The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1858-11-10
THE POWER OF
THE NEWSPAPER PRESS.
ADDRESS delivered before tie Wisconsin
Editors and Publishers association,
att Second Ansatal Session,
led at Madison, Oct.
18th, 1853,
BY Hon. CHARLES D. ROBINSON.
EDITOR OF THE "GRERN BAY ADVOCATE"
Mr.. PRESIDENT; AND


held at Portage City, it was ordered that
we should deliver an address at this your
present session. We were not there TO
demur, and there has been no intervening
meeting to which an appeal from SO e.c
parte a decree could be made. In an
ordinary court Of justice, such an extraor-
binary proceeding would not be tolerated +;
it being one of the first principles of com
mon law that each party shall be repre-
| sented; but beyond this organization we
know of none higher-it is a court of last
! resort-the Tribunal of the Press, self
created and constituted, everywhere recog-
nized and deferred to. AS one of its
members, we suppose we ought to be the
last to rebel against its mandates. But if
there has been anything hard in that, it
has brought its rccompense. 1t has sug-
gested discovery, and furnished sub
ject. The much harped upon "Higher
Law" which we have all talked about
and none have defined, it seems evident
now is the Press; AMI what more appro-
pirate theme is there, if that be true, than
that new and great Power!
II anything can be said here tending to
fortify this last great power in civilized
! hstory-great because its basis is in the
intelligence and freedom of the people
it is well that this convention has met
here today. If the power of the Press
IS correct one and deserves to be per-
petuated, then we, the builders of it, ought
patiently and modca,ly to study tie rudi-
mcnts Of its architccture--not arrogantly
as master workmen, drawing plans and
directing lis prog ress; but as the artizans
who fashion the foundations and rear it
upward with stone symmetrically upon
stone, 50 that i'll after times, when we
have passed away and our children's child
rem arc here in our places, it shall loom
up grandly upon their sight, like an
Egyptian Pyramid, of just proportions,
pleasing to the eye, and witbstanding the
assaults of Time. 1t will be well to bear
IN mind that it ought to be monument,
consecrated to a lasting good, rather than
a simple tower, upon which to escape the
popular deluges which have swallowed up
other human powers before; for, on the
one hand, it will go successfully to com
pletion, even to the statue of Fame upon
its pinnacle; while, on the other, we may
be stricken with discussions, and finally
dispense amid confusion of tongues, the
ridicule of the whole world.
Time was when there were no ncwspa-
pers. The books were Gin the running
brooks" and the "sermons were upon
the stones" We dig up those old times
now, with the help os Layarl, and the
rest, and We find histories cut into the
walls, and the great deeds of men carved
heavily upon arches and columns. There
were no two parties then--no opposition
newspapers. Belshazzar had things pref
ty much in his own way. He command
ed his stone cutters to set forth on the
outer walls that he was the greatest man
then or before, or to come thereafter; and
there were 10 two opinions allowed about
that. If his constituency wanted to know
about him, they couldn't lie back upon
their divans, slipping their morning coffee,
and read from this paper what great and
statesmanlike things he had been dong,
and from that one what a very consum-
mate scoundrel and knave he was to be
sure. No; if they wanted official intelli-
gence of things going on at head quar-
tiers, they must travel there laboriouslv
and respectfully, and they would find it
bulletined upon the walls-the victories
gained, the new laws passed, and all that
1t was the age of Force, then, and for
long time thereafter. Feudal chieftains,
from their mountain Businesses, ruled their
people, formed their minds, and made
their laws. The fleet horse trayersed the
country, but he carried no post-bags; the
swift lightnings came down as they now
do, but were imbued with no intelligence.
What neighbor told to neighbor, and he
to his neighbor beyond was the news OF
that time. The ship at sea gave no note
of its coming until its long gone sail
rounded into the bay at home. 1t was E
craft gone down into the waters of Lethe
and come back again, The soldier who