The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1869-08-06

Marietta. Georgia,
Friday Morn. August 6, 4 $ 50.
From the Southern Christian Advocate
THANKSGIVING FOR A "DEMIJo n
OF WHISKY


THANKSGIVING FOR "DEMIJoHe
OF WHISKY
Mr.. Editor Il believe in the PREs.
-''the fourth estate of the realm" M
man knows its power. Its Briarc9r
hands touch every sphere of life and af-
feet every department OF activity. The
influence of the press is felt in every
fibre of our civilization. 1t discusses al
questions. There is no issue SO grave
bat that it may be hippant in the dis
posal of it there is nothing SO tritiing
that, upon occasion, it will not magnify
ii into grave Importance. Its voice dl-
reefs those great movements OF the peo'
pie that make or unmake administrations
and it determines the results of an cleo
ton for constable. 1t sets forward a
grand enterprise of science and energy
| like til G Atlantic Cable or the Pacific
Railroad and reports the proceedings of
village debating society; it tells the
world of political revolutions that give
new governments to millions, and pa
rades, in a perfect ecstasy OF interest,
the details of the last prize fight or trot-
ting match. The press wiclds the best
and the worst, the most conservative and
the most destructive agencies that give
shape to society and sow the seeds OF
histories vet to be. 1t is ubiquitous aud
irrepressible. No man is beyond its in.
Auence: one cannot stay in society and
avoid it. To escape it he must get out
of the worId-as nc would escape the
atmosphere.
The press and public opinion are the
Siamcsc twins of society what moves
the one inspires the other Public opn-
ion is reflected in the press and the
press forms public opinion. The one
may be Judged by the other. The ut
teranccs of the press give us the dlathc-
sis of the times. The newspaper is a
sliding scale by which we may measure
the rise and fall of public and private
virtue. Do the conductors OF the press
generally know the tremendous power OF
this cngincry? The words of Caesar
were but the hand of a child to this Her
cules of our civilization.
Is the press outside the great law of
responsibility to God that binds every
soul to obedience Of the truth z" Are
publishers and editors, like railroads and
other corporations, without souls and
shall they, along with Railroad Super
intendcnts and Directors, claim for
themselves utter Responsiveness to
God and man Is it not true Of pub
fishers and editors, as of other men, that
the abuse of great power is the per-
version of great trust? heinous sin
againt God and a gricyous wrong upon
man.
We.givc thanks that among the con-
ductors of the press are earnest and true
men who fear God and labor for mans
peace ''as ever in the great task masters
eye" There are some who have words
Of cheer for every good thing, and who,
unmovcd by brides or frowns, look sin
in its brazcn face and, in Gods name.
rebuke it-always and everywhere
Heaven grant them roinforcements, for
in the wide harvcst-ficld such ''laborers
arc few"
What the press is, what it ought to
be and what it may be, what influence
it is now cxcrting, arc questions of grave
Importance to every good man who
thinks.
1t is a matter for thanksgiving that
certain classes of publications do not
have their origin in the South. There
is not Southern city that would sus-
tain such treasures of villainous wood
cuts, obscene recitals and diabolical sug-
gcstions as are paraded before the com
try in those darling organs of Pandemo-
nium-the "Police News" and "other
creeping things" CATER its kind. >
When the dcpravcd among us delight
their prurient tastes with such rarc-bits
of scnsualism they are obliged to import
it. 1t takes New York or Chicago to
cater successfully to such appetites.-
Up to date, Southern Bishops and di-
vincs-IIcaven be praised have not
entered the columns of Boancr's Ledger
-trotting for pay with "Dexter' and
Bccchcr. But the carnal appctercy is
showing itself. The importation Of this
dcpraved literatureis constantly increas-
ing and, if the truth may be spoken
our secular press is largely responsible
for it. Some of our Southern papers
are doing their utmost to debauch South
ern sentiment. If this result is intend
ed, it is criminal in the last degree, as
conspiring with the Devil against the
life and purity of society; if it is not
intended, and the wicked things that are
written and approved by some of our
editors are simply spontaneous express
ions of the thoughts they think and TIN
principles they entertain; if they writ
as they do, because, being what the,
are, they cannot write otherwise OF
H. A. al 1.az,1 ~. axyiI tho,