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


published. To do that would require nice
combination of all the excellencies which we
see displayed as separate points in each of the
prominent dailies or weeklies. As high as
we have climbed, there are still heights tow
ering above and beyond our point of ascent,
ana we sec everywhere around US, generous
rivalry to scale them, and this emulation Is
constantly bringing out new features OF I'M
proVement. Taken on the whole, the journals
OF no other country surpass the journals
issued in the United States. This can fairly
De claimed without arrogating merits we do
not possess. This description more particu-
larly applies to the leading dailies Of our
large cities, both at the east and west, whose
resources and facilities enable them to secure
all the trained ability, ready talents and
varied culture, requisite to make them what
they arc and keep them in the van of the
march. Such as they now are, newspapers
have not always been or deserved the consid-
Grafton they receive. The upward career Of
the Press has been marked at various stages in
Its history, with trials and vicissitudes, with
opposition and Obstacles, and it has required
courage, hrmness, and sometimes sacrifices
and suffering, 10 uphold its freedom in the
face of vindictive and formidable authority
sitting on the throne and entrenched behind
the arbitrary decisions of an unscrupulous
court. Once, a newspaper was only the OBJ
scure and neglected chronicle of what others
said or did, never having any opinions of its
own, or never venturiug to utter them if its
editor took the trouble to form them; and aside
from the few scaDty items of intelligence it
communicated, of no significance whatever.
NJ. one cared what course it pursued, because
every one knew the narrow limits to which it
was rigidly restricted. After long pupil
age of this kind, the Press began TO outgrow
and break loose from the degrading servitude
IN which it was held by rulers and ministers.
AS soon as it exchanged the selfish favors of the
great for the approval of the many, it became
new creation. The patronage Of the people
released 1t from bondage and gave it indepen-
dence, and it should not now, in the pleni-
tude OF its power, turn around and attempt
to play the master, but to be just and fear
not. The relative situation of rulers and pub
fishers has been 80 completely reversed, that
kings and emperors are as solcitous about
the tone and temper of the publications cir
culatlng among their subjects as they are
about the allegiance and fidelity of their ar
mics. We can measure the dread which the
crowned heads of Russia, Austria and France
have of the effects of free political discussion,
by the tight and iron grasp with which they
control or suppress the utterances of the
Press. Solon made law that every inhabit-
ant of Athens should take q part in all pub
lie affairs, and Furnishing with death, indiffer-
ance and neglect. Napoleon II.-the sinister
and evil -boding buzzard who, through perjury
and slaughter, has crawled into The imperi-
ais eagles seat-promulgates an edict, In
this nineteenth century, infieting the PEN
atty of exile or the dungeon on every journalist
who dares to censure his acts or resist his
usurpations. That is the difference between
law -giver who believes in people and q
w-giver who believes in bayonets. Not
much love would be wasted, if the snephew of
his uncle" should wake up some fine morning
and find himself, as his predecessor did, sud-
denly transformed into plain JOHN SMITH,
running from the barricedes as retribution
for his villany aud murderous treachery.
Editors are not all the while furnishing in
formation to others without learning some
thing themselves. They receive as we'll as
impart ideas. They are not much in the
habit of tagging behind other folks and other
things. They have as much to show and be
proud of as any other class. The improve
ment in newspapers affords abundant proof
of this. There is as striking contrast be-
tween o newspaper of hundred years ego
and one of to-day, as there is between canoe
and steamboat, a stage coach and a railroad,
or the pony express AMI the telegraph.
Before me is a stray copy of the s Boston
Euening Post" dated April llth, 1763, "Con-
tanning the freshest advises, foreign and
domestio.' 1t was printed about the time to
which we usually refer the commencement
of the controversy which led to the revolu-
ton and the establishment of the indepen-
dence of the United States Rebellion
g Foul, dishonoring word" had not been
spoken in the ears Of the stubborn but
youthful monarch who had recently ascended
the British throne, nor did he dream that
within twenty years he would be compelled
to Withdraw his scepter from the fairest por.
ton of our continent. Not the least ripple
of the gathering tumult is seen in anything
contained in this small, dingy Z4-byl6 inch
sheet, with three columns to the page, and not
a word of editorial. Its news from Europe
is three months old, and from the neighboring
colonies according to their distance. Yet 1t
was, no doubt, regarded as q live, wide awake
paper in it's day, as it had reached its lS40sh
number, and is an average specimen of colo
NAL papers in the early part Of George His
reign. Take up the last copy OF the "Boston
Morning POST" and you will find in it more
matter of passing interest than was publish
ed in it's evenings namesake in many weeks,
and it will have kilograms from London and
San Francisco down to the hour of going to
press.
Let US glide down quarter of century.
A seven years war has been fought, imper-
ishable and revered names have been in
scribed in our annals, but the old confedera-
ton is falling into pieces, oil is disorganized,
uncertain, gloomy, and there is no union,
only the framework of one prepared, and
there has been earnest strife whether it shall
be adopted or rejected. Here is number of
the {. Vermont Gazette" dated January 7th,
l787-an auspicious epoch-and published at
Bennington, famous as the place where
STARK gave BURGoYNE the first check in dis
invading expedition from Canada. The
Gazette is q four column country paper,
little larger than the one we have mentioned,