Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1868-07-01

| no enthusiasm, no eSultation, no rejoicing,
no overfoving of gratitude, while bending
over the cradle of the infant Republic, and be
holding it rise up in beauty, comeliness shd
strength-only an incident is related to con-
firm the announcement Let US read It:
ga gentleman in Philadelphia, being asked
why only twelve guns we're discharged On
announcing the ratification of the proposed
constitution, gave the following reason: Be-
cause twelve states were represented in the
late Federal convention, and their system was
adopted by that number Of States, on the
twelfth day of the twelfth month, in tho
twelfth year of the independence of America"
That sounds like o Quaker reason, given In
o Quaker manner. We hardly think Ben
nington paper would treat such an occur
renee in such way now. Still in the motto
of this faded and worn Vermont paper, there
| is twinkle of Green Mountain spirit, which
| indicates that the subdued feeling belonging
to the "subjeot" had been exchanged fer the
manly sentiments of the 'tcitizen:''
| ssWith freedom for Our constant guide,
| We scorn control, and print for every side"
This is being neutral but not indifferent.
Perhaps the New York Herald got It's habit of
being everything by turns and nothing
| long," from the hint contained In the Go.
zette's couplet.
Suppose We go further and take tele-
graphic trip across the Atlantic. Pick up
thst copy of the London Times, dated May
9Th, 18l5-thirty days before the battle of
Waterloo, and in the midst of the "hundred
days" of Napoleon return from Elba to Psris.
The hosts of the allied armies are being mar
| shalled for the mighty conflict that is to de-
eide the fate of France, and eclipse the Empe-
ror's star and send up that Of Wellington's. 1t
does not look much like the "frst journal Of
the world" 1t has only FIVE columns to the
page, and not q quarter the size Of the Times
now. There is nothing In its mutterings
that indicate the tone of the ttGreat Thun-
derer." II has only one editorial article, and
that is scolding TRADE against Bcnaparte
and an apology for the bsnished LOUIS XVIII,
who had fed before the terror of % name.
There are none of those bold, brilliant, def
ant, powerful, terse and polished leaders, which
have since conferred on the London Times
it's unrivalled pre-eminence, and placed IL
at the head of the European Press.
AS nation, we have made unparalleled and
marvellous progress in education, industry, lite
rature science, arts and arms, end in the diffu-
sion of religious truth and sentiments, which
transfgures and illumines oil that we do with
| rays coming from the throne Of God-and in
nothing is Improvement more manifest
| than in the attitude of the Press. It has led,
gone hand in hand, and identified itself with
| every movement of reform that has been
adopted. It has grown with the elastic and
versatile vigor of youth, and is now strong
with all the strength Of maturity. The ser
vices it renders, in the thousand ways in
which it operates, are so many and various,
that 1t is impossible to estimate them. We
can see what communities become with it. and
we can see what communities are without it,
and the result Of @ comparison of the oondi
| II, - ,,oh nsoh4 hna
bodied in two Eords-LIBERTY and DEsPoTIsM
| which sums up the whole lesson, as we learn
one half of il from the steady advance Of
England and America, and the other half
from the steady decline of Spain and Turkey.
The British colonies always had free Press
and local legslstures-the Spanish colonies
never had either-and the possessions of both
Kingdoms revolted and asserted their inde-
pendence. Here ore the United States and
the Canaaas-there ere South America and
Mexico Like causes produce Ike effects.
The Press Is the great speaking gallery of
the nation. Its trumpet tones are sometimes
harsh and discordant and not always as
sweet and musical aa the melodious talk OF
MooREs angel lovers, whose tuneful whispers,
80 mingled together that when one spoke and
| the other answered,
"You could not
| Tell which the echo, which the souGd.n
| Il 1s not only on absolute necessity of the
| writer, but there is not O statesman, orator,
| preacher, lecturer or teacher whose sphere Of
| usefulness it does not imIreasarably enlarge.
! 1t brings one and all in direct and constant
communication and sympathy with the intel
| Hgent and active classes, whose judgment Is
most sound, whose opinions are most res
pected, whose advice is most sought and who
ere best qualified TO guide and act, because
they devote portion of each day to the
study OF the Journals, and keep themselves
well informed and prepared for any emer-
gency. Great talents arc little more than
! Ia ent cop Acities for thinking aud doing, until
they are cultivstel disciplined and fitted for
the work for which they were bestowed.
Scholarship and refinement are net every
thing, but without learning and taste,
genius loses more than half lls worth and
advantages. Without the newspapers to-
carry and scatter his speech broadcast over
the land, the influence of the speaker would
be confire1 within the contracted limits of his
voice and personal eXertions. He cannot be
in oil places at once ner address every body at
the same time. He may be eloquent, he may
be convincing, he may be animated by the rur-
est motives, but he can neither enchain, nor
win nor inspire those who are not before him
with his earnest and fervid appeals. The re-
porter steps in, catches and arrests the van
iShing words as fast as they fall from his
lips, and the newspaper breaks and widens
the narrow circle which excludes all but his
few hundred hearers, and Immediately makes
the whole nation his listener, if his subject
and thoughts are worthy of so august and
multitudinous an audience. He knows the
newspaper can make real the fancy o! the
poet silvery notes
"'Tis said that every earthly sound
Goes trembling through tue voiceless spheres,
Bearing its endless echoes round