Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-04-29
LOCALlNEWS.
Wednesday EVENING APRIL %.

wEDNEsDAYe EVENING. APRIL %, -
AS LOCAL News is not very abundant eia 70 TO
aov let us try our hand, in the space usually
Allotted tothatdepartment, upon general TOPIC.
IF Sir. William Bcrkley had lived 10 these,
,.vs and entertained the opinions he expressed
in his letter Of reply to the Lords Commissioners ,
of Foreign Plantations, in which he tnankeu
Cad that.no printing was done in Virginia, 1T
: questionable whether or not ne would pc the
s.nonent of anlargc or small number of the
sessible people Of the country. IS = = I
printing as an art is a powerful machine, but
.n,;rev subservient to the will of its engineer,
ond n accordance with whose dictates its i'm
.,onsa abilities are exerted for good or evil
mbro,ngh its means most undoubtedly mans
General; information has been increased; but
m,nv historians, andnota few rejecting people,
hove paused on the adoption of the idea so
generally entertained, as to the immense benc;;
Sts resulting to the mental faculties, and liter
.rvtaste, and general manners Of the people,
in 50 far as they are influenced by the ordinary
newspaper press, as it is at present conducted;
and upon those, who are taught, or innately
nossess, desire for what they call space-and
rhich they thick, is the hing needed. = go
uright minded people willadmit, however,
che baneul effects Of the circulation of mere
violent and sensational publications, especially
nnon the younger portion of the. community.
Its not to be denied that the supply and de-,
mand of these papers have reflex action, and
that the two forces are nearly equal-that they
would not be printed if people, with vitiated
tastes, did not buy them. But this is true only
with reference to persons whose tastes arc ae5
ouircd, and whose habits are formed; and with
regard TO those of immature years the rule fails;
the balance is lost; and all the weight Is trans
fened to the supply side of the beam. All
their senses are in active play, and impressions,
easily received, are but too Of en- indelibly
stamped upon their plastic minds.
We have such publications sometimes refer
red to, by weak and sensational people, as
Give papers, papers keeping pace with the
times, and papers which call things by their
right names.' Though attempted two or three
times in Virginia, such journals have, happily,
up 10 this date, proved failures, as much, it is
thought, in consequence Of the ancient char.
acteristics of the inhabitants Of the State,
and their old fashioned and honorable notions
of right and wrong, as from the want of the
small modicum of wit required in such under
takings; for during their limited existence they
we're looked at, not for any valuable suggestions
or interesting information they might contain,
but merely to crafty passing rrurient curiosity
to know to what strange purposes newspaper
could be prostitutcd for the same reason that
though man might walk down King street,
without attracting any attention, if he reversed
his position, and used his hands instead of his
feet as instruments Of locomotion, he would be
an object Of universal observation for a limited
time and as soon as the novelty Of the proceed
ing wore off no would revert to his former un-
noticeable condition. Nor do VIC believe that
the time when the printing of such papers in
the State can be encouraged, will soon arrive.
Then again there are the "selcct few'-the
81 am Sir Oracle" the men with authorlta-
tive enunciation-nevcr distinguished in times
Of real danger, but for one.thing-and that was
not courage, and some Of them out West or
North, where no sufferings were felt, or In
other peaceful hooks and corners, during the
war, and rather inclined to be ''lo-ip' in so
far as matters touching property and money
we're concerned, who are n0ao very strong and
even belligerent, and therefore are not
content with spice, but crave cayenne pepper
They spurn the calm argument, sheer at the
discussion of principlcs-turn with disdaln
even from the ordinary current news which
every sensible person wants to have preparation
him, and demand blood and thunder, fire and
fagots-abuse, harsh epithets-" things to be
called by their right names;;" and seek such
journals as the - --------- and the---------,
popular s'live newspapers, to minister to their
fiery ardor They can easily procure by paying
for them, such newspapers as they want. They
arc to be bought in scores Only we remember
that not very long ago, many of this class OF
people we're extremely anxious that things
should not be called by their right names, and
thought it was prudent, and polite, and proper
"to roar as gently as sucking doves" t-4:
But after all the cravcrs after the literary
and political food Of which We have spoken are,
in this section of country South of the Poto
mac-comparatively few. The great mass of
our people, on these subjects, are interrupted,
and have pure and honest tastes, and pure and
honest judgments. While they are decided
and earnest, they are not rude and violent, and
do not long countenancc the rude and the vlo-