The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1867-08-22
Modern Journalism,
Mr.. Gladstone's Speech ut the late London
Newspaper Fund Dinner.
[rrom the Pan Man eazette. Jnlr 1,t.l

4S"SPapSIb ne bhlu
:! cannot but congratulate you very cor
dlsiIy, and not you only, but the country at
large, upon the satisfactory progress which is,
now being made through Parliament by bill
intended TO alter, and in my opinion to bring
much nearer to standard of reason and of
Justice, the law of libel in this country in its
bearings upon the proceedings of the press.
1 say adYlsedly in it's bearings upon the pro-
ceedlngs OF the press, rattle than upon the
interests of the press, because l am quite sure
that " uateyer adverse bearings that law NAV
have had upon the interests Of the press
though perhaps striking those interests in the
front rank and in the first place-had in reality
an adverse bearing upon the interests of the
public at large. The interests Of the public at
large are essentially bound up NTH those Of the
press. We hare liUed into times tUte2 the nelUspd-
per is great social and moral poloer-one so
great that it cannot be overlooked by any of
those who would comprehend the character
of their country or the nature of those pro-
cesses by which the movements of mighty
nation is directed. While the newspaper has
thus become power in the land, those who
are connected with the management of news
papers-those who daily or weekly supply to
the public the food which they derive from
them-have become body so important to
us all that we may well say they are entitled
not less than others to the name and dignity
of profession. They are no longer individ-
uals as they were century ago, who, perhaps
guided by some prophetic instinct, but separ
ating themselves in fact from the mass of the
community and from the known and recog-
nized paths of fame, then laid the foundation
| of the newspaper system. They are now per
sons engaged in supplying from day to day
one of those primary wants of society," with
out which, it is hardly too much to say, as
we comprehend and understand it, it could
not exist. 1t is really one of the marvels of
our age to reflect what a constant and unn-
terrupted flood of instruction, information
and delight now flows through the medium OF
! the PERIODICAL and especially OF the newspa-
per, press upon the whole community. As |
have said already it is so interviewer with
the whole tissue of modern life that you can
not tear it out, and if you did, that tissue
would be rent into shreds, so to lose all
signs of its identity. And this is a process
which is yet in progress. For two or three
generations the press of this country has act
ed powerfully upon the mind of the country,
but the circle and area over which it so acts
has of late received an immense extension
The press, which was formerly the privilege
of the educated class, has become the parri
mony of the people. There is not man pos
sessed of the first elements of knowledge in
their simplest from to whom the press, At the
prices to which has now descended, is not
easily accessible, and if there be any among
so many who have not arrived at those first
elements of knowledge, that is their misfOr
tune and 1t Is our reproach, but reproach
WHICH trust Juo Legislature OI tuS country,
before many years are over, will have taken
etfectual measures to etlace. ! feel that in
this place discharge a special duty, because
| am of opinion that those actOSe lot Is cast IN
public life are, more than Others Ge6t0rs to the
press of their country. We are debtors to it,
in the first place, because it is we who have
the opportunity of Tearing and perceiving the
enormous public and political advantages
which have been derived from the action Of q
popular and well-cOnducted press. 1t is not
too much to say that the press alters essenti-
ally the nature of the relations between the
governors and the governed. Obedience be-
comes no longer duty to be performed pass
lively and in blindness. The law, the govern
ment, the proceedings of the legislature make
their daily appeal through the daily newspa-
per to the mind, understanding of every mem
Der of the community they weave new ties
of interest and affection between the private
individual and the public authority under
which he lives. They give new cement to
society and to the venerated institutions of
the country. No doubt other causes have CO.
operated of late years in bringing about this
great harmony, this close union of the various
classes of the community, which happily dis
tinguishes our own day i; but one certainly
among those causes-perhaps the greatest in
its action, and certainly not the least efficient
lis that process by which every Englishman
is made constantly aware of what those who
are appointed to represent his interest, or to
hASlo llIG pOhCIo VI SONSl are GuQ6dN-
oring, at least according to the best of their
views and convictions, to do from day to day
for his welfare. He recognizes the motive,
even if he is not able to approve of the act
The act itself, in most cases the course of
public affairs and public legislation, he ac-
knowledges to be honestly directed to his
welfare; and immense is the result that is
thus produced for the purposes of common
harmony and concord. After some pleasant
remarks on the obligations of members OF
Parliament to the reporters for improving
their speeches, which he said every member
would acknowledge for his colleagues, though
every one probably had a special grievance of
his own against the gallery. Mr.. Gladstone
referred to the benefit derived by public men
from newspaper criticism While such criti-
cism was circulated to encourage them if it
CHANGED to be favorable, it could not. in the
other event, do them any injury except
through their own want of manliness Of
character. eff they (the criticisms) are just,
they are invaluable they become the mirror
in which he acquires the view and knowledge
OF what he otherwise could not discern from
them he learns the means of amending his
faults, of avoiding the errors he has commit
ted, of making his abilities, whatever they
may be, more available for the benefit of his
fellow countrymen, of doing, l won't say
more perfectly, but at any rate less imper-
fectly, the arduous work which Providence
has appointed him to do. In other times the
more plain speaking than they do now.
Modern courtesy is thought to be hardly CON
sistent unless under circumstances peculiarly
favorable for the exercise of the JUNCTION of
fair reproof, and l am afraid that, were it not
for the honest and truthful censures of the
press, each of us would be apt to spend his
existence in a paradise of fools--tO 90 on hug
ging more and more his own errors and de-
tects, exaggerating his imperfections, avoid
ing the means by which excellence is to be
obtained, and falling in efficiency in the SER
vice OF his country. / do not deny that
writer IN any newspaper, and especially if it
be newspaper OF great influence and i'm
portance, has in many senses most difficult
function to discharge. He has to discharge
function that is difficult and even dangerous
for himself far more than the public because
he writes, l will not say without a sense of
responsibility, because that would be unjust
but without the ready means Of constantly
quickening that sense of responsibility which
is derived from publicity and with which
most Of US feel it would be difficult to dis
pense in the discharge of our duty. Never
theless, the function he discharges is inval-
liable, and society indebted to those who
furnish the instruction and improvement pro-
vlded by the newspaper; but none are so
much indebted as those who are the objects
OF the free and unbiased review nay, even
of the hostile criticism. This debt for one
am most anxious to acknowledge | do not
wish to exaggerste. | hope and believe !
have not exaggerated, in the terms l have
used, the immense, the incalculable import
ance OF the functions of the newspaper press
WIN WIN regard to the mass of society. l grant
that, as in all other states or combinations of
affairs where good is predominant, the evil
VIII creep in; and here the principle of evil
probably is this, that by presenting us with
knowledge IN form SO easy, like food al
ready dressed for dinner, the press encoHr-
ages men to d lazy aud inert turn of mind
So far, however, as this is true, it does not
apply to the mass Of the people" In con
" 1t is not for me to pretend to a minute and
and accurate acquaintance with the moral
tone of the newspaper press since the time
when it first became a great power in this
country, but the knowledge of it that dc
possess impresses me with deep conviction
That the newspaper press has become more
upright, more candid, more regardful of the
sanctlties of private life and personal charac
ter, more careful to avoid whatever could
raise blush or stain the mind Or con sciarcn