The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-03-02

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The New York merchants who recently Wis
tied Washington to psrsuade Congress 70 make
some sort Of compromise IN order 70 cave ~
Union, have made report Of their mission
| They say that Senator Seward talked hopefully
senator King was courteous, but firmly adhered
to his wall known opinions, and on the whole the
comn,istee came TO the concluaion that there Il
nothing gained BY appealing to Congress, but the
real work to be done 10 among the people of the
free states The representatives in Congress
they say, look 70 the newspapers published in the
North for guidance aad direction Hence, sil
immediate and good results are 70 be obtained,
your COMMITTEES would recommend that 1t be ex.
peterborough thesa organs wherever established.
| This 10 penetrating - Tho sources Of power,
| indeed, but the committee do not seem to have
any idea how the thing 10 70 BE- done after all.--
II they should buy up the Independent press Of
New York, aud make them talk compromise and
advocate the Crittsnden or any other plan daily,
the only result would BE- the disgnst OF the pso-
| pie and the death of the newspapers There are
In fact more papers Of the compromise sort in
New York and in tho North already than can
live BY popular patronage. Is 10 true that the
newspapers create public opinion, bat It 10 equal
~ true that they represent il, and the action and
| reaction are equal The committee Of merchants
must therefore 70 deeper and labor at the hrst
beginning Of opinion, and they must have great
patience and persistence, for the ideas which now
pervade and control the northern mind ere not
sudden and superficial, but the slow growth Of
centuries, aud deeply in.rosshs with all our hab.
its of life aud modes of thought. The conscience
of the North has been educated to . position
which forbids CO operation, or even sSauiescence,
| in the extension OF human slavery. II 10 posi-
BILE all this may be changed by the influence of
| the press, but can the COMMITTEES OF New York
merchants reasonably anticipate the completion
of 90 radical work in time to save the Union
upon their plan! This is the practical question
for them to consider, and if they are compelled
to answer in the negative, is it worth while to
undertake the work at oil
But the report of the New York merchants il
satisfactory as tribute to the power Of the news.
paper. There is no doubt that at this day the
newspaper 10 one Of the greatest of social and
political powers. 1t reaches all classes Of citi-
Gems and gives direction TO the daily thought of
the whole people. 1t 10 the sole instructor of
nearly half our people in politics, religion, and
the habits of social life. Aud its power lies not
SO much in the direct incubation of opinions a.
in its faithful representation of current history,
its honest record of the words and deeds Of liv-
ing men and the operations Of existing institu-
tons. The American people have been edu-
Gated up to q point, and in great measure by
the agency of the press itself, where they Ion.
ger require to be supplied with opinions ready
made. They want the facts, and are able to form
their own opinions from the facts, and he is the
successful editor who can see through the sur
face and show Of things and interpret fscts a.
they are in their Utmost substance and verify
The newspaper is more or less colored by the
prejudices and passions of it's conductors. But
the proper position of the press, at which every
intelligent editor aims, is to look at ideas and
events from an elevation entirely above persons
and parties, and 20 to make the newspaper . cor
rect "map of busy life-its fluctuations and its
vast concerns"-and so far - it il this, and rep
resents faithfully and impartially the faults and
errors of men aud parties, as well as their excel
lences, 90 far it becomes the safe 'guide, philos
opher and friend" of the people. The mere par
tizan press can have little power with the intell
gent portion of the people, because they under
stand its bias and make allowance for the color
ing its partizanship gives to everything it touch
es. Indeed it is less trusted by men of its own
party than the independent press, which aims to
describe men and events as they are, and thus
its featy to party contributes to make it power
less. just in proportion to the g, owth Of pop
ular intelligence will the mere partzan press sub.
side and become of small account, while the in
dependent newspaper will take higher rank and
obtain wider infuence.-(S Springfield Repub-
lican. tsE ards 10Y e.lts ~