The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-06-12
THE SPIRIT Of CHRIST IN THE CHRISTIAN PRESS.
From the Christian Advocate the Rev. Dr. Davc curry
editor, May %

The great power OF the periodical press educat
ing agency is undeniable. With pardonaoie esotsm
CLAIMS for itself the first place in the work OF forming
and debating public opinion and private sentiments,
and more than this and less excusaby It OF
ignores all other influences IN me same Sox nu
agencies by which the characters tastes ana
OF the people fashioned the real power OF the PERIOD
ical press must be CONCEDED The character ana zen
denotes OF the press is therefore, subject or great
practical interest. What then, are the moral religious
social and eshetca positions aud teachings Of our prn
cipa newspapers and magaz mes? Do they generally
inculcate the wholesome morality OF the sermon on tne
Monnts DO they respect and sustain the great ana
fundamental truths OF Christianity as accepted verites
Are their social ethics conormed TO the ethical system
OF the New Testament? l. their criticism directed
spirituality OF our holy reIgions These are Questions
OF no secondary importance. An affirmative answer 70
Them were II possible would present social agency OF
incalcniable power working for the regeneration ana
conservation Of society. negative answer, II de-
manded by the truth, must show the same agency
operating with its. ceaseless efficiency to demoralize
and mslead. The distinction Of the religious
and the secular press is clearly marked, tnough
certain publications present the characteristics Of
both. There Is, indeed, a real diversity OF pur-
pose In the two cases. which assigns to each Its appro
pirate field and requires Of them corresponding adap.
Christians the secular press would still be necessity,
we'll civil institutions and schools for secular in
structon The maintenance Of society demands such
an agency for news for literature and crcism and for
the discussion of economical, social and political SUBJ
ects There is, indeed, much in common between the
two classes of publications. Blu while the one Is chiefly
political aud nanc AL the other religious and ecclesi
asca And yet the secular press scarcely less directly
and equally efectuay, operates toward the formation
OF the character OF society. The secular press
has very greatly advanced in its ability and power
within the pa: Few years An amount of business en-
tcrnrse bs,ore unt6oucht OF has been brought to its
management Money has been used judciously but
very freely The best talent OF the country has been
employed editors, contributors, and business mana
gers that the newspaper or magazine OF to-day IS
quite another and much greater affair than was its pro-
genior Of quarter Of century ago. corresponding
aluence in society has thus been attained and
erted, ckher for good ep and noic TO much larger
degree Than ever before The secular pres Of ne COUNTRY Is
gous press has also advanced somewhat, perhaps with
proporionate increase; but STARTING with such less
II has fallen very far behind For some cause, or for
several conjoined there has been general lack
Of business enterprise in this department. Either
n're nas been wan: , aysaes a Capital nnsss
sy; for know Of religious paper thai expends in
its production moiety Of what is requisite TO make
what such paper should be- We entered TINS once
press of the country far below the required stand.
ard and with determination to do what we could TO
remedy the recognized evil. We have labored diligently
for that end and believe not wholly without success
and have boon graii1ed at the time to note an
advance several of the principal religious papers OF
the land We are, however to-day more sensible of
our failure to reach ideal than ever before.
