Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1859-06-23

| gates were called Tor and the following gen
tlemen reported as present:
Marshall County.--D. & p. Mcdonald,
Marshall County Democrat; Mattingly d
Philips, Marshall County Republican.
| Allen County,. w. Dawson, Ft
Wayne Times; Sol. d. Bayless. Indiana
Free Mason; Peter p. Bailey, Ft. Wayne
Republican.
DeKalb County.1T. Y. Dickinson,
Waterloo Press as'
Elkhart County.-E. w. H. Ellis,
Goshen Times. 4
Huntington County.--A. @. Thomp-
son. Huntington Democrat.
Kosicusko County Williams d Car
penter, Northern Indianian.
Lagrange County.--C. d. Y. Alexan-
der, Lagrange Sentinel
Steuben County.-M. G. Muggs, Re-
publican.
Whitley County.-J. B. Mcdonald, Co
lumbia City News. m
Fulton County-Charles K. shryock,
Rochester Gazette.
Lake County,. I. Summers, Crown
Point Register.
Laporte County-B. B. Root, Daily
Union; John Millikan, Weekly Union;
Walker & Higgins, T.aporte Times; Chas.
G. Powell. Westville Herald.
Porter County L. Rock & S. r. Bry-
ant, Porter Democrat, Cameron & Thomp-
son. Valparaiso Republican.
st. Joseph County.--Schuyler Colfax,
St. Joseph Valley Register; Archibald Beal
Mishawaka Enterprise; w. H. Drapier.
South Bend Forum.
E1Editors IN attendance.a
Porter County,. +. McCarty.
Marshall County.-M. A. O. Packard
Richard Corbaley; VIM. j. Burns; l. B.
Halsey.
Laporte County.--Richard Holmes.
Total.-23 papers, % Representatives
6 ex-editors. ahh
DIR. ELLIS, being called for, came for.
ward and addressed the Convention from
the forum as follows:
GENTLEMEN OF THE PREss.-These words
of salutation are suggestive of a theme fol
our reflections on this interesting occasion
Coming together from every point of the
compass. it may be. every
shade of public sentiment, to some extent
in politics and morals in our respective 10
calities-the sentinels who stand upon the
watchtower ready to sound the alarm at tn,
approach of real or imaginary foes, it il
eminently proper that for brief season W,
should withdraw from the busy world, and
consider ourselves and our mission among
men.
"The proper study for mankind is Man,"
The Editorial Profession has become {
power in the world. OF recent origin, da
ting back buttwo or three centuries, it al
ready arrogates to itself the right to pass il
review the lofty and the lowly, the poten
tate and the peasant, the deeds Of warrior,
and statesmen, of the virtuous and the de
praved. None are too lofty to escape it:
scrutiny, none too humble to be passed un
noticed. What manner ofmen then ough
they to be to whom are entrusted these higl
prerogatives, and who hold at times the des
TIMES OF individuals, or governments, ant
dynasties in their hands? ~
L have assumed that they should be Gen
tlemen, and shall proceed to illustrate il
few words the idea, as applied to the
character of the profession, and to our in
tercourse with each other, and with tn,
world about us. If | were asked to defin,
the term, might, perhaps, search the vo
cabularies of our language without finding
the precise words to convey my impression
OF the character. In its broadest sense i
would combine every grace and every vir
tue attainable or conceivable, thus approach
ing, as near as humanity may, the sublime
conception of a perfect man. Is it asking
too much that this high standard shoulC
be attempted for the Model Editor?
What should be his characteristics?-
Most emphatically should he be an honest
man-honest-not alone in the sense O
rendering to every man his just pecuniary
dues, or in redeeming his obligations to hi,
friends. for do not men of other professions
and of no profession all these things? Bu
he should be honest in that higher and no
bier sense of never utteriDg a sentiment
(which does not emanate directly from hi.
heart, and never advocating cause which
his conscience cannotapprove. The temp
tations to vary from this line Of duty ar,
numerous, and beset him at every stage O
his progress. He is besought to herald
through his columns the merits of some
vilernostrum for the healing of all human
infrmities, or the exploits of some travel
ling mountebank, or the literary merits O.
some villainous book through whose sopo
rife pages he has never looked. II poll
tician he is expected to follow his file leade
wherever his party may direct its course
to keep pace with all its twistings and gy
rations--to accommodate his own princi
Piles to all the changes of the day, and of
ten times to noId up as worthy Of imitation
the character of some candidate for popu
lar favor, who better deserves the publ
execratioa. There is but one rule for al
tthese cases, and that is never to .swerv
from the strict line of honesty. Doing thi
may often cost the sacrifice of old and en-
dearing friendships--it may lay the axe a
the root of our prosperity--it may brin
upon our heads the maledictions ofthe par
, tizan-it may carry us outside our ancien
party affiliation, but still the maxim shoul
be "do right and leave tie consequences
: God!''
Sooner or later will come the homes