Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1863-07-02
Tho Liberty of tho Pross.
VICTOR nUdo's ESTIMATE OF IT.

v NlCIOn l1COO ESIIMAIE OE' IL. 4
Victor Hugo, alta complimentary din
ncr given to him in Brussels on the 22d
Of September last, made thrilling
speech, of which the following is an OK
tract
= * IS "What do you all-w writer's,
journalists, printers, publicists, thinkers
represent? All the energy of intel
ligcncc, all the forms of publicity, you
arc mind-Lcgion- youarc thenew organ
of new aocicty-you arc TIE PRESS.
propose toast to the presto the
press Of all nations-to free presto
d press powerful, glorious, and fertile.
Gentlemen, the press is the light Of the
social world, and wherever there is light
there is something of Providence
Thought is something more than right
it is very breath of man. lie who
fcttcrs thought strikes at man himself.
TO speak, to write, to print, to publish,
arc in point Of right identical things.
They arc circles constantly enlarging
themselves from intelligence in action.
They are the sounding waves Of thought.
OF all these circlcs-of all these rays of
the human mind the widest is the
press. The diameter Of the press is the
diameter Of civilization itself With
every diminution Of the liberty Of the
press there is a corresponding diminu-
fion of civilization. when the free
press is checked, we may say that the
nutrition of the human family is with
held. Gentlemen, the mission Of our
time is to change the old basis of socl-
ETY., to create new order, and to substl-
tuto everywhere realities for fictions.
During the transition Of social bases,
which is the colossal work of our time,
nothing can resist the press, applying
it's power of traction to catholicism, to
militaryism, to absolutism, to the dense
blocks Of facts and IDEAS. The press IS
force. Why? Because it is intoIll-
genco. It's the living clarion it sounds
the rcvcille Of nations +; it loudly announ-
ces the advent Of justice; it holds no ac-
count of night, excoptto salute the dawn;
it becomes day, and warns the world.
Sometimes, howeyer-stranGe occTrencc
1t Is It that gets the earnings, This Is
like the owl rcprimanding the crow o.
the cock. Yes, in certain countries the
press is oppressed. Is it a slave? No;
an cnslavcd press is an impossible juno
ton of words. Besides, there are two
modes of being enslavod-that OF Spar
tacus and that of Epictotus. The one
breaks his chains; the other shows MS
soul. When the fettered writer cannot
have recourse to the first method, tue
second remains to him. No; let des-
pots do what they will, | call all those
freemcn to bear me to witness--anu you
nj. PelIetan, have recently said so IN ad-
mirablc language, and, moreover, you
and many others have proved 1t by gen
erous example there is no slavery loi
the mind. Gentlemen, in the age IN
which we live there is no salvation WIN
out liberty of the press; but on the
contrary, misdirection, shipwrock, disas-
ter everywhere. Gentlemen, who are the
auxiliaries Of the patriot? The press:
| know it, the press is hated, anu rar,' 'naS
is a great reason for loving It. hfoly
indignity, every prosecution, every la1-
aticism, donouncos, insults, and Wougts ',',Et
itas far as they can. Courage to tnpasne nous,
courage to science courage to pnlaost -
ply. Courage to the press coufaso -
all of you writer's The hour Is uiam ,st
ing nigh when men, delivered ed a1 las ms'
from this dismal tunnel Of 6'0Vo yeLis' I
will suddenly burst forth in all is t,sla daa,
wears ono, Won, saw almost a young
man depart . yon now find an old man
The hair is changed but not tue il0-r no :,
| thank you for having remomDeseu a,ne n
absent | thank you for having @ oOnao
here. Accept and you, also you"6'