Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-10-22
Au Elo4usns a AppsaIfar tle Liberty Of 'Ias

E'UeGss
Victor Hugo, at a complimentary dinner
given to him at Brassels on the 22d, made q
speech, Of which the following is an extract;
"WEat do you slI--wIiteTs, Journal
lists, publishers printers, Pubicists, thinkeTs-
represent Al the energy OF intelligence, sl
the forms of publicly, you ere mind-iegion-
you are the organ OF new society-yOu arc the
press. propose toast to the presto tho
press of all usii0ns--to q free presto press
powerful, glorious sud fertile. Gentlemen, the
pses5 IS the light of the social world, and whsr-
ever there is light thare IS something OF PFovi-
dencs. Thought is something more than =
right-it is the very breath OF man. He who
ietters thought stukes at man hmaelt. 10
speak, to Wute, 10 pint, 10 publish, are p0ins
Of night identical things. They are circles con-
stsut.y eulaTging themselves from intelligence
iuto action. They are sounding waves Of
thought. OF ali these circleS-Of al these rays
OF the humsR miEd-tbe widest is the press-
Ehe dismeteT Of tho press IS the diamstsr of civil
izAsioh itself. Win every diminUtioa Of the
liberty Of the press there is corresponding
GimIuuti0n civilization.
Where the free press is checked, We may say
that the uutTiti0n Of The human family is with
held. Gentlemen, the mission Of our time is TO
change tbs old bases Of society, to create trus
order, ard to substitute everywhere, realities for
hctious. Daring this trsusiti0n Of social bases,
which IS the colossal work Of cur time, nothing
can resist the pTess, applying the power Of rrRe-
ton 70 catholicism, 60 IliisTylsm, 70 absalut-
ism, 20 The dense blocks Of facts aud ideas. Tee
press Is force. Why7 Because Is is insel.i-
gence Is is the living cl.rion it sounds the
rsyei!io OF nst.ons it loudly announces ths ID
vent of justice; ithold5 no account ofDight, eI
cept t. salute the dawn it becomes dsy, and
warns the world. Sometimes, however, strange
occurrence It is It that gets warnings. This IS
like the ORi repTimsndinz the crow of the cock.
Yes, IN certain c0uHITies the press is oppressed.
Is 1t a slave No; an enslEyed press Is an I'M
possible function Of words
Beside, that Of Spartacus and that Of Eplcte-
tus. The one bTssEs his chains, the other shows
his soul When the tettered writer ccnnOt hava
RECOURSE TO the ftst method, the second remains
ior hin. No. Let despots DO what they wiz 1
call al those free men who hear me to witness
and you, Mr.. Psllots1, have recently sad SO in
sdmHsble language aud, moreover, yeu sDd
many others, have proved it By generous exam
ple-lhere is no slsvery for the mind Gentle
men, IN the age in which We 1--we thers is 40 sal
Va ion without the liberty Of the press, but, on
the contrary, misdirection, shipwIeck, disaster
everywhere.
Gentlemen, who are tbe suziisIies of the
patriot The press. l know it, the pTess is
hated, and this ia great Tesson for loving 1t.
Every indignity, every persecution, every tsn&t-
icsrn, deuouncss, insults and Wounds it far as
they cen. Courage 70 thought; courage to sci
encsi courage to philosophy. Courage to the
press Courage 70 al of you writers The
hour IS drawing nigh when men, delivered at last
from this dismal tunnel Of six thousand yesrs,
viii suddenly burst forth ia ali its dazzling
brightness. Gentleman one word more; and
let me make If, with your kind indulgence,
personal one. To be in your midst is happl-
ness. 1 thank God yhO hGs given me in my
hard life this charming moment Tomorrow l
shall enter into tie shade, but have seen you,
have spoken to you, I have heard yen, have
shaken your bands-sll this I carry with me
into my solitude. Yoa, my friends Of France,
and you, my other friends, who are here, vii.
feel 1t quite natural that l should address my
Lass words to you
Eleven years ego you saw almost young
msu depart; you fod an cid maa. The hair is
changed, bat not the heart. / thank you for
having come here Acsapt-and you, also,
younger men, whose nsnes were dear to me at
a distance, and whom / now sea for the fist
ume-accePt nay deep feelings of emotion. 1t
seems as Though among you 1 breathe some
thing Of my native air; as though each II you
AL who are grouped around ms theTs shOne
something charming and soft ike ight which
resembles the smile of ones country. l drink
to the press to id power, 10 its glory, TO its EN-
cheney, to its liberty in Belgium, Ia Germany IN
Switzerland, IN IfalF5 in Spain, in England IA
America, snd to is emancipation elsewhere