Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1859-08-11
Written for The Belmont Chronicle.l
THE DIGNITY OF THE PRESS.

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In this free and Christian country scarce
ly any instrumentaiity exefis so powerful
an influence Upon the welfare of the COM
munity ard the purity and stability Of liz
institutions as the press.
1.-THE press becomes corrupt and iIcen-
ticus, il will spread its corrnping influence
and mould society accord ngly. If it be
healthy in i,s morals and in its literary
lisste, The community Will feel its powe,
around as bulxsrk sustaining vigorous
and healthy morally and literature. II IL
become low, vulgar and dead to sense of
se.i.respect-if it descend to the common
place slang of the ili,erate, the incorporate,
/ the rude and illbred rabbe. from whose
turbid sewers our prisons are supplied, what
influence can it have for goodl
If the press be digniied, manly, moral,
literary in its character and issues, it will
elevate and improve society and become an
auxiliary to the other mighty influences
that are inducing the upward and progress
i've march of the spirit of the age, the spirit
of reform, reform in science, arts, letters,
morality poitics-reform destined to sweep
awav from the earth human degradation,
ignorance, crime. tyranny, human slavery.
and all kindred evils under which our werld
now grcans.
To the enlightened patriot j, is humilia-
ting to read the low, vulgar, party appeals
of party political newspapers, appealing to
the ignorance and the base passions of the
very lowest classes; the very rabble hang
ing upon the outposts of an enlightened
| CNisiisnitp, civilization and rehnement;-
/ ndSaIf n4z46r the purpose Of making
little capft6fin aid of some sickly, dying or
de(ulct political organization; all TO secure
votes from the ignorant and unprincipled,
/ rather than maintain the principles of virtue.
morality, religion, and sound policy. Nor
is character safe: the most unblemished
moral character safe from the significant
party inuenGoes potent with the lowest
classes, the very dr'gs Of society. that can
see more argument in the swashy ePitheis,
"Black Republican n'-nigger-'Secee { e r
Abolitionis,''- Locofoco Aholitionist, -
than in sober deductions from the plainest
axiomatic truths, religious, moral, or politi-
cal.
An example may be had in almost any
issue Of certain dwarf, party campaign
! journals, whose conductors force upon them
character and grade among those fungi
or cryp,ogamian species. which disappear
before thu light end heat of genial sun,
more enal to healthier growths.
In the issue of The Independent Republican
Of S.. Clairsville, of the 4th inst. the editor
has favored his healthy doubtless, religious
", morally. and politically healiby) readers
with hea lthy article, beginning with the
'.S,esly looking Republican, organ of this
vicinily-then the "Seceaer Abolitionist,
Nc Call" and closing with the "Locofoco
abolitionist, Chase
Now, We presume this is indeed a trea,
to all the drunken loafers--"nigger haters"
religion despisers-ignorani nj rabble in the
ranks of the Know Nothings, if there be
anv such among those wise and healthy
ones. And we know there are good and
noble men among the Americans, men who
don't feed upon such articles. men who re
gret to see such TRADE, even in small
affair like Captain Charlesworth's organ.
But, fsr 1he sake of Americans, we will
no: take this organ for the exponant of the
party. Because, in violation CT the 9th
article of the creed of the party, it makes
mans religion bar to civil cttice, the
Constitution, even to the contrary notwith-
standing. Because it descends to the low,
yulpar vocabulary of the ignorant, unprin-
cipled, vicious rabble. Because il descends
to the meanest form of slander, to the mur-
ierous inuendo, TO the cant double meaning
1 phrase, false and slanderous when under
stood and applied as designed.
We ask our friend of The Independent
Pepubiican to define "Secedcr Abolition
list, including more than simple Christian
religion" and then show the readers of The
Republican that all this is true Of Mr.. Nc.
Call. This will not likely be attempted =
Even the attempt, dear Captain, would go
far to incline Us to believe in your candor,
moral worth, literary taste and sincerity
No, YOU will not make the attempt, because,
First, Mr.. Mccall is not Seceder, which
is a small matter; Second, He is not the
kind of "Abolitionist' The Republican
means his elastic readers should figure in
their imaginstions on reading the healthy
article before US; Third, Mr. Chase is neither
the "locofoco'' nor the "abolitionist" he
would have his readers believe; Fourth, and
mainly. Mr.. Charlesworlh hnoDs that pro-
scripton on accoun: of any particular relig-
ious belief, especially Protestant, is con-
temptibly odious to the enlightened Ameri-
can people. Our friends ar,icle--not his
theory, for he knows be,ter--suits better
the region o. Austria or Rome, and the dark
ares, than the genius of the American gov.
ernment. the American character. and the
enlightened spirit of the age.
What! ANY gentleman disqualified to rep
resent bis Senatorial district. merely be-
cause he is \ member of some Protestant
Christian Church! People Of this district
are we to have erected among US the in
quisi,orial religious test Of the despotisms
of the Old Word! AMI that. too, by de-
funct party that don't hope to carry even
one Electoral district!
| Such issues as we have before us should
either bring every good man cut OF the
party, or suggest to the Americans TO read
out of the party all little, vulgar organs
that minister to morbid tastes and ignorant
preiudices of the unprincipled rsbble.
A TRUE AMERICAN.
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