New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-03-25
ADDRESS TO PRESS REPORTERS
OBsEQUIEs OF A JOURNALIST
Bcecher ExciteS Indignation

A New York dispatch to the Louisville
Courier Journal says:
The funeral of George WakeInan took
place to-day, in the presence OF q large num-
Der of leading New York journalists. Henry
Ward Beecher delivered an address, which
has since created considerable comment IN
journalistic circles. He sald:
1t is for me now to say only one single
word in regard to the life-work of our de-
parted friend. l am glad to speak to your
consciences and judgment that he per-
formed his lifework well. Although he
achieved no conspicuity, he was known to
his brothers of the profession as an honor
able man: man full Of genteness and
goodness: q man who spent his life IN con-
tributiug to the public veal in no insignif-
cant manner; for the newspaper has be-
come second to no other instrumentality for
public education and the influence of
opinion and he who contributes TO news
papers contributes to the education OF his
fellow-men. The press IS the channel
through which the whole community is
reached. Although it seems to us at certain
times that the papers deserve the credit,
thew who are less known TO us deserve our
consideration and the recognition of their
services.
We do not know what rest is sacrificed;
what tact Judgment, and integrity are mani.
tested, and what long continued practice
therein is required to make one reporter
and fit contributor to paper. The temp
tations are not few. judge they are pow.
erful by the number of men who break
down and die from dissipation in connection
with the newspapers. 1t would almost seem
that they are slaughter houses; not that
night work is necessarily unwholesome, not
that the exertioR is excessive but 1t is dis
sipation. 1t is burning not single wick,
but double, triple, quadruple wlcks, SO that
men soak up the whole OF their nerves and
brain and burn themselves out. They resort
to those stimulants. Their relations with
others of their profession are social and
| they fall into festive habits.
On every hand there is the incentive to
| stimulus, the peculiar and besetting dan.
ger. Then, too, there are many temptations
| to the welding of power, to ungentlemanly
behavior, to revenge, to petty spite. Then,
| too. favoritism and 2artlsanlsm beset this
| profession. When, therefore, any man
carries himself through it with modesty,
not indulging his malignant passions; when
conscience, when fear, when righteousness
and faithfulness to the last degree marks
his demeanor; when he had been content
that others should reap merit where he had
sown and lsbored when man has so
| demeaned himself, he is worthy OF more
than moments praise, and this | under
| SldOu mas UtSu tuc CStitSl VI Jul OCpdl tCu
friend; man, to know whom was love; a
man who in all positions where duty called
him, was energetic, patient, persevering
and right minded; and who, though dying
in middle life, was without the faint of dis
| sipation.
He has gone from among you. My friends,
| it seems to me that you owe something more
to his memory than simply to have been here
| to-day, and perhaps to wiring each others
hands and say he was good fellow, whose
like we have not amongst US living. You
should strive in something else to do honor
to him. His example should influence you
to be truthful, to be honorable, to be serious,
and above all to be clean in body as well as
in mind; clean of those diseases which are
entailed by indulgencies unsavory and
wicked as well as unmanly. You can raise
no better monument to his memory than in
saying 'From him I learned that lesson
from him l borrowed that example: from
him derived that good influence" By the
life he induces you to lead you will have
honored him more than marble or brass
would do.
The intimation that journalists, SIS class
are drunkards and unclean in body, has
naturally aroused good deal of ire among
the press gang, Of which more will be heard
ere long.