The independent. (Harrisonburg, La.) 1853-18??, 1857-10-07

P0noS"to' Suuoi lu0 Po"oi vi lhiS ucd'-
ing, rushing, boiling, raging volcano of
intellectual stimulus thus thrust nolens uolens
into the nostrils Of every man and woman in
the whole country, into their very souls,
which becomes part of their moral constitu-
tions, is it any wonder that the faculties Of
the American mind should have received
such a quickening as those of any other
people in the aggregate have ever had p
And is it any wonder that discoveries, in
ventions, theories, isms, projects-physical
aud intel!ectual-should multiply as they
have never before done, in any other country
in 1877 years, since the world began.
With the increase in the number of pa
pers, has kept pace the increase in their size,
till some of them have become literally al
most as large as bed blankets. The bes!
ability aud the most varied talents too in the
country find an outlet through the periodi-
cal press many Of the best books appearing
drst as articles prepared expressly for the
columns of various journals.
That the press has become tremendous
power in the land none now can deny that
it is equally potent for evil as for good is
just as evident, and it is this which attaches
so much Importance to lis increasing ascen-
dency over. the public mind. OF late, the
growing tendency in portions of the press is
to minister to the morbid appetite Of the
lower strata of society to pander to the de-
sire OF part of the public for scandal and
the revolving, demoralizing exhibitions of
vice and crime Of every shade and kind.
This is the worst feature in the press of this
country, and it is one that bodies no good for
the future Of the Republic. Many good and
great men have feared that it is impossible
to maintain the freedom of the press in con-
sequence of this very tendency to degenerate
into boundless licentiousness. Where the
freedom Of the press ends and its licenlious-
ness commences is point not always easily
determined, and yet with really licentious
press liberty is incompatible. They cannot
long exist together. The law, however, can
take cognizance of and suppress only the
most grossly abandoned and obscene sheets,
and hence the onl y censor of the press in
this country is PUBLIC OPINION, that very
public opinion which this same press does so
much to form! Wo to the country when
this opinion becomes radically corrupt. Let
the conservative men Of the Union, patriots
who wish it well, wish it still to live, look to
this in session!
Perhaps we cannot do better than draw
these desultory remarks, which the one hun
dred and sixty-seventh anniversary Of the
first American newspaper has elected, to a
close by giving the following graphic portrait
of what a high-toned, first class Journal
should be, from the pen of the celebrated
Massachusetts, Federalist, Fisher Ames, ad-
dressed to friend in Dec, 1902, upon the
establishment Of a great paper in New Eng
land. 1t is as follows:
1.-The pen will govern till the resort is to
the sword, and even then ink is of some inn
portance, and every nation at war thinks it
needful to shed great deal Of it. AS mat
ters are actually arranged the Palladium
must be that paper. 1t must have, it must
have by requisition. the contributions of the
mind from those who are rich in that sort of
treasure. One or two of that gazette ought
to 5e crowded in every small town, and
more into larger towns throughout New
England. 1t must be so supplied as to need
no helps in money, but to force its own pro-
gressively increasing circulation. 1t should
clearly and aptly state the merits Of every
question tell every inquirer exactly what he
wants to know about the public business, and
in the manner that will impress HMM the
manner that will confound and disarm jaco-
bin liars. The principles, the circumstances,
the effects Of measures should be unfolded,
summarily, for the most part, but often by
profound investigation and close argument.
Business paragraphs should be short, clear
and frequent. Occasional essays should ap-
pear, to examine speculative Democratic
notions which yet prevail, and almost all of
which are either false or pernicious, but of
mischievous conclusions from admitted prin-
ciples.
"Wit and satire should flash like the elec-
trical fire; but the Palladium should be fas-
tidiously polite and we'll bred. 1t should
whip jacobins as gentle man would a
chimney sweeper, at arms length, and keep
ing aloof from his SCOT. BY avoiding coarse
vulgar phrases, it would conciate esteem,
and would appear with an unusual dignity
for newspaper being. Foreign news should
be skilfuliy exhibited, and not in the jum-
bled mass that is usual. Literature demands
the review of books, and especially of all
newspapers, so far as their general scope of
any remarkable performances require it.
Agriculture should have share once week
at least Of the paper. Morals, manners,
schools, and such disquisitions as general
knowledge would supply, should be furnished
with regularity. And for all these labors,
various classes of able men should be en-
gagged to supply these various departments.
But for the superintendence and principal
conduct of the paper only few should be
selected, aud the others should hold them
selves as a body Of reserve, TO step in fresh
when the froat rank grows weary"