Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1864-02-26
- pAILV 80.
an HLCsTRATI0E


We End, in the Selma RspOTttr, the following
pertinent remarks on ths recent effort in Con
gress TO pass stringent measures in regard 10
the daily press:
Some Of the letteT writers ray that ths present
Congress aye opposed to the newspaper pTess,
and You'd be glad to see i struck Gus of exist
enes. We do net believe II, and yet We must
ray thst, il our poor, judgment, g legislative
body which could pass tie currency and tax
bills ought to be hsld excused for any opinion
they may entertain. But let rs take these same
bills 10 illustrate the 1GlRe Of the Confederate
dsily press. There is a law to fund the treasury
notes in forty days, which the dsily press puts
in every mans hand tweuiy-fouT h5ufs after it
had passed. Bat for the daily press, we ven
tuTe to say, it would not be published in Rich
mond short Of forty days, and would no. get to
the knowledge Of the people Of the Confedersey
in general within thirty days after the funding
dag Lad passed. Il IS tue, The G 3vernmsHt
wonld havo saved by the operation, but, per-
hsps, il is equally true that even Congress
would have hardly been prepared to psss such
law II il did BeL know thstthe heei messengers
Of the daily press would disseminate it among
the people in the spacs Of tWenty-four hours.
Tie truth il, the newspaper press is the only
organ Of Communication batEeen the Govern
ment and people. We have never yet setn but
one copy OF the scis Of Congress in pamphlet
form, znd that was in The hands Of g lawyer
The case so sptly pat by cur eotsmporsry is
q convincing illustration Of the ruth of the az
gumsnt elaborated by Dr. GIBBEs, president Of
the Press Association, in bis official memorial to
Congress against the extension Of the conscrip-
sion act to the members Of the press. We re-
Gently published this memoTisl in our columns,
and have reason to believe that its cogont aTgu-
menis had Euoh to 90 with the wise reform in
the clauses Of the military bill, that were made
in tho conference committee of both hOases
that finally settled the terms of the lsw.
Oar coismpoYaTy cmits one and we think the
chief point, IN his illustration of the value Of
the daily press to the GeYeInment and the coUn-
try. It is not, strictly speaking, the daily press
which hss "pus the law in every msn's hand N
twenty four hours after it had passed" T0is
important seTvice was performed through tie
excellent system Of tclagTaphie reroEis which
the Press Association hss established, without
which The Communication Of the law to the pub
lie would have been much more slow. By this
system tho import Of the law was plscsd in the
hEnds Of every editor CTS daily Journal in tho
Confodarasy, within ten hours after the iDjunc-
ton Of sec-esy was removed by Congress-, and
made public everywhere the next morning.
Moro than this, We know ihA. whom tho supsrin-
tendent Of the Press Association found the i'm.
port Gf The questions still IN doubt smoDg tie
people as 70 the bearing Of certain parts Of the
currency law, he directed the agent IL Richmond
for tho Press Association to call upon tho set7c-
tsry Of the Treasury and make tbe proper in
quiries, and then communicate the tenor of tie
secretary replies to the public through The telc-
graphic press reports.
These few operations of The Pfess Association
sysism have saved 10 the government and The
people millions Of dollars, and given unAnin-
ity and sn impulse to their operations, which,
Of themselves would more than repay all the
expenditures Of The Association for the present
generation, and prove ineontestably It's import
auee to she public. The lsbors Of the Assoela,
ten during the past year, tho frss of its exist
enee, have demonstrated it5 great importance in
everything that effects the public and the .pri-
vale good, and commend the institution to the
assiduous care Of its members, the daily jour-
mails.