The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-11-08
THE SUPREMACY OF THE PRESS.
From Wilkes S

from Wilkes Spirit OF the Times, Nov q
already than the Rome of the Caesars the Popes yes
only in Its infancy 1t is the empire OF the press The
world has seen many systems OF power-that OF tho
Freemasons who have secretly Influenced all Chrsten-
DOM society Of the Jesuits the priesthood both
Catholic and Protestant: the army the law but none
these e OF 'n o
the masses OF mankind the army Is At the best mere
brute force; the law is now nothing but an umpire IN
disputes; but tho newspaper is everything 1t takes
the place of the Parliament Of the Courts OF the Church
There method of acting upon mind, OF revolution
zine the convictions of nation, Of inspiring ideas
and directing popular movements which compares with
In rapidy, directness and extent All other methods
are clumsy or imperfect; but this Is almost Ike the
light the sun, swift electric and universal y its
influence. Yet how young and undeveoped 10 the new
empire. Journalism profession Is . creation Of the
than the telegraph But to-day i Is tho .uprems power
of the world Thirty ago the orators ruled Amer
lea; to-day II s ruled by the editors
This sway will become far more absolute than any OF
Us can realize. Sec what has already been DONE We
have put newspaper into the hand Of every man who
reads in the United States For mere tribe the news
the whole world spread ont before him. day after
day. Can the pulpit or the forum do as much Theys
at the most can but proclaim absolute truths which
the three hundred years ago. bet tho news
papers give the facts We have brought the telegraph
the steamboat and the railroad into SERVICE and with
tanning information and distributing II rapidly and
cheaply This tho entrance to every house.
orator and the preacher have not this invaluable
tage. They must ask for bearing; we obtain n BY
iSrcs In m people can avo,d TOE Lecture room Or me
compel our audience and may say 10 what we please
And though the speaker has OF advantages We
have all OF his The newspaper DO as eloquent as the
orator. and preach earnestly the clergy
We duplicate all their functions as teachers Of
mankind and have Others OF our own which they are
forever denied Horny Clay Daniel Webster in the
days when their everv tongue, did not
exert onehrd Of the influence over men that the news
papers OF New York do TO day. Whyf What s the
ambition OF the orator now Not TO make his speeches,
but to get them published. Mr.. Colfax and Mr. Seymour
at the recent meetings in this CITY, for behind the few
thousand people there they behed the million readers
OF the Tribune and the Herald. The oihce Of the
speaker az the leader Of has persisted forever.
Demosthenes is dumb: in his stead Is 'he pale aud;
silent man who writing alone at midnight, holds the
fate OF empires upon the point Of his PEN"
Therefore, IL win longer do for the novelist or the
satrst to present the Hon. Jefferson Brick, the Eat
an,scM Gazette types Of Journalism There mean
and miserable men In all professionalism soldiers like
Mcclellan. thieving lawyers at tho Tombs quacks IN
medicine, and Jndases who betray Christ In the
who is not hopelessv stupid revive in this day
the old talk about Bohemia and Grub street There 10
yers who affect condescension towards the journalist
which Ia intensely amusing The writer for the news
paper appears 70 their blinking eyes kind Of literary
not to be trusted in BUSINESS They are ignorant that u
is the newspaper that Cells their goods furnishes all
their facts and presents them gratutously with their
opinions. They do not know Jay Cooke does that
the newspapers Of America sold two thousand millions
Of national bonds Thy do not know, as Edwin NJ.
five hundred Thousand men TO the They do not
know that the newspapers Of America will nominate
the candidates for the Presidency determine the cleo
tion dictate the legislation Of Congress and decide
whether Andrew johnson is to be impeached. News
papers lead them by the wherever they go: but
they do not feel the PRESSURE which is the particular
reason why we give this especial tweak.
We write this for the good OF our profession. That 10
viii be read by the public Is something cannot help,
nor do care, though the argument may appear TOO
much OF boast But In earnest In the declare
ton that journalism Is the greaes OF all professions the
most powerful influence in the present, destined TO b
tripy powerful in the future. Its destiny In America 10
especially noble for this Is nation Of readers Journal
ism would be TYRANNY II not for the imrossblity
Of monopoly. The independence Of thought and the
rivalry OF journalists make the permanent alv OF pro-
and freedom. II with the pcope, and as IL
Influences them Influenced In return. Thus II will grow
with the nation. Every who edits paper, even
slough be obscure sheet the borders OF civiza
hon. should know his responsibility. He should remem-
Der the dignity OF his profession and sustain IT, We
make public opinion, and the men who make the laws
Ind execute them appointed by our will The news
the engine which and directs the masses
" mankind We foresee the day when all other profess
ions will be. In confess they In fact dependen-
lies Of this absolute empire over thought