Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1864-03-31
MisttIIanp.
LINKENSALE'S ADDRESS,


( (Linkcnsale) on the evening of the
23d of February
GENTLEMEN OF THE Iowa Press 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 on this occasion.
lh's must be my excuse for the sins
which you may charge against nc.
whether they shall be sins of commits
sion or omission. You all know per-
fectly well that he who is accustomed
to think with pen in bis hand is not
apt to be full of resources when think
ing, as they say in Parliament, on
his legs To the powers or the gra-
ces of oratory l lay no claim whatev-
er, and cannot say, in fact, that hold
i'll The highest esteem the man who is
always ready with speech. But if l
could be such an one for this evening
| should be duly grateful Not being,
| can only give you the ideas which
have suggested themselves to my mind
to-day as | have hastily scrawled
them on this foolscap, and which by
the way, is legislative stealing.
Permit me to say, first of all, that
after considerable absence from the
State, return to Iowa with feelings
like those of youth who, having long
wandered from that dear spot, his
home, returns again to the old hearth
stone-his heart beating with almost
divine JOY as he takes the old familiar
chair in the old familiar room, looks
upon the faces and hears the voices Of
those he knows esteem him, and pray
Gods blessings on him evermore. l
have found no country that liked to
look upon as | like to look upon Iowa,
no people more intelligent than the
lowans, none so ingenious, SO warm
hearted, so unselfish. Not the stern
warriors of the grand old people. the
tramp of whose legions once echoed
round the world, were prouder of be-
ing Roman citizens than | am proud
of being a citizen of Iowa. In the
high position of her representative
men in the National Congress, in the
immortal glory Of her troops in so ma
ny Of the battles of the war now rag.
ing, in the happiness and prosperity
of her people. and more especially in
the prosperity of her press, the digni-
ty, the ability. the independence. and
the honesty Of her editors, ! feel an i'll
terest no less warm than when was
with you in the body, as | ever am in
the spirit, though the former has gone
down to the Hades Of Washington
City-for season. And before |
quit talking abont Iowa, let me pay
you, gentlemen, the compliment to
which you are entitled. You are fair
ly entitled to the praise Of having as
independent, able, fearless and pro-
gressive journalism as can be claimed
for the Journalism of any other State.
If you have no great dailies like some
in the large cities of the country, it is
only because you have no large cities.
But the " country papers" OF our State
will lose nothing IN comparison with
the country papers of any State in
the Union. keokuk, in comparison
with plenty of cities. is but country
town. But it supports two daily
newspapers which give their readers
the cream, at any rate, of all the news
a-stirring in this and other countries.
If Burlington does not have two dali
lies, it certainly has one of which we
all feel proud. Clark Dunham, of the
Hack Eye, exerts an influence no less
potential than that Of the most emi.
nent Statesmen of Iowa. When he
took that paper. about ten years ago,
less or more, it was sadly run down
at the heel. By close attention to his
business, by the exercise of wise
economy, by his enterprising spirit,
by his Independent course, be has
built up paper which makes and un.
makes many man, which does more
for Iowa than any member Of Congress,
no matter how talented or how labori-
Gus, can hope to do. | would rather,
this night, be in Clark Dunham's boots,
even though | had great hole in one
Of my lungs, had my head stuck on
my body awry, and was dressed in
the seedy style of Wilkens Micawber
before something had turned up, than
to be in the boots Of plenty Of gentle
men better known, perhaps, but who
shall he nameless. Then there is
"That excellent diuraal,
The Muscatine Journal
OF which l would like to speak at
large, but have not time. Suffice 1t
now that it fourishes like a green bay
trce, and has Washington correspon-
dent whom my wife holds in the high
est esteem. At Davenport We have
again two Dailies, as do also at Du-
buaue. At Des Moines, the same,
for one of which confess to an admira-
tion and downright affection, whole
souled, constant and ever increasing.
With the exception Of my only broth
er, who fell at luka. l never loved
man more than | love Frank Palmer |;
and, without any exception, never
knew man so spicy as Theophilus
Dobbs, Jr., whom. for short, we some
times call Dixon. In rollicking hu-
NOR, in wit, in satire, in the para
graphing faculty, (and which is q
great faculty,) in appreciation of
sound potatoes and good eggs, he is
first aud the rest nowhere. bow in
respectful Difference to his powers,
and call them genius. And 1.-The
Slope" also has Daily-evidcnce
conclusive, since the paper is well
got up" and prosperous, that the
"hairy nation is not uncivilized. as
used to be charged. So we have elev-
en- daily journals in the State, printed
in the English language. think
they have an aggregate daily circnla-
ton of about twenty-five thousand.
OF the country papers" | cannot
speak in detail, because it would con-
sumo too much time. l regret it the