Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1867-06-29

pills pa little further You may read the con-
illusions of true science. In short, my friends
l maintain here that the good Overbalances
by far the evil, and out of this very generality
of the newspapers We get the results which
Milton predicted. Though all the winds of
doctrine" says he. were let loose to play upon
the earth, so Truth be- In the field, we do in
jurlOusly by licensing and prohibiting to mis-
doubt her strength. Let her AID falsehOOd
grapple: Who ever knew Truth put to the
worse, IN free and open encounter Her
committing Is the best and surest suppress-
ing" Ia all these blended aspects of the
daily journal, we detect the ultimate bene-
ht, and the moral significance OF freedom.
Whatever evil may blend with its temporary
influence, 1t Ia intrinsica ly the agent of lib
erty' and II Is the fret thing at which des-
p ot sItiAes. when consider. TOO, the cos
mOpOhtan spirit which il must beget bring
ing together, as 1t does, the interest and
sympathies of the NOrid L look upon II "A an
instrument of progress and of hope-a great
social force-a force to be watched, to be
criticised-bnt a force whose impulse on tba
whole Is in the right direction
Gen. Il. ID. BAKER, the gallant and eloquent
Senator from California, who lost his life ia
defence of has country, early in the late war,
ia a speech IN the United States Senate in
1861, used the following language:
"Ihe liberty OF tho press is the highest
safeguard to all free government. Ours
could not exist without It. lt is like great
exulting and abOnnding river. 1t is fed by
the dews of heaven, via ch distil their sweet
est drops to form it. IL gushes from the riIl
AS it breaks from the deep caverns of the
earth. 1t Is augmented by a thousand afiu-
ents, that dash from the mountain ton to
separate again into thousand beauteous
and irrigatlng streams around. On its broad
bosom 1t bears thousand banks. There
genius spreads Its purpling sail. There
poetry dips its silver oar. There art inVen-
ton, discovery, science, morality religion
may safely and securely float. 1t wanders
through every land. It Is a genial, cordial
source of thought add inspiration. whereyer
1t touches, whatever it surrounds. Upon it's
borders, there grows every flower of grace,
and every fruit OF truth. 1 am not here to
deny that that river sometimes OYersteps it's
hounds. L am not here to deny that that
stream sometimes becomes a dangerous tor
rent, and destroys towns and cities upon its
bank. But am here to say that, without IL,
civilization, humanity, government all that
makes society itself, wOnld disappear, and
the world WOuld return to it's ancient barbar-
ism"
CARLYLE in writing on the press puts the
following question: "What are the cOnquests
and XPtdltiOns OF the whole corporation of
captains from Walter the Penniless to NapOl-
con BOnaparte, compared with those moYss
BILE types of Faust Z" But we must close this
branch of our subject. When the newspaper
press shall be brought to the perfection that
it must attain in short time, and its infiu-
ence shall be duly recognized by the people,
civilization will become so far advanced, that
wars will cease, and peace aud freedom to all
mankind will become universal. The old
adAge that the "Pen is migLtisr than the.
Sword, will be proven, and msn Will live to see
the time when, Ia the language Of the poet
Beneath the rule of men entirely great
The Pen is mightier tdan the sword Behold
The arch enchanteI's wandl itself a nothinp
Iut taking AOTCeTY from the master hand
To paralyze the Caesars, and to strike
The loud earth bresthlessl Tase away the sword,
States can be saved without it,
A fsw words on the subject of the "respop-
sibility of editors as public educators" and l
will relieve your patience. All persons have
their responsibilities; bat they are greater or
less according to circumstances. Tue cares
OF the single man, who has no one but him
self to look after, are Oftentimes deemed al
most toe great to bear. The heads of faml-
lies have great responsibilities IN the multi
plicity of their cares. The school teacher
assumes grave responsibility IN directing
the young minds Of hls pupils aud IN estab-
fishing the IudImeats OF an education. The
physician who assumes to cure the diseases
of the human family IA a very heavy TespOn-
sibility resting upon HIM. The minister OF
the Gospel, who points out the way to live,
with view 10 happiness ia this llfe and the
life to come, assumes "A fearful responsibility,
from which most men shrink with awe. But
the editor, as We have endeaVOred to show,
Is an educator, IN influence, superior to all
other classes Of teachers. The people of
their daily intellectual food, for the general
knowledge necessary to be known. The
schools aud colleges of the country, only ed
ucate and prepare their pupils for the more
advanced classes Of the editor. When these
pupils shall have left the schools, they be-
come life long pupils of the editorial frater-
nifty, for continuation OF their education;
and the teachers, professional men of all
grades, scientific men, mechanics. agncultu-
Talists, and all other individuals, become
members of the class and a
great degree dependent upon the newspapers
of the day for their further adVancem mt IN
knowledge. la this view of the matter
which 1 claim to be the true visw-the re-
spOnsibility of the editor is a very grave one,
and should never be assumed without due
consideration and reflection.
Ia proportion to the number of readers,
every editor becomes II director Of the public
mind; an educator OF the whole people. He
who assumes the position with the idea that
he can discharge its dnties we'll, without
labor, without excessive toll; or who expects.
to realize from it a life Of luxury and ease,
greatly mistakes the calling. 1t is life OF
unceasing labor, and is rarely attended with
liberal remuneration, beyond the self salts
faction induced from a discharge of its du-
ties; and this satisfaction is increased or CT
minished IN proportion as the duty Is Well
or badly performed. In the selection or the
writing of matter for the newspaper, the
greatest care that nothing calculated to have
perncious effect upon any, should be exeT-
csed. The fact that many minds are to be
influenced for good or evil by the articles
published, should be kept IN constant re-
men bTance. The effect may be great. Small
things frequently exert a great influence;
hence the greatest care should be exercised
in the preparation of the matter for the pa
per. The immense responsibility OF the pO-
sItiOn cannot be too fully considered. The
paper goes forth. freighted with its matter;
It's admirers seize upon 1t, read 1t with avid
ity, aud the influence upon the mind depends
upon it's character and for this the editor Is
Responsible; and he must bear in mint that
if the matter be impure, Its influence for Ill Is
more likely to take effect upon the mind OF
the reader, than would be the reverse if the
matter were pure; as the natural tendency
of mankind runs to evil. Let US be careful,
then, brethren Of the press, to protect the
channels of news over which We preside, and
keep them pure, that evil influences shall not
be charged at our door.
To maintain properly the position of an ed
itor he must be Independent Of all outside
influences. 1T it can be avoided, he should
never receive gSatuitOus aid from any Ones
especially from politicians. Ii small poll
tician should aid an editor to the amount OF
five dollars he would feel that lac had a life
claim upOn the columns of that paper;
the debt oOnld never be hquidatedi
and the editor who allows himself
to become entangled with the small pOlit
icaI tricksters with which The country bwaTlns aud
0beys their WILL nothing is more certain than that
he will fail n successful Imminent OF has high
m ssion in the world. His influence for good ia
gone Brothers, be the masters OF our own col
umns: inde pendent in the exercise OF your
rig hts; give due reflection to your every action;
be not hasty in arriving at -cOncusions5 publish
nothing important till yOu have given II due con-
slider alton and yonT labOrs wall Dc crowned With
success. AS You are educators OF the public, you
shOnid also ba Independent leaders ia all good
works.
tbs sometimes the case, 1 fear, that editors OF
papers in the country smaller places, having a
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