Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1864-03-11
LHNkENSALE,s ADDRESS.

fore the Editorial Convention at Dos Moincs
by L. d. Ingersoll, Esq, (Linkensalc) on the
evening Of the 23d: ..
GENTLEMEN or tux Iowa PRrss 1T is but
simple justice to myself to state that did
not know until late last evening that was
to have the honor OF addressing you OH this
occasion. This must be my excuse for the
sins which you may charge against me,
| whether they shall be sins OF commission or
omission. You all know perfectly well that
he who is accustomed TO think with pen in
his hand is not ape to be full of resources
when thinking as they say in Parliament,
"on his legs" To the powers or the graces
Of oratory lay no claim whatever, and can.
not say, in fact, that hold IN tho highest
esteem the man who is always ready with a
speech. But if could be such an one foi
this evening ! should be duly grateful. Not
bang, | can only give you tin ideas which
have suggested themselves to my mind to.
lay ssi have hastily scrawlel them on this
foolscap, am which, by the way, is iegisla.
| tive stealing.
Permit me to say, FIRST OF all, that after a
considerable absence from the State, return
to Iowa with feelings like those Of youth
who, having long wandered from that dca,
spot, his hone, returns again to,he old hearth
slone--his heart beating with almost divine
| Joy as he takes Tho old familiar chair i'm the
old familiar room, looks upon the faces aud
hears the voices of those he knows esteem
him, and pray Gods blessing OF him ever.
more. | have found no country that like
to look upon as like TO look upon Iowa. no
people more intelligent thnn tho Iowans,
none so ingenious, 80 warm hearted, so un-
selfish. Not the stern warriors Of that grand
old people, the tramp of whose legions once
echoed round the world, were prouJer of be-
ing Roman citizvns, than | am proud Of lie.
ing citizen Of Iowa. In the high position
Of Ter representative men in the Nationsl
Congress, in the Immortal glory of her troops
in so many of the battles OF tho war how
raging, in the happiness and prosperity OF
her people, and more especially in the pros.
! perity Of her press, the dignity, the ability,
! the independence, and the honesty Of her
editors, | feel an interest no less warm than
when | was with you in the body, rs ever
am in the spirit though the former has gone
down TO the ilalcs of Washington City--tor
a season. And before | quit talking abou,
Iowa, let mo pay you, gentlemen, the com
pliment to which you are entitled. You are
airly entitled to the praise Of having as IN.
dependcnt,nble, icarl SIS and progressive jour.
nalism as can be claimed for the journalism
Of any other State. It you have no great
daliss like some in tho large cities OF the
country, il is on y because you hagc no large
cities, But the county papers " of our
State will lose nothing in comparison with
the country papers of nny State in the I'm
ion. keokuk, in comparison with plenty o!
cities, is but a country town, but it supports
two daily newspapers which give their read
crs the cream, at any rate, of all the news Il.
stirring in this and other countries II Bur
lington does not now have two dailcs, i,
certainly has one of which we all feel proud.
Clark Durham, of the Hnvh. Ep, cxcrts to
day an influence no less potential thaA tina,
OF the most eminent statesman 0! Iowa. -
WI hen he took that paper, about ten years
ago, less or more, it was sadly run down st
thr heel. By close attention to his business
by the exercise OF wise economy, by his
entcrplsing spirit by his independent course
he hns built up paper which makes and
nnmakes many man, which does more for
Iowa than any member Of Congress, no mat
ter how talented or how laborous, can hope
to do. | would rather, this night, be IN
Clark Dunham's boots, even though bad q
great hole III ono of my lungs, had my heud
stuck on my body awry, and was dressed IN
the sscdy style OF Wilkins Micawbcr before
something hnd turned up, than to he in the
boots OF p!enty Of gentlemcn better known,
perhaps, but who shall be nalueless. Then
| there is
" That excellent d,arnar,
! The Muscptine journal"
VI which should like to speak at large, but
have not time. Suffice it now that il -four
ishcs like green bay tree, and has Wash.
lngton correspondent whom my wife holds
IN the highest esteem, At Davenport we
have again two Dallies, as We do also ut Du
bnque. 1T Des Moincs, The same, for one 81
which confess to nm admiration and down.
! right affection, whoic souled, constant and
ever increasing, With the exception OF my
only brother who fell at Iuka, never loved
II man more than | love Frank Palmer; and,
without any exception. never knew man
so spicy as Theophilus Dobbs, Jr., whom,
for short, we sometimes call Dixon In roll
| licking humor, in wit, in satire, in the para
graphing fsculty, (and which is great fac
ulty,) in appreciation Of sound potatoes and
good eggs, lac is first and the rest nowhere.
| bow in respectful Difference to his powers,
and call them genius. And " the Slope" also
paper is well ''got mp" and prosperous, that
tho hairy nation is not unciyilized, as used
to be charged. So we have eleven daily
journals in the State printed in the English
language. think they have an arg 'egatc
daily circulation Of about twenty five liious
and. or the country papers" cannot
speak in detail, because i, would consume too
much time. regret it the more, because |
feel Tor them more regard. and take greater
interest in their welfare, than Seems to be tho
case generally with the public men of the
State, whether in or out of the Legislature
Country papers arc the true iniices of a
conntry's civilization, intelligence, prosperity.
They are indispensable aaxiliaries IN the set.
tlenient and improvement Of our county,
good paper in county town will do it
more good, probably, than a Touring g.mill,
and is far better for almost any community
than five story distillery- especially If the
five story distlle,y be permitted to perform
its functions without revenue TO the State.
Sometimes, when | have been scduced into
attending fashionable parties, (and especially
was thiaIhe case in the olden time long ago,
before my rising generation came into the
world } | have become satated with the show
with the rustling Of satin, the glitter Of
jewelry, the paraphanalin OF fashion; the
brilliant nothings Of dcgart ladies who dis.
coursed c!oquen,ly upon !ongft lows Pata.
sonian Lyrics or may be, "Iennyson's he.
roc poem on the Fejee I.lanaers;' the ad
niraLle stealings Of kid sloycd, witty gentle.
men who may have Informed me, miserable
sinner and country editor, Of the beauties Of
Edgar a. Poc's Rape Of the Lock-" or
ioung's Mdsummer. Nights Dream -
many such times, ! say, | have stolen away
from the hustle and fashion, aud enjoyed Il
quiet hour in corner with the plain, unBrc
tending, but scrsible girl loved best. WHO
is there who has not done SO. Who Is there
whose ,remory does not 81 back many n
| time and oft to those happy hours, laden with
| all the sweets Of social converse, the thoughts