Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-09-02

de~, enlarge9S ready ;nsellsgssce:
TT must ~ understanding OF
q times, to- Dew what course they
chit - purs Ths man engaged
in cond citing ) neI1spspSr in our
times Sbuld r. fres from prejudioe]
and fri the ;sa Of hIotry au|
ikaati( IN. They nnst ave free
dcjn e thought and Of utancs. -
al subjects, and responsible to NO
star chamber, clique, or corporation,
or monopoly for their opinions. but
to their conscience, and the great
public which they serve. They
should say ssOur thoughts are free,
they cannot be shut up in prison
walls, nor put to death on scaffolds. :"
The journalist of the present hour
must believe in scientific progress.
Learn not to be afraid of the ad-
vancement of learning, or opinion,
but to trust to true science.
Confused, chaotic, headlong and
paradoxical as our times seem to be
there can be but one reading of them;
that it is an age of unavoidable
decision. Every journalist is made
to tell what he is and show his colors.
Tie battle-shout between truth and
error is ringing out throughout the
nations. The trumpet calls louder
and louder, i" Who is for the right p
Let him come forth with quick step,
every one to his own standard and
his own line. Never, in the Worlds
history. was there such a marshaling
in serted ranks and frowning from,
for truth and error-never such az
age of discrimination and decision
and never such an emergency laid
upon journalism to choose the right
position and stand by it to the death
as is laid upon US. There is nc
possible escape from this RESPONSE
bility 1t is inseparable from
journalism as your identity. There
is no out-of-the-way harbor fol
neutral fags-no place left for q
cold, miserable nou- commitalism
No one can smuggle himself through
the world. The journalist should be
no mortgaged automaton to anti
quated theories, or to special inter
ests. The age is a crucible-nothine
escapes its searching analysis. The
plates of stereotyped opinions are
broken up and men now read, talk
think for themselves. So, the newt
able necessity is laid upon the jour
nalist to choose what he will be.
In our age of deep and varied excite
ment, every thing social ecclesiastical
and political is in motion. No neu.
trality or slow trains can exist with
the American people. Our anchor
is weighed-our vessel is out on the
open sea with all her sails spread
and the more she crowds the can
vass, the more she needs ballast and
the more cautiously must she be
steered by us.
Our fathers threw old formulas
and hoary systems into the smelling
pan. Good angels helped our fathers
and their hands have made for US q
home for freedom aid religion.
In our woodland homes
And where the solemn ocean foams,
There's freedom at our gates, and rest
For Earth's down trodden and opprest-
A shelter for the hunted head
For the starved laborer, toll and bread.
The tendencies of the times call
for a journalist of promptitude,
decision, energy and effort. Terrific
as is the moaentum with which the
world is moving, the journalist
should not be left behind. He
must be up to the times. He must
be in the van. Journalism is
designed to shape the course o!
action, it must throw forward its
standards and progress with the race
and drink in the spirit of the age,
Cup and at Them" must be the
watchword of journalism at this
stage of the worlds history. Jour.
nalists must be men of purpose il
action. The motto of the brave
Tennesseean must be ours, g Be sure
you are right and then go ahead .
God and man honor a consistent
course, aud both God and man
lightly esteem a craven heart and a
falterlng hand.
There is a need among the con-
ductors Of the press to remember
that union is strength" Our times
imperatively calls on US for united
action. An open enemy is not SO
dangerous as false friend. Let
us have men true to their colors,
even if they are false colors, rather
than journalists who will not show
their colors or who will not stand by
their colors. AS common dangers
threaten, so common truth must
concentrate us. AS the foe of pro-
gress is throwing his armed masses
upon our great centres, so must we
rally around those centres. And these
centres are now the preservation oil
our American institutions in purity
and vigor-the freedom of the pen
and of speech-the American system
of common schools tree from all
priestcraft. Let us forget all sectariau
and political jealousies, look over
minor shades of mere opinion,
get rid of prejudices /; let on,
souls look out into the sunshine Of
heaven. Let the amplitude and vast
variety Of the works of nature
Teach us magnanimity towards
one another. Let US put on such