The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1858-07-20
: E HHIILLsDALE, MICH, TUESDAY, JULY 20 1853

on"r" hooefh CARS used 10 hlgnef nights
Of fancy, IL was because they thought tha,
Goods altar needs not our polishipg'-
which was their expression. They, there
fore, in turning any portion of scripture
into rhyme, adhered, with religious scru.
puosity, TO the original literal expression
But snxious TO find any apology for thoir
apparent want of taste and artistic skill in
poetic composition, we would fain ascribe
as cause the sea-sickness, which the
muse must have experienced in recently
crossing the Atlantic to these shores, from
which discomposing malady she had not
yet quite recovered. Whether, indeed, the
goddess has yet overcome the effect of that
sea voyage which brought her to Cam
bridge, may admit of question, if wo
take Longfellow's "Hiawatha," which was
sung under the shades of Harvard, as q
fair specimen of her subsequent inspira-
tions
The Pilgrim Fathers at Plymouth bro't
nc printing press with them, but they bro't
the Bible, and with it pious, stout and
resolute hearts. They brought more
minds, deeply ombued with principles of
civil and religious liberty, and, immediate
ly on their arrivals on these shores, put in
practice the principles which the professcd.
To them are we indebted for the solution
of tho problem in that age generally con
sidered insolvable Whether State can
exist without King, and Church with
out BishopG How well they have sue.
ceeded in this, then untrcd experiment, is
attestcd by the triumphant career of re.
publican institutions, which were practical
ly adopted by the unsophistcated, self-sac
rificing men who dsembarked from the
Mayflower, to land on barren shores, beat
en- ~ ocean waves on the one hand, and
fankcd by bowling wilderness on the
other
Now that We have fairly set the Press
the great civilizer--in motion at New Eng
land, let us take slight glance at times
more recent, and within TIE memory of
tho ''oldest inhabi'ant." But, before we
do this, we will not forget the Boston
Printers Boy, who commenced, at the
case, to gather into the store.house of his
capacious and practical mind that fund of
useful know ledge which made his name n
household word in the civilized worldwide
was subsequently honored in the courts Of
kings, and sought as companion by
statesmen and phi osophers Of every nation
The world is his debtor as the discoyerer Of
the common properties Of lightning and
clcctricity-a discovery which subsequent
genius has improved to work out results
which would have been deemed, at no dis
tant day in tho past, visionary and imprac-
ticable "Poor Richard g'-thc Premethe-
an kite! What age will forget the pro
ductive genius Of Benjamin franklin? Clio
rious name the Philosopher the States
man--thc Printcr--by which appcllati,n
Ter docs not feel proud Of his profession TO
name him as n brother, and what Ameri-
can docs not feel equally proud to call him
his couniryman?
Ny first acquaintance with letters Il
mean those metallic ones which speak as
they are bi1den,) carries my memory back
nearly fifteen years, and enables me to re-
call to mird many incidents which, related,
may interest you The Press at Boston
had just entered upon pretty extensive
business of printing standard works on the
ology and general literature. The motrop-
oils Of New England reflected the rays Of
science and literature shed upon it by Old
| award, and was the centre where mon
Of taste and learning "most d'dcongregatc."
This originated the common saying, "Solid
men Of Boston," having reference to their
mental wealth especially; though it was
then as now, the depository Of great mate.
rial wealth, if the panic has not rendered
the latter uarsol But to return to the
press. The newspapers Of that day owed
their value not to original matter so much
as TO extracts from foreign and domestic
publications, items Of sbilp ping news and
advertisements. The printers Of them wcro
also their own editors, who used the 'scis-
sors' o!,euor than the pen.
The newspaper press Of Boston and of
New England was generally presided over
by practical printers. Who has not heard
Of Isaiah Thomas, of the Massachusetts,
Spy, published at Worcester, and his
Farmers Almanac" published for nearly
half a couturys Who has not heard of the
Antiquarian Society" whose founder ho
was, the library Of which contains rare and
valuable books in all languages, ancient
| ana mOucTHg 10 tulo IlOIdfy IllS ltdlucu
blacksmith is indebted for that fund Of lin
guistical acquisition, which has made his
name SO famous. There was Ben Russell,
the autocrat Of the old federal party, with
his "Boston Sentinel, "--.Sent,aet beginning
with CT know not by what orthog
raphical authority. His corypheus in poll.
tics was Caleb Strong, who was elected
Governor of Massachusetts, many years in
succession, aud for as many years appeared,
in Russo'l's paper, just before election, the
stereotypcd appeal to the voters: "a
Strong pull, long pull, and pull all to
gelhcr" This was argument enough
Gov. Strong was re elected. The "Inde-
pendent Chronicle" whose principal writer
was Ben Austin, aud whose magaus Apollo
was Thos. jefferson. He made himself
noted, by his attacks, iu that paper, on
Chief Justice Parker, who displeased him
on account Of charge to the jury, which
tried ono Selfridge for shooting Austin's
son. Indeed this unhappy affair was drawn
into the partisan division Of the times, and
caused in New England almost as much
popular excitement as the abduction ol
William Morgan, in late times.
mi s.V. 80 n n