The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1869-08-28
The Responsibility of the Press.

ioiiowcr OF public opinion. 1t Is either
the sentinel on tho bulwark of liberty,
apasof the public good, ON the qui cire,
for the approach Of any invasion or in
! novstion upon the cause of truth and
right, warming of thc approach of dan
ger and pointing fearlessly to the cause
whence the danger comcth, and to its
preventive or remedy, or else it is the
index or exponent of public opinion,
safollowing the multitude to do evil' or
! well, it is the mere expression of the
public mind, the weather cock that tells
how public sentiment bloweth
a in the former Of these attitudes, the
Press appreciates the nobility of it's
Iaissioh, and if conducted with ability, is
the mighty safcty-valvc of liberty, of
snosality, of law, and order aud progress
sion. II is the mightiest propagator of
education, the mighticst influence of civ
ilization.
-. In the latter position, this grand inAu-
ence for good is prostitutcd, unmiudful of
its high purpose and mission, prcstituted
into q machine to reflect public opinion
as it is, changeable and often wrong.
Looking at the Press in the State,
with these preparatory ideas Of its mis-
sion and duty, it is study of much in
terest to the moralist, to notice the va
riety of their shades, as the different
papers in the State verge to one or the
other of these points.
The mass of these papers are of
course, Democratic; a respectable mi
tiority are Conservative or medal, thee
or four are Radical
Now, of the Democratic papers. it is
q palpable fact, that while one or two of
thep are leaders, the great mass of them
are simply followers of public opinion.
The few out-and-out Radical papers
represent only that extreme party which
/, now, managed by adroit manipulation of
the. ignorant masses, dominates in the
State. e
Of the Conservative papers, there is
also sub division, some of them, unable
to subscribe to the programme of cor
ruption, which would use the present
8 state Of parties in the South, for person
al aggrandizement, but seeing that the
great question of difference between the
Democratic and Republican parties'at the
South have been irrevocably settled in
favor of the Republican party, would ac-
3 cept these as accomplished facts, and
though, at variance with every habit of
thought and prejudice, still would admit
them and endeavor to make the best of
them; others of the Conservative Press
ore really Republican, and though op-
posed to the corrupt representatives OF
this party who have ovcrrun the South,
and who occupy her high places, dis
gracing rather .tnau representing their
party, still believe that the platform
Of the Republican party is in accordance
with the spirit of the age, and represents
an "immense concentration of power and
an Irresistible sweep of authority"
which, "if wisely and virtuously admin
istered," would exert its mighty iuflu-
enee for good.
The quotations above are from the
Winnsboro NewS. The Ne,cs says: alt
is q fixed fact that we have now gov
eminent both State and National of the
minority, whose will is law, and our eff
forts will be to make that majority as
wise and virtuous as possible"
We contend that this course is the
most Independent and conscientious that
the Press can pursue. That this is lead
ing public opinion in the right path.
That time is worse than wasted, which
is spent in abuse Of the corrupt adventu-