.
boricus duties Of on editor. 1t was new
business then, rnd the period which has
elapsed since that time, has been for us, eae
of constant and unremitting toll. There
have been dark days and bright once. There
have been times, when 10 sustain ourselves
and the Sentinel seemed almost like hand
to hand struggle with death, and then again,
there have been times when friends gathered
around US; and " ith warm hearts and willing
hands sustained, encouraged cGd strength
ered every effort.
The life Of country editor scmphatically
one of labor. The matter of selecting and
writing articles for his paper is the smallest
portion OF lis business. Every thing from
tie work OF Gu apprentice up to that which
Immediately belongs to him, has to come
under Lis inmotiate supervision. Every
letter and line must be carefully examined
before it appears in print. Every article has
to be set up, proved, revised, corrected, work
ed off, folded, directed and mailed before he
is relieved rt.m his watchfuness and care.
His apprentices are to be fed, clothed, and
instructed His per bills are to be met
with recty cash, and in raising the material
lid, lie is oftc nt;mCs compelled to do as the
ancient Isreelitcs were while in Egypt-to
make brick Hiihout straw. PIPER is cash,
ltbor is Gosh, prlvision is cash, and all these
articles have to be obtained md paid for
every day ard every week, or the S.ntineI
cannot be publish he'd.
there ore men all ever the country in
charge Of newspapers, no year after year,
hang a'most at the starving point, and yet if
they hid ore halt hat is due them from de.
lii qucIt subscribers, would be surrounded by
tveIy comfort. 1--WE speak what we know
;1d testify to hat we have seem"
Eut many as ere the difficulties to be en-.
cCunttred ard severe as is the labor to be
ptrfolmcd, there is very much that is agree
able in the life OF country editor. 1t is
pleasant to occury sach stand point in the
great highway of lie, as to be constantly an
observer Ct TIE changing, shifting scenes on
the worlds " Le stage oi busy, moving, think
ing existence. II is pleasant to watch the
strife of contending parties-to ncte the
changes constantly working out in the social
life around US to study the origin and causes
of the many revolutions in science, religion,
and politics. 1t is pleasant to mingle in the
struggle for prefetment and power. Every
man. unless he be miserable sluggard, de.
sires TO take some part in the enterprise OF
our busy work day world. To one who
likes constant action, labor, excitement, and
thought, the editorial fields offer pressing
invitation. He must have the courage to de-
fend what's right and oppose what is wrong
TO make enemies as we'll as friends-to be
slandered without cause and be praises. with
cut vanity. He must be willing to suffer
present censure for the hope of future re-
ward. II his course be straight forward, he
will be sure to run against the prejudices,
wishes and interests ofvery many OF his fel.
lows, and he must expect their enmity and
opposition. To man of moral courage and
worth, however, the consciousness of doing
riChf 4, mn chm N a Mt reward
Since taking charge of the Sentinel we
have labored faithfully to make it candid
reliable, family Journal and an answering,
untlinching advocate of Democratic princi
pies. How far we have succeeded it must
be left for others to jndge. We have never
dared to he pc that cur course would in all
respects be free from errors. Our own OBJ
servation and experience has told rs that the
perfection is impossible to obtain, and in
looking back over the last three years, we
can discover many places where, were we to
go over the ground ogtin, we should do dil-
ferently. We fatter ourselves, however,
that the leading PRINCIPLES we have advoca'
tea, SDQ the PO5IIIuho tdhSp; eIo 'i6ht' VIZ
that by and by, when prejudice aid passion
and personal feeling shall have died away,
our principles will stand forth pure and
bright, as gold "tried in the fire."
The past year has been mai ked by events
of great moral and political importance
Questions of grave ard dangerous character
have been peaceably and permanently set
tied. During the last Presidential contest
subjects were agitatedwhich involved in theil
settlement the very existence Of the govern
ment The policy of non. interference with
slavery in the territories by Congress, which
was inaugurnted during the last national
Administration, has been endorsed by the
people, and sanctioned by the highest judi
cial tribunal of the land. The agitation
excitement and bitterness growing out OF the
Kansas question have subsded. The intol'
erance of Know Nothingism has been re-
buked. There never was in the, history ol
this nation q more triumphant and signal
victory than that obtained by the Democrat
ic party in the late presidential Canvass
In the South, the proscriptive banner Of the
mis.named American party arrayed itsel
against us to cursh out the more liberal doc
trines of the fathers, and violate the very
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