The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-08-07
Of a business turn, engaged in the enterprise
-but with rare excepti0na. not men of Lead

Il .
! Of a business turn, engaged in the enterprise
I r-Dnt win rare exceptions, not men of lead
ing literary or argumentatiye minds. The
result declares itself to the most superficial.
The newspaper ,eas compilation Of poorly
digested news, often of the most trivial char
acter. The leader, which gives tone and
character to the daily or weekly issue,-had
not then been dreamed of. The master
mind, which Is now called for by every news
paper OF any repute-or that would win a
| character-fouad its place Of service In al
most any other neld rather than in the print
| ing Office. s-,ss 81
\ recolleet well an incident bearing ON this
point, related to me by wel-known literary
gentleman Of our city; aud IL Is Illustrated
BY my observations in the days Of my APP
premiership.
/ The Portland Gazette, forty or fifty years
ago, was published by a worthy man, well up
to tie times In which he lived. It was the
leading organ in the district, of powerful
organization-the old Federal party. That
party was generally in the minority in the
district--but 1t always fought its battles Wig
orously. 1t comprised a large class Of the
) vorthiest, and ablest men pecuniarily with
/, in our borders. The paper was evidently up
to thsir standard of newspapers, or they
would have demanded an improvement. II
vas not demanded, or made, as l am well
informed. u.t.. .... .l... q.
On one occasion, the publisher desired to
put little more spice into the issue OF GER
J tain week. IL might have been near the 4th
of July, or Thanksgiving. Perhaps Fast day
was near at hand. So he called on my lit
erary friend to furnish him a leader He
was intending to astonish his patrons with a
touch extra, and he was quite jolly about 1t.
/ The article was written. 1t was we'll re-
ceiyed by, the public. That lazy public
shrugged its lazy shoulders, and pronounced
II lively. The subject was "Musings In
Graveyard" The publisher, even, rose to the
occasion, and pronounced 1t excellent. He
weDs farther than that land like Oliver Twist,
{ be "wanted mOrey and even called on my
friend about it. He wanted one article
week, for a year--ffty-two leaders. He
would be willing to pay for them. He would
do what was right--no fear. On being
pressed for his Terms definitely, he announced
them. They were, copy of the paper, ($2
per year) for an article Of column each
week for year! or, In short hand, $500 for
fifty-two columns of editorial matteri Well
might we exclaim, with Dominic Sampson,
"Mar Consciencel'
That was the gauge in those days, OF the
value of an editorial leader, in one mans
mind at leastI tlss.
Noso, the influence of newspapers is resist
less 1t sways the civilized world. The
ablest minds Of the age are brought to bear
upon them constantly and they are thus rem
dered, what In truth they are. the mightest
power of the age, to accomplish its great des-
TIMES.
The mighty men are those, who, with the
adaptation as well as the education fitting
them for the place, take charge of these won
derful engines of civilization and progress.
With this view, the position and response.
bility Of the editors and publishers here Gin
this fraternity, assembled, stand out above
their cornpeers Of the pulpit or the bar.
The vantage ground Is yours. The key
TO the position has been gained. 1t has been
won by a series of steps leading 70 the top
most ronnd. rejoice, as q veteran in this
cause, that it has fallen into so worthy
hands. eufI 1HiHraf 7saii- llas .Nlr.II F..
Ny confidence Is supreme Fears have no
existenca here. / eonfide, so far as have
voice, in the men who control the press Of
| the State Of Maine, that it will suffer no
detriment at their hands. Better than that
\ II believe that the men Of this third estate,
| as it has been not inaptly called, }, will prove
/ themselves capable Of maintaing Its dignity
| and charaeter--of elevating il in their day,
I as the men before them, In the twenty-five
1 years past have done. Taking the press up,
| as a mere machine, and breathing life and
| soul and power into 1t, equaling the mag
nificsnt wonders of the last quarter ofa
ceptury, in this respect. ...
| The standard is being advanced In all the
| great discoveries of this century. My trust
| Is complete, that the newspaper press will
carry itself as far as the farfhist, and sic-
nalized this age by as great superiority over
the last, as any art or science that Is now
striving for greatness by enlarging its scope
and means TO benefit the world -.
The age demands ID, and the demand will
be promptly met, or have entirely misread
the men of the epoch in this grand division
Five years since, at the frst Edltors and
p..hi,.hsrss Convention held in Maine, bad
/ saa honor to- deliver the Address. The
country vas then s-ahrofled In civil war. The
| prospect was Indeed gloonay- It Law with
the editors and publishers of our paPsss to
keep the great heart of the people in courage
and well toned up to the patriotic spirit which
| pervaded the civilized world. plainly and
pointedly urged this upon thss,. what then
was prophecy has since become history.
What then was faith Is now assurance. /
aid not doubt these men. and how gloriously
| did they justify our confidence. Many Of
| the words spoken then seem to have been
| prophetic. and others to have eminent fitness
| now. / recOllect of saying then, and diverg-
| ing from the strict line OF my duty, how well
| 1t may in conclusion be said now, all Of you
| will Judge. Differences of opinion must ex-
| ist. 1t cannot be otherwise In the present
| constitution of the human mind. But there
Is one point about which all can rally, and that
| Is the salvation of the country, and the per-
petuitY Of its free institutions for the teemlng
millions who are to inhabit Ii In the coming
| centuries. It cannot belt Is not written
that in this refuge for the oppressed every
where, In this nineteenth century, the
wheel is to 60 baclx--that the pitcher is TO be
broken at the fountain.
The press holds this mighty responsibility
as none else does. The country 70 be pre-
served and the moral and religious tone to
be kept up-otherwise 1t would not be worth
preserving s1.sq tIlni t.ie i.silsei ~ .l'.
Let then no minor striies, or petty bcker-
| ings, control your patriotic aspirations, or
| your love for our whole country.
| "Let no pent up Utica contract your pow
i ers y fAs an.American citizan is superior to
mere party man so is the work of elevating
republican America greater than mere party
i success. "The power Is constantly stealing
4 from the many to the few." Contend In
\ season and out, for the glorious cid doctrine
\ that the people IN this Republic are the
4 source of all power. So that, when the sum
mons comes to you that must come to all,
| you will have glorious satisfaction, as you
turn your face TO the wall, of rejecting that
In your vastly responsible position, you ever
| put forth your best energies to preserve un-
] dying, the honor and freedom of the press,
| the integrity of the countryside moral
l tone Of the people-and the perpetuity Of its
| Republican institutions, in all their potency
u ana purlty.f,.ss. ff.ss5 S. ti 6li,. a'saN sfl0