True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1858-09-01
BOW Mr. Raaoher views It.

Henry Ward Beecher has made q
speech, in which he gives his views Of
the working of the great Atlantic wires.
Some of his thoughts are cOgent, as
others are witty. lie is thus reported
in the N. Y. Tribunea
But mark one thing: while this wire
will in the first instance work toward
monopoly, in the second and main in
stance il will work toward diffusion and
the common veal for, ihOngh merchants
and politicians win in the first instance
be the users, yet in the main the people
will be the ones that will reap the ben
efts. If il were possible for knowledge
to be confined to fow-if it were pos
sible for monopolist to lock up the ends
of this wire, it might be disastrous TO the
people and to Governments; but now it
has a tendency to make knowledge CO.
extensive with the globe-for what is
known in, London in the morning, will be
known here before the norning, What
is spoken at 12 in London will be known
to US at s according to our time, and the
enterprises of all the commercial centers
and political capitals of the world, will be
known 10 US in less than an hours time;
and when revolutions shall move the old
Kingdoms, when these throes begin to be
felt, in one hour we shall feel the same
apprchenslons and torments, 1t is no
longer in her own bosom that France can
keep her secrets. l, is no longer in The
old British isles that their knowledge can
be confined il is flashed over the world.
The globe will have but one ear, and that
ear will be every where.
Now, this instantaneousness Of knowl.
edge, this diffusion of knowledge. so that
all men are brought together-this is for
the benefit of the common people, this is
what gives them power to enlarge the
minds that God gave them, and by which
they will be greater than ever dynasties
will be. | dare scarcely any longer think
of what shall be. remember the deris
ion with which Whitney's plan Of rail
road to the Mississippi was hailed.
remember when it was disputed whether
a steamer could Gloss the ocean or hot
All these marvels, when they first were
proposed 10 US, seemed incredible, but one
by one they have been executed, and now
] am prepared 10 believe almost anything
If man proposed TO communicate with
the moon, ] should no longer think he was
moon struck; all l ask is that the story
shall be big enough. Laughter and ap
plause. Here some boys began to i'm
itate the growing of a cock, when Mr..
Beecher said, am not quite prepared for
that, for did not know that it was so
near morning.-Great laughter.
Fellow citizens. before l give way 10
those whom your more desire to hear
your own towusmen and friends--let me
say one other thing, l do not say it be.
cause Of my profession, but because
think it. The facility of our intercourse
is not 10 be over-estimated, but we must
not under estimate the power Of our ma
ton. You may put cable in every
seaport, you may build your warehouses
where they stand five stories or fifteen,
and you may fill them with the costliest
merchandise; you may. increase your
science and skill 10 any extent, yet
you are not more powerful, for power is
not in the material texture, but power
remains in the man, in the individual, the
family, the village the State, and nation ;
these are Tue reservoirs Of power and
while we are enlarging the sphere OF
action let lis see that at home we spread
our common schools, multiply our news
papers, and make books more plenty than
the leaves, SO that each man will be an
actor, and when all men over the globe
are actors, when from the rising of the
sun to the going down Of the same, there
is no barrier to free intercourse of thought,
and there is also one current Of heart, love,
virtue, religion, then the earth will have
IL 4 Il foI .ts h.atorry