The Nevada Democrat., 1859-08-03
An1nnIcAN JOURNALISM.


It is said of real Johnny Bull that he stands
so upon ceremony as to prevent bis lending
bandv TO drowning man, except he has first
been introduced to the person. e7i
This cannot be said Of an American editor.
Pickup almost any paper--from the Herald and
| Tribune down to the Alligator aud sunday
.'Smashersn-and the tone of personality which
runs through it cannot fail to impress the read
er with one of two opinions-6rst, that this
country is made up of impostors and rascals,
whom the papers watch and expose or, sec
ondly, that the papers are conducted upon very
gross principles. .tll1,l1s,-g
vince the candid observer that the first cannot
be true. Let him meet with the persons SO bit
terly characterized-wi Mr.. Everett, Mr.
Choate. Henry Ward Beecher, Theodore Parker
with all the long category of politicians and
civilians, from Mr.. Douglas to the Rev. Mr..
Kalloch-and he will find that, almost without
exception, they are true gentlemen, possessed
of high sense of honor, of devotion to prlncl-
ple. and honest desire to benefit their kind. de
will see in his minds eye, chasm OF calamny
bridged over by "the press" for its own exclu-
siye use, to assail where policy requires il. to
slaughter those who presume to shield them
selves behind their own virtues. or good WORKS,
when pruriant public taste will be much graf
iied by it.
That a base principle of action is the gov
erning power of our leading papers, there can
now be no doubt. Thomas Jefferson wrote
1T is melancholy truth, that suppression
of the Press could not more completely deprive
the nation OF its benefits, than is done by its
abandoned prostitution to falsehood. Nothing
can now be believed which is seen In newspa-
per. Truth itself becomes suspicious by Its be-
| ing put into that polluted vehicle" QE.-.T
If Jefferson were alive to-day, what would be
his expression? No home or circle so private
that its sanctity is not invaded by the press
no character toe pure or too influential to es-
cape the misrepresentation of the press no
cause is teo sacred to be spared the ordeal OF
editorial ignorance and malice. IfWashlngton
we're alive, he would have more than one
'.scoundrel Ereneau' to silence-he would lind
calumniators wherever partizan policy demand
ed the calumny in order to accomplish some
party end.
Does any one doubt this? Look back at the
history of Jefferson, Hamilton, Adams, Jackson,
Clay, Calhoun, Scott Harrison, Webster
names now surrounded by halo of glory which
comes from true greatness-how they were ma
ligned, libelled, misjudged, assailed, held up to
scorn aud ridicule by "the press" !" Look into
the papers of to-day, religious C) and otherwise
| and what chapter stares us in the face Eve
ry page, almost, reeks with personalities; Ii
bells are as countless as the very types charges
too gross for possibility meet US in the brief
paragraph and ia the more sententious "lead-
er - columns are devoted to reports OF cases
which common self-respect would declare to be
private matters motives are SO miscenstrued
as to make crime where really virtue exists
| suspicion, asperson, hate revenge, seem 10 be
the animus of the editorial pen -....H
| A free press, rightly administered, is bless
ing wrongfully administered, it is q fearful
| instrument of decentralization. Ii our moral
status as people has deteriorated the press is
greatly, chiefly to blame for it can inculcate
virtue, peace. love for justice, love for home,
for our country, for true moral excellence; 1t
can sustain the Sabbath, the purity of ballot
box, the righteous administration of the laws
does it do this? Alas, no
Is there no remedy for this state of things
There certainly is a plain, practicable, radical
cure, which the people themselves can cure if
they will Money is the breath, spirit, lungs,
of every Hoe Press in the land-t is the hand
of every haud-press. Let every citizen, who
would preserve his honor and self-respect, firm
ly and solemny refuse to pay one dollar to the
support of any paper which does not reach to
the prescribed standard of honesty, intelligence,
disinterestedness, devotion to truth. Let eve
paper that does attain to this standard have a
hearty support. There will be change-a
revolution as radical as that which our fathers
effected-good and useful papers would soon
usurp the place of what is now so generally
bad and demoralizing. Let no claim OF party
papers, State organs, country press. as such.
have your neutrality-suspicious. them only
for their honesty and general excellence
where these are wanting, burn off your right
hand before it shall give money into their cof-
fers.-U S. Journal.