The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-13

Tho Rumered Death OF MIR. Stanley.
The modern newspaper marks the progress
of civilization. 'Let me write the songs Of
people, says a writer, ''and care little who
makes their laws" Well, we have changed
that in fashion. Ballads and edicts are
good in their way, and 90 far towards i'm
pressing the ideas of q nation, but the press
surpasses them in its modern growth and
as a necessity Of our ripper life. The
work of q representative journal that
keeps pace with the march of the age, and
represents its thought and enterprise has so
much power that it becomes part Of the ma
| ton itself. In England the law recognized
three great estates as embracing the whole
fabric of government and society. We have
added another in this nineteenth century,
and already it is the custom to speak of the
press as the 'tFourth Estate"
There are no periods in history more ro-
mantle than those which record the adven-
lures and achievements Of the explorer.
When God wished to show His chosen people
q mark of His benefcence he bade them 60
| forth and seek the Promised Land. No
| chapter in the sacred record is more
interesting than that which tells of the forty
years journeying in the wilderness, the miracu-
lous passage of the Red Sea, the cloud by day
and the pillar of fire by night the mama
which fell from the sky and the water that
came from the rock. The legend of Janus
and his journey in search of the Golden Fleece
belongs to this fascinating literature. Every
nation has its legends of adventure and dis
covery. We read Of the shepherds who
wandered with their focks, of apostles
who fled from persecution, of tribes of
warlke barbarians who founded empires
upon the wreck of enervated nationalites Of
armies who conquered with the sword Coming
into modern days, we have the achieve
ments of the Portuguese under such men as
Albuquerque; of the Italians under Columbus
and Vespucius; of the Spaniards under Pizarro
and Cortez and De Soto; OF the English under
Cabot and Bradford and Penn and Raleigh;
of the Danes in the Arctic seas; the Dutch in
the East Indies and America; the Swedes
| upon our own shores. Even now Russia
shows her young and growing strength in her
advance upon Persia and China. England
made her position in the ranks of the first
empire of the world when she colonized and
conquered India. And America never more
thoroughly compels the admiration and respect
of the world than when she builds railroads
| and POUNDS cities and establishes Common
wealths in the country of the Seminole and
the Sioux. The history of civilization is never
more graphically written than in the history
of exploration and adventure
Heretofore the efforts of the bold and far
seeing men to plant civilization in the unknown
and savage countries of the world have been
little more than personal achievements
and experiences. When Francis Xavier
traversed Japan and the Able Hue
penetrated China they were missionaries,
bound by solemn vows In the service of
religion, inspired by the enthusiasm of Chris
tianity and impelled by the discipline of
mighty Church. When Columbus discovered