The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1867-12-27
Selected aelistellang.
The Supremacy of the Press.


The Supremacy of the Press.
In this century new empire has arisen,
greater already than the Rome of the CW.
sars or the Popcs, yet only in its infancy.
1t is the empire Of the press Tho world
has seen many systems of pcwer-that Of
the Freemasons, who have secretly infu.
enced all Christendom the Society of the
Jesuits; the priesthood, both Catholic and
Protestant the army, the law but none of
these possess the terrible power of the
press. Tho pulpit is oven now second.
rate means of influencing the masses Of
mankind the army is at best mere brute
force the law is now nothing but an um.
pire in disputes; but the newspaper is
everything. II takes the place of the par
lament, OF the courts, of the church. There
is no method OF acting upon mind, of reVo.
lutonizing the convictions of n nation, OF
inspiring new ideas and directing popular
movements, which computes with il in
rapidity, dircctncss aud extent. All other
methods are clumsy or imperfect; but this
is almost like the light OF the sun, so swift,
electric aud universal in its influence. Yet
how young and undeveloped "a the new
empire. Journalism as u profession is q
creation of the last thirty years; rs q
great profession il is no older than the
telegraph But to day il is the supreme
power of the world. Thirty years ago the
orators ruled America; to-day it is ruled
by the editors.
This sway will become far more absolute
than any of us can realize See what has
already been doue. We have put news
paper into the hand of every man who
l.. =. A.
trifle the news OF the world IL spread out
before him, day after day. Can the pulpit
or the forum do as much They, at the
most can but proclaim absolute truths,
which were the same three hundred years
ago, but the newspapers give the facts.
We have brought the telegraph, the
steamboat and the railroad into our service
and with other inventions will come more
varied means of obtaining information and
distributing il rapidly and cheaply. This
secures rs the entrance TO every household,
and then follows the use of the opportunity
The orator aud the preacher have not this
Invaluable advantage. They must ask for
hearing, we obtain itby force. The people
can avoid the lecture.room or the chruch,
but thoy can not avoid the newspaper.
Thus we compel our audience, and may
say TO it what we pleasc. And though the
speaker has none of our advantages, we
have all of his. The newspaper can be as
eloquent as tho orator, and can preach as
earnestly as the clergyman We duplicate
all their functions as teachers of mankind,
aud have others of our own which are for
ever denied. HenrSCay or Daniel Web
ster, in the days when their names were on
every tongue, did not exert one.thrd OF
81 l,n
OF New York do to-day WhyP What is
the ambition OF the oraror now Not to
make his speeches, but to get them pub.
lished Mr.. Coliax and Mr.. Seymour cared
very little for the audiences their voices
rcached at the recent meetings in this city,
for behind were the million readers of the
Tribune aud The Herald. The Office of the
speaker as the leader Of men has pershed
forever. Demosthemes is dumb in his
stead is The pale, silent man who, writing
a one ut midnight. holds the fate of empires
uI on the POINT of his PEN"
Therefore, it will no longer do for the
novelist or the satirist to present the Hon.
Jefferson Brick, or the Eatansville Gazette
as types of journalism. There are mean
and miserable men in all professionalism
soldiers, like Mcclellan, thieving lawyers
at the Tombs, quacks in medicine, and
Judases who betray Christ, in the pulpit
and journalism is no exception. But
no one who is not hopelessly stupid can
b lhema and Grub street There is a class
OF mon among bankers and merchants and
lawyers who affect condescension toward
the journalists which is intensely amusing
The writer for the newspaper appears to
tbate LI;,l,.,,,x bind nf l;inroru oA
venturer, who is to be tolerated for his
genius, but not to be trusted in business.
they are ignorant that it is the newspaper
that sells their goods, furnishes all their
facts and presents them gratuitOusiy with
lh ir opinions. They do not know, as Jay
Cooke does, that the newspapers of Amer.
ica sold two thousand millions of national
bonds. They do not know, as Edwin NJ.
Stanton knows, that the newspapers of
America seut five hundred thousand men
to the war. They do not know that the
newspapers OF America will nominate the
candidate for the Presidency, determine
the election, dictate the Legislation of Con-
gress and decide whether Andrew Johnson
is to be impeached. Newspaper men lead
them by the nose wherever they go Iut
they do not feel the pressure, which is
lnO ldi iN0oOh w bANS WIS
especial tweak.
We write this for the good of our pro
fession. That il will be read by the pub
lie is omething we cannot help, nor do
we care, though the argument may appear
too much of boast. But we are in earnest
in the declaration that journalism is the
greatest of all professions, the most power
ful Influence in the present and destined
to be triply powerful in the future. It's
destiny in America Is especially noble, for
this is q nation of readers. Journalism
would be tyranny were it not for the i'm
possibility of a monopoly. The indepen
dence of thought and the rivalry OF jour
nalists make II the permanent ally o! pro
gress and freedom; II moves with the
people, and as il influences them is inhu
euced in return. Thus, it will grow with
the nation. Every man who edits paper
even though it be an obscure sheet on
the borders of civilization, should know
his responsibility. lie should remember
the dignity Of his profession, and sustain
it. We make public opinion, and the men
who make the laws and execute them, are
appointed by our will. The newspaper is
the engine which moves and directs the
masses of mankind. We foresee the day
when all other professions will be in con
fession as they are in fact, dependencies
Of this absolute empire over thought.
Wilkes Spirit cf hhe Times.
Ore of tba ,nost orivinal nj iuvehila in.