The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-01-04


HM The exercises ooAalAencel with .qu 'ckstep,
performed by shToelers band follow u by symphony
Introd actory remarks were then made by w. X Nc
Lean, esq showing the present fOurahing position Of
the So ~ely seyrnty-nine members have been adj
Inted during the past year. and the finances are IN
prosperous condition. quAltete, Print, Comrades,
Print was then sung BY quartette club after which
Hon Horatio King Fiz Assistant Postmaster General,
delivered the folloSing
II e look 10 the history OF the newspaper press OF
this country shall he surprised TO behold With ~hAi
ratd strides IL has advanced not only ~ regards me
eianioal Improvement and execution, bat IA me m
creased number OF publications aud the almost snper-
huraan power OF its ali pervading Influence
The frst pauer publislled ia North America Was the
B,on Newsletter established in 1904, and the second
was established in that city in 1870 shout which time
paper was also started in Philadelphia and there were
four others ia other parts of the American colonies
When the revolution began in l775 there were only
four papers published the city OF Boston and the whole
number ia the United States but thirty i've Wit,
seven ia Mas4e nsetts each in New Hampshire and
Georgia two each ia Rhode Island. Maryland. Virginia,
and NORTH Carolina three in south Carolina four each
In Connecticut and New York, and nine in Pennsyl-
yania
In 1910 the whole number in the United States
$50 in 1875 it s52 in ls4o it had increased 10
I,6Sl and u 1850 to 2,526
The aggregate number of copies circulated in 1850
A26 a09 975 The whole issue Tor year. estimated
the basis ordinary country NouiG
surface OF hundred square miles, or constitute
belt vi thirty feet wide around the earth and weigh
~ TO- 600 600 pounds These facts gather mainly from
The census statistics OF 1850. What the increase has
been since 1850 have means Of determining but
the whole number Of newspapers and periodicals in the
United States al this time is probably little, any less
than four Thousand.
In Europe and other parts Of the world the number ia
proportion to population, Is much less than IN the
United States it, indeed ia all the world beside there
are as many ia the United States alone although ia
England and Germany ia the business OF book making
they doubtless in advance of us
The oldest regular newspaper in England Is said to
have been established ia 1867 and the oldest ia France
in IG32 The oldest Of the Dutch journals completed
in 1856 its two hundredth anniversary, on which occa-
the publisher issued to his subscribers copies OF the
first number it appeared the 9th January, 1856
1t contained two small folio pages OF news, and declared
its purpose be supply the public with digest OF
important conveyed to the publisher either
by private by special communications. The first
Russian newspaper published in 1908 1t is affirmed
that Peter the Great not only took part personally in its
editorial composition but in correcting proofs as appears
from sheets still in existence in which marks and al
ferations la his own hand There is said to be two
complete copies Of the first years edition in the Imperial
Library Of ST Petersbnrgh
II we 20 back to the year 1850 when the art of print
ipg appears first to have become generally known
shall find it applied only 10 the making Of books
and when DR. Faust the partner OF Gutenberg, pre-
scented himself ia Paris and offered the Bible in print,
the monks accused him Of dealing with the devil be-
iieyng him incapable Of producing such number of
copies resembling each other they did, in all respects,
without the aid Of His Satanic Majesty They were,
moreover veed to that they were to lose their prot
able occupation scibes in the manufacture OF books
and they doubt hoped, by thus operating on the sn-
pesstti0n of the people whether honestly or not thai
they would be able to put stop the ncaou business
Of their competitors What, may we'll ask, would be
the astonishnen Of these old oges, could they come
hack here this day and witness of Hoe presses
ahrowng off from eight To twelve thousand printed sheets
hour and that too, apparently almost without hn-
ux.Ittx n 1..aA f,f hfpE HAY
still entertain such an exalted opinion Of the power OF
that much abused old scamp yulgaIly called the devil
they would to the conclusion enough that he
foreman nd leading spirit in works so surprisingly
wonderful and strange But, If possesscd Of inquiring
minds us should think they onght TO he by this time,
they would speedily ascertain that he entitled to no such
honor albeit would be the last not to stand ready at all
times s.to give the devil his due.
But the greatest progress in the printing art has been
made within the present century And what LET in
auire would the world do without il Astonishing
has been the development of the mind of man exhb
tied in the and sciences generally the art of printing
has not fallen step behind for not content even with
steam propeng power the lghtnings from heaven
have been made subseryient to its WILL and through
its iustrumenality thought given form and flashed IN
Letters of light from extreme Of the land to the
other indeed, may say from one continent to an
other
Ia the Language Of the greatest living orator set
thank God that live in the nineteenth century.
There are occasions in life in which great mind lives
years Of rapt enjoyment 10 a moment can fancy the
ssnotlops Of Galeo' he continues, when first raising
the newly constructed telescope to the heavens he
fulfilled the grand prophecy Of Coperncus and besed
the planet Venus crescent like the moon IL such
another moment that 9,en the immortal printers
Menz and Strssburg received ta first copy OF the Bible
into their hands, the work Of their divine art like that
when Franklin by the atsened bres Of the hempen
cord Of his kite that he held the lightning in bis grasp
Yes my friends and of tho nineteenth century
ENJOYING tho benefits and pleasures Of these and all kin
drsd discoveries and inventions Franklin, the poor
printer boy and Franklin, the philosopher is prominent
in this grand picture Of the progress Oh the human mind
What appropriate than that the lightning which be
conquered should become the medium through which the
art be 80 much loved aud bonored is brought to peec
fiou nearly approxatng the infinite in lis msas of
Initiating time and space for the instant conjunction of
minds far apart with the apdity, il were, Of disem
bodied spirits
But in respact the effect OF bringing the electric
current thus into the service the press not altogether
so pleasant We take up daily paper aud, tuning
to the telegraphic column, shocked with aaun OF
during the last -four hours throughout the length
we are constrained sometimes to exclam
.My ears are chopped cannot seas good news,
So much VI bad already hath possessed than'
Gifted the night
Black, fearful, comiorfiess, and horriblc.p
But ii may be truly said however that this Is not
necessary consequence employing the ghtnngs in the
transmission OF news-a morbid the part alas
of too many seems demand it In this particular we
are bound acknowledge that the public taste of late
wears has taken an inclination In the wrong direction.
There is altogether too strong disposition toward
citementtbe pulse bSts too rapidly for sound health
and one would rejoice to witness return to state