Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-08-10

even before the associated press reports were
published, but since they have nearly mo.
nopolizcd the wires, we have read the tele-
graphic summary Of the great dailies merely
to ascertain to what perfection the ancient
art of fbbing is carried We have a theory
that facts and truths are the essential pajulum
Of the brain; that any deyiations from the
truth, or the knocking it back aud forth, with
statements and denials, with ailirmations and
negations, as is done by the telegraphic re-
ports, is injurious and ultimately fatal to the
brain itself The brain is so organized that it
is shocked and shaken and disorgauizcd by
the constant action upon it Of ialschoods.
To be under the necessity Of believing and
disbelieving the same thing on the same day
or week, aud to have this process of action
and reaction going on continually is wearing
and destructive to the organ of intelligence
and communication. Hence the rapid increase
Of apopleciic and paralytic diseases within a
few years. Sensitive organizations cannot
bear this perpetual action and reaction of
lying, the everlasting recol of fasehood 1t
deranges the nervous system and impuirs the
functions Of the brain. We have an idea
that the largest classification Of facts would
show the prevalence Of diseases of the
brain and Of the nerves communicating with
it, to be in the proportion with the activity Of
the telegraph (which is the activity Of false
hood, and also to be chiefly among the classes
in the community which most largely read
the daily newspaper, and rely for their facts
upon its Geographic summary. Truth is the
cement of communities, and ialsehood is a
disregard Of the compact which may be sup
posed to exist between man and man, and
may be looked upon as high treason against
society. And system Of reporting inteli.
genoe which goes on telling lies from morn
ing till night, which sets friends and neighbors
quarreing with each other about facts that
have no existence, and alternately raises and
sinks the hopes and fears Of men, and often
plunges them into ruinous speculations a,
well as needless discussions demoralizes the
nerves, irritatcs and disintegrates the struc-
ture Of the brain, and opens it to the easy
onnroocb or the most fatal of diseosos w,
knew more and knew better about the state Of
current affairs when our resource was the mills
than now whom tho mails and tbo trutb ar,
alike optdistoncc1 Nv tbeteleoronh Tho wa,
in Eurone has revived This electric .bockino
system The popors are filled with rumors onc
Glsehoods Al one momept we are inrormc,
" that the Prussians have mined the left bank
of the Rhine and soon the French after
brilliant and desperate fight have taken Saa
Louis" We are assured that the En-
peror will not give military position to Gen
Sheridan" or that he has given comman,
to the son of the Sultan Of Turkey" 70
day we are told that two Prussian gun
boats have been sunk by French frigatc,
and tomorrow informed that the Frenc
forces are mutinous, ill-fed and woe-begone
There is no end to the lyiny about the Sc
cret treaty." the movements of troops, an,
result Of skrmshes, the execution of needl
guns, chassepots aud mitraUeurs. Each day
the attitude of Russia or Italy or Austria i
given, only to be denied on the next day, an,
so on. We are ever tempted to give on
credence to faschoods and to distrust and re
f iect the truth. Forever disappointed, W
D come either to believe nothing, or by sin
= gular anomaly, to believe everything, which
, if anything little worse.
Now we do not doubt that the teegrapb
on the whole a preot benefit to the world.
' has occasion to transmit other thinps tina
i rumors and press reports But supnose III,
If should be as unreliable in its nriyate me
e soces as it is in its nublc revelations il woul
5 bccomo nm upmitioated curse II woul1 sbo,
J ter all confidence between man and man.
il were 10 beoin 10 tell untrutbs wbctb,
from design ON the mart of tbe onerators
d. from some perversepess in the voltaie aui
e itself it would produce the same state
b. things in private relations. that it now do,
: in public matters. A person in Boston di
patches message to his correspondent
O Montpelier to buy him ten thousand pouu,
/. of butter. which is rising in priee and Ii
# telegraph orders him the same number
d mounds of hons which are ropidlv falling
. or. friend sends A MESSAGE TO another that
v relative is dangerously i'll and he must con
;, at once. while the mepdacious teleprapb d
e cares " relative is quite recovered and vc
c need not come - or a Senator's sneecb i p
! ported in favor of abolishipo the tariff
e wool when it was an argument for its il
: crease: who in such case, would be dispose
y to trust the telegraph for the future2 |
= character would be shaken, and if its myster