Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1864-01-21
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Eroll laa Oarohnlap
The mission Of the press Is g very noble one,
aid, in generals it has been nobly lulflod.
souns ils many services 10 mankind, ard
compare them with the services Of every other
existing institution, and It will be feund that
not ore Of them, not even he pulpit itself has
been more widely beneficial in its sclien and in
Gusnco.
First Of all, it has ever hesn the gatehful
gusrdian OF the liberties Of the people In the
| broad light OF knowledge which it diffuses
through the land, tyranny, which lcves the
darkness, esHuet sIiEt. HsHoa It is that oRs Of
ihe hrst steps Hhich despots lake, in their ssEide
towards power, is lis complete suppression, or
the-desiructioR OF It's tTegdom.
Il has also bson the TefogmeT Of inramersbls
abuses, and the suthor or suggsster of coust tless
improvements. Il has bullt railways, opensd
poIls and founded ehElitiss. By nasEns OF The
information which Il has diffussd among the
people, it has elevated their character, huaan-
izsd thsir bsntimenls and refined tier tastes
Sometimes fsmiliar.Hing ssisRse, soDssimss az
peanding ethics, now defending religion, and
new discussing p'h6es, or collecting news, it
has miBisteTea 10 every interest, and co-oaefa-
ted in every lofty aim Of = ekristiEniEsd sesisty
Ths history Of what the Confederate press has
achieved dREisg this var would AloHs al vol
ums. In ths beginning Of the contest It aroused
has furlhsred every pubic aud every private
plan for the benefit Of the army and the eoun-
Try. Without is assistance the former would
have been sHiy half fed and clothed, and the
latter left in GnQs. utter darkness As 70 Its own
fortunes and prospects.
Such is ths iasdiuiion which our paaic-
stricken and unwise legislslors would destroy,
for the sake OF tho few men Uho could bo wilh-
drawn from i for tho field.
There are forty.one daily nawspspsrs In the
Ccntsde-scy, and upon each q which an aver.
age Of fifteen men arc employed. OF these, not
less than tao hundred sse exempted on o.hsr
grounds than thsir capacity as editors or pria-
tors. Little more thsa four hun irsd arc Lett as
subjects Of c0nscnpti0n.
The presence of 50 smSil fOrce in the field
would not bs felt fer a moment It would
scarcely be sufficient 10 lurn tAe tide OF fostaus
in 3 sAirnish. On The other hand, lis absence
ircm the business in which il Is at present oc-
eupisd would be pubic misfoI tHBo and would
DO regretted from oHe end Of ths CoDiedegacy TO
the otheT. Every interest would suffer, aud to
q degree wbieb people who have never known
w6atit is 70 have ersry sysauo Of information
clescd upoa them cannot conceive.
Il may be sad, thai il Is nos the end of the
measure 30 abolish newspapers altogether. No,
tao joaTnals are TO b continued by detailed
seldIsrs, snbieet to tho viii Of the Government.
We nesd Bot inform our readers how this scheme
would completely deprive the press OF is inde-
pendenee. aud, consa quenily, Of is Eselalaess.
What editor, under ihs eIcunslsgees, would
dsre 10 peint ont single sbHss, o. question q
single act Of the Adminis.T .Tsti0n, And what
sort Of guardian Of The public liberty would be
be, whose uttefanee eould be sealed 1t . mo
meat BY the t0uehof bayonet.
We know hat L has hsen charged against
she press, thai IL has occasionally done harm to
the cause BY impIudens revelations. It is our
conviction, however, thas the press, on the
Whole, has bsen remarkably pradeni during
this VAR sd, certainly, Whatever ebjselioBsAie