The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-11-08


Power Of the Press.
We give In another column an article from
one Of our city weeklies on journalism and its
relation to society as m element Of power
an article which, recognizing the truth lido
matically put by Wendell Phillips, that Sin
the long run brains rule" argues that this in
tellectual function Il, in the future, to be
mainly exercised through the press II ID not
for Journalists to indulge any vain-glory over
such fact or to assert their mission with that
offensive pride which readily runs to Boosting |;
yet they must recognize the growth and spirit
Of the time; and 1t 10 . truth that tho ten
dency Of events Il distinctly and strongly
towards the installation Of tho press as the
great controlling and directing force in the
machinery Of modern government and society.
With US particularly il promises to be .
balance In our political system-a coordinate
remedy for many evils that, as the progress Of
time has shown, are likely to result from the i'll
operation Of some Of the institutions founded
by the fathers Of the republic. who looked
upon society a. governed by quite different
influences from those that prevail now, and
who never imagined such changes In material
things as this century has seen. Freedom
stands on good basis when it stands on popu-
lar intelligence-on general, widespread dis
cussion and knowledge among the people
of its principles and of the nature Of oil
events or proposed laws that are likely to af-
feet it, and it is the sphere Of the press to carry
to the home Of every man this discussion and
knowledge, to give this enlightened alarm in
the hour of danger. We need this the more
because our republic has gone 80 much nearer
in spirit to the ancient democracies than 1t
was ever thought it would 60. Those demo-
cracies fell through carrying so-called freedom
too far; for the abuse Of freedom Is tyranny,
and communities prefer to the tyranny Of the
mob the heavy hand Of centralized power.
"That way madness lies" and in that direction
would be our danger but that the press fur
nishes the ready form, means and manner by
and through which the intellect of the nation
curbs and rules the crude powers, the pas
sions and appetites, the rough will Of the
masses tending naturally towards evil.
Brain rules even where the argument would
seem to be taken purely in the way of brute
force. Man faces the lion, the tiger and the
gorilla without fear. His brain has given him
an implement that, inflicting death at dis
lance, makes him the better, spite Of their
greater strength. Wild men-mere maggots
to the elephant In physical power, and
only little above him in intel
lect-make him their slave in virtue
of that little. Alexander with handful
Of Greeks traversed Asia as . con-
queror only because Of better brain, and
through Alexander the thoughts Of Aristotle
ruled the ancient world It is the concurrent
testimony of monuments and tradition that
order and civil society originated with theocra-
cies-that is, that the first rulers were priests,
who imposed their power upon the multitude.
by pretending II was the will Of God Here
was purely intellectual result and innumor-
able nations were thus governed through fAith
and fear-devotion and chimera. Armies
availed not against the thinker who burned
incense in the groves and prostr,ted the world
through bis appeal to mems imaginations.
From Buddha to Mshomet this holds. In all
this priesthood was the form in which intellect
was felt Through the oracle of some god the
brain of the age solved mems doubts, and 30
long a. this intellectual power was true to it's
function and was employed for the good Of all,
1t remained potent. II only failed when 1t be-
came cheat and all the changes in religious
form, all the reformations, are only the protests
Of the world against the abuses Of the priests.
II was comparatively late in the worlds his
tory before the governing brain worked
through any other organ than the
Church. This began in Greece, but frst
appears on broad and bold scale in
the history of Rome. Intellectual statesman
ship, quite apart from priestcraft, there estab-
lished and operated magnificent examples
of government, suoh as have been the models
Of the world ever since. From one city the
concentrated intellect Of the earth governed
all. Concentration was the tendency, and
Caesar pu! 1t oil into one brain. Then it be-
came subjec! to common weakness and fell
In our ago the equivalent Of the ancient
altar and high controlling craftsmanship has
been found through the art Of printing, and
nations will be governed by their intellect just
in proportion as there is freedom to circulate
printed matter to convince mon against what
is wrong and encourage what Is right To
certain extent the press is free all over Europe.
1t is permitted TO print facts, and If the people
Of Italy should beat their oppressors to-day,
oil France, all Germany, oil Britain would
know it tomorrow, and the cause of freedom
would receive en- impulse wherever the news
was spread. But here there is no restraint.
We ore permitted to print facts and to point
their lesson, to argue what they mean, to make
any possible appeal to popular reason and
there is no danger In this want Of restraint,
since the teaching will lose effect 50 soon
as il is false or selfish for the press is
competitive. So many instructors are ready
to come forth that in the contact of brain with
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