Our whole system OF proceeding, in which we DO not
widely diiler from contemporaries Is on scale
that forbds any large success, and renders impos-
sibic the improvements that are seen to be neces-
sary Thus ous,ripped by the secular press the ro-
leons appears to great disadvantage 1t fails to
mand the respect that is essential TO the fulnent Of
us mission II is indeed power for good IN the com
mUnity. but vastly less than IL Is capable Of becoming
In this OF the is not strange that the secular
press largely occupies the place that belongs to the
religious; that for the things common to both even
religious people depend almost entirely upon the former
We sometimes recognize the necessity Of making avail
slso the sses s' IL is sso 5'n as among
and teachers are Sought for though the studies
talk OF the importance Of having our histories
and PHILOSOPHERS and learned treatises written
from Christian standpoint But u TINS Is worthy q
becomes the staple OF thinking, and by assimilation
enters into the composition Of the character And sucn
the newspaper, the magazine and the review Is II
not them high time that somebody should, in the inte
Of religion and sound morals set about tue work
Of raising tho religious press 10 Its proper elevaoaS The
nerority Of the religious press as compared with the
secular has exercised most unfavorabe influence upon
the latter Had the former by its superiority OF style
nature Of the age the secular press would have been
compelled TO harmonze its tone with that On the con-
tends 70 render the secular more decidedly irrell-
eious AS the pulpit must DC supplied with
it proper influence in society, 30 the same con-
sideraions apply 10 the press and where, 10 either
case, these are wanting. irregion and scepticsm viii
protude themselves into notice. To us II Is among the
most painful aud alarming signs of the times that by
Of the comparative elevation and tho positive
regiolsness OF the secular press people, church
members and the young persons Of our families and
churches. daily and monthly druggcd with moral
poisons IN what they read To one who has not given
attention subject it will occasion thrill OF pain
full surprise 10 examine how largely the press Of the
country is managed by men who do not conceal their
disbelief IN and their contempt for Christianity Open
PROFESSIONS OF nhdelty not their policy; but while
retain ng the and somewhat OF the forms
OF expression OF religion, another and widely diff
fercnt aud an'agonislic gospel Is taught The North
American Reuie, almost the ONLY general literary quer
tery, is evidently II not as Extensively non-Chrs.
tan the writings OF Strauss or Theodore Parker
The Aldatc nonly the first literary magazine in the
country, is the recognized organ OF the most RATIONAL
istic thinkers about Boston, which is equivalent
world. for point sccptlcfsm
Tbingen is cast into the shade by American athens
Our New YORK periodicals. II less ouispoken in their
irregion, scarcely less decidedly non-Chrisiian
The ruling minds 10 tue editorial work OF both of Har
pers able and popular works arc certainly not in
sympathy with pain, o.d-siylc religion. The Nation
probably The ablest and most scholarly weekly
ev,r issued in this country. Is managed by an
editorial corps of Liberal Christians whicu is the
euphemism for polite in1des The chronological Jour-
nal, truly ably conducted monthly, Is con essedy
outside the plane OF orthodoxy; while the Lberai Chris-
tidn Unitarian and tho tStarsy Standard (which
two not because of any special ability, however,
belong in the same category. or the daily papers tho
HERALD has lis established reputation for reckless
gard tor religion "a any form, though have some
times almost concluded taat II IT, perhaps, the least
dangerous OF our principal daiies. Tue Tribune has
always oecE aniiC Tristan, though In s chief EDITORS
Strange way i has bee humanitarian We DOUBT how
ever wnener All the good II may have done 10 The IN
tcresis anti slavery, OF education and of social econ
omy can compensate for the harm i. has inflicted by
uDsettng the faith Of thousands Of the young people OF
the land. The Daily Times, which for long time
Christian Journal has lately passed over to the class Of
at religion and morality. It's new department
Of "Minor Topics is among the mosts Objectionable
things found any Of daily papers, reckless alike
OF truth, OF proprey and Of oeccncy; while It's politics
arc as they are. Il anybody can ind out how or the
older style OF papers the Ersaing Post very decent
political and literary journal, with Unitarian prociivi-
ties The jon nal u Commerce, once almost religious
paper is such no longer. The Commercial Advertiser
for long the model for secular newspaper now
simply the mouthpece Of very bitter old politician,
disappointed and cynical These Of the
periodicals. that giving form and fashion to tho
minds Of the people OF this nation The view they pre-
sent Is indeed saddening and full OF evil porent But
where Ia the remedy
From the same, May 30
In article last week The Spirit OF the Prcss''
we showed that the secular and literary press OF the
country Is generally and growngly antagonsc TO the
Acknowledged religious sentiment OF the people-that
sentiment being predominantiy evangelical" Moro
and more, for years, this antagonism has been
taking form and emphasis, and now, from The North
Amerscan Reviep down 10 the New YORK HERALD. may
be affirmed that the powerful periodicals Of the
land arrayed against popular religious faith The
fact Is menacins and startling and Is well deserving Of