The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-04-25
without Newspapers.

From the Tribune
A printers strike lately reduced Richmond TO
that state of moral blessedness and social secu.
rity which Mr.. Henry A. Wise once compla-
Gently claimed for his own Congressional Dis
trict. For little while there were no newspapers
in Richmond; and strange TO say, the deficiency
does not seem TO have been rellshed, even by the
most low-spirited admirers of That bygone age
which both created and consoled Mr. Wise. In
the absence of definite information, rumor had
it all lie own wild way. Canards hews as thickly
as Homers flies around milkingpailj the rural
districts were ieyerish with talsehoods for which
nobody was responsible; the city swarmed with
peripatetic retailers of quite ideal intelligence
and he who could talk the loudest and the long
est and tell the toughest story, became the great
man of the groggery and the reyered prophet Of
the BARRIERS shop 'H.
To bewildered people, it was as if printing
had never been invented; and, whatever may
have heretofore been the sublime indifference OF
Richmond to the existence OF the nineteenth
century, It was not little embarrassed by this
sudden revival OF middle-age wants and monkish
expediente; and, when an adjustment OF their
difficulties enabled the newspapers once more to
appear, we may be sure that they brought
sense of relief and palpa6le promotion oil the
public serenity. And this little event reminds
us OF what would be the condition OF our own
beloved city and its eDvirons, If morning, and
noon, and evening publications should come to
sudden stand-stlll, and the clatter OF Mr.. Hoes
machines be no longer heard in Prtnting-House
Square. There are hypercrtical gentlemen who
not only fastidiOusly condemn the literary exc
cution OF newspapers (of the difficulties attending
which they know and can know nothing), but
who go further, and insinute solemn doubts
of their moral influence = who :. regard
them as at best a necessary evil; out
who, nevertheless take them, pay for
them and read them, who are unhappy with
them, but would be still more unhappy with
out them. 1t is only the man who pleases to
divest himself of all social relations and respon.
sibiltties who would wish to remain in igno-
rance of events A hermit living fifty miles
from respectable cook-shop, upon parched
peas and messes of herbs who never changes his
Shirt, and goes always bareooted, IS naturally
Indifferent to the fluctuations OF the cattle mar
ket cares nothing for the rise and fall of cotton,
and has spirit elevated tar above the vicis-
situdes of leather. Having satisfied himself that
his soul is TO be saved by frequent fagellations
and intrequent ablutions, he no more wants even
religious journal than he wants soap or a ine-
toothed comb, Convinced that the world IS
rushing to ultimate perdition his only care is
not to be swept along by the current, while
from his high and dry point Of adyan-
tage he looks into an unearthly future,
and torgets, so far as possible, that ne
has many millions OF fellow-creatures. We can.
not imagine Saint Simeon Stylites taking in the
Tribune or any other newspaper; but men who
differ from that worthy, who do not live by
themselves upon the tops OF pillars, do not
shun the sight OF the human face aud the
sound of the human voice, do not ignore com.
need a newspaper as much as they Iced a
towel or a tailor. There are some things which,
solitary and alone, we can do for ourselves; but
the majority OF human enterprises depend tor
their success upon an enlightened knowledge
OF what the world has done, or is doing, in the
same field and direction. This alone can pre-
vent constant mist lakes, the misdirectlon oil
energy, the repetition OF obsolete experiments,
most lamentable failures, or clumsy and round
about achievements. So, too, IL a man pleases to
accept relations to gov eminent, and TO put him
sell and his family and his property under its pro
lection. he is as directly interested in the omls
sions and commissions of that Government as IN
the outgoings and incomings OF his household
servants or of his iourneymen He should be
ashamed not to vote; but he should be still more
ashamed to vote ignorantly or blndly, or as the
mere tool OF a shaIper-eyed man than him
SELF Voting presupposes the makngup o.
ones mind; and that in turn presupposes &
basis of facts ior the decision This It is the
business of the newspaper TO furnish. But this
is not ii. Newspapers are naturally advocates
The statement and the defense OF opinion neces
sauly follow the widest possession OF facts, anC
the largest survey OF public affairs. In this re
spect newspapers should be the helpers bu
never the masters OF their readers, tae vehicles
of suggestive discussion, the WinnoWeri
OF truth from falsehood, the vehenlen
antagonists of error, the earnest defender
OF the right THIS is what they are, if no
in practice, most certainly in theory; an(
il is Just in proportion as they are true TO TIM
high standard that they are useful or otherwise
But they have no protection against the lnfiu
ences of passion, of prejudice, or OF venality
AS they areE mechanically the masterpieces o
human ingenuity, so something of human in
trinity attaches to them in their best estate
and they must be accepted by the public, which
depends so much upon them, not as oracle
incapable of mistake, but as entitled to tina
credit which, by an average of sagacity and o
honest dealing with their readers, they ma,
have spent many years in earning. 1t is EN-
phatically its general character which give
the newspaper a public influence. 1t is tru
that either iron habit or some other advent
tious circumstance, men will long continue t
read newspaper for which they have no yer
lively respect; but they laugh ct it in thei
sleeves or in their speech, and risk neither thei
money nor their reputation for sagacity upo
its soundness.
Nobody can be better aware of the de6cieI
cies OF the daily papers than we are; but wi
our worst critics be pleased to imagine IN
country without newspapers at all ?--th
doubts, the nervous anXieties, the blind ignC
rance the thick-thronging blunders, the mlsal
pr tensions the purposeless activity, the ind
cislye inertia which would follow. The publ
journal is the public memory, the diary OF 81
ciety, everybody's ledger and cOmmonplaC
book and almenac; and without ii, until sui
stltute had been found everything would be
cross-purposes and confusion.
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Tennessee in Congress.