Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-02-18
TENNESSEE PRESS ASSOCIATION.

DelOre the tennessee Press
association Mt its recent session in
Nashville, Tennessee:
GRAFTON OF COL. A. -. KELLAR,
Ladies and gentlemem In response
TO Il request made upon me by the mem
hers of the Tennessee Press Association,
to deliver an address upon this occa-
sion, ! appear before you with an apol-
ogy in my mouth, | regret to say,
am not here as a teacher in journalism
but as a pupil. ! am not here as %
master, but rs n follower; and i'll can
say anything in the course Of my adj
dress to you that shall throw any light
on the duties of journalism, il will be
the Cmanations of one who does not
stand in the sanctuary, but one who
walks in its outer courts, Andil | can
catch something of the spirit and in
%spiratiou of the temple, | want to i'm
part it to those who, in common will
us, belong TO Il profession whose duties
and whose responsibilities to each other
and TO the public are not thoroughly
understood.
What is it Ihat gives power TO the
press This is a question which we ask
every day, and which we ought to be
able to answer truthfulIy and correctly.
must beg to appease criticism, or at
least to take away the poison of its
sting, for the manner in which | shall
give utterance to my views and opin-
ions; because fresh from the daily la
bors of a newspaper, which gives very
little spare time to prepare an Grafton,
! shall impart and give to you those
ideas and those thoughts which are TIE
growth and development of u busy
newspaper life.
The writing daily discourse and the
preaching a daily sermon but give to
the public the history Of every day life,
and leaves no leisure for oratory on the
stump or for a finished lecture in the
academy.
What is it that gives power to the
press? According to my conception
there are two things, without which
the press Can never achieve markedin'
iluence. These are integrity of thought
and an earnest and broad sympathy
with the people. There is a class OF
newspaper men who teach two max
inns; one, that a paper lever does
wrong, and the other that the truth,
for its own sake, cannot be published.
These maXims have been adopted by
the old school of journalists, and by
the school which is known as the par
tisan school Of Journalists, that anews-
paper never does wrong, and that the
truth, for its own sake, cannot be pub
lished. This class of journalists are
rapidly passing away under the recog-
, milton of the truth that integrity OF
thought, inspired by a broad sympathy
for the people, has had growth, with
in the last ten years, to which not even
the most blind and venal partisan can
shut his eyes. The old class or order
Of journalists, gentlemen of the press,
who inculCate these maXims, like the
caucus system has passed away. And
tits because the press is not the organ
Of the few, but the organ of the people.
Newspapers are not published for the
benefit of the privileged few, but for the
great body OF the people. There are
- OtilCl |tlClltIltN NlllCll Clllcl lulO lllC 70
Enlistment of the successful newspa-
p~cr-energy, enterprise, judgment and
money, The old order Of journalism
was the organ Of the man; it was the
image of the editor; it was designed fol
no other purpose but to give expression
TO the opinions, whatever they might
be, of the proprietor or editor of the pa
per, Under that system of journalism
when the printer or the editor walked
the streets he was the newspaper
When he went from his residence tt
his printing Office, there walked the
editor Of theThlinderbolt. He was tho
Thundorbolt. : His subscribers were
personally known to him. They reaC
and they took his paper because they
We're known to him. He did not pub
fish news, but simply his own individ'
ual opinions. Compare, if you please
acopy Of the Tattler or the Advertiser
in which Junius Numbered his invec
tives against the British minister, to
COPY of the London Times of to-day
and see what progress journalism ha
made. Compare, in your own minds
the early papers of this country witt
those Of the present day. If a mai
would undertake to publish Il daily pa
per now, without Geographic dispatch
cs, no matter what amount of none,
he might invest in it, it would fail; s.
that, no matter how much intellectual
power the editor may infuse into hi
own productions, that, of itself, vii
rot make a successful paper at tn
present day, because the press of to-da,
Is mot the organ of the man, or of an,
one set Of men; and until We come u
to the height Of this argument, tn
press will never achieve that powe
which is within its grasp.
Newspaper men are more thorough
misrepfesented than perhaps are thos
of any other avOcaion in this life
much more abused than lawyers; bl
newspaper men are indebted for tn
misrepresentation to themselves alOnl
1t is because they have not a prop'
conception of their duties and of the
aspirations. 1t is because they do n,
assert their own independence; becaui
they have not always, and III all occ
sions, a thorough integrity of though
WHICH, ~ u uTOdu SyLDpdlL
with and for the people, will give the
more power in the political world tbs
yer the caucus or the convention sy
tenn possessed. Now, between the o
system of conducting thepress, andt
new order of things, has arisen AGO
test. 1t is going on to-day; andthat
the fight which we are to make, whit
we are compelled to make, in order
achieve Il at power without which v
can do - good to the people. | unde
stand by integrity Of thought, to
true to your convictions of what "
believe 10 he right, and to have Il
courage to give utterance, not only
your own opinions, but 10 allow Il
same freedom of utterante to yOl
neighbor who may differ from you.s
is to communicate every way of ligl
to the piibfic mind, in order that the
may understand public questions.
is to publish all facts that are coDnectC
with any subject. 1t Is to withho
nothing, and to do this in a sPfi
~ al. s.. ,.st1. H. go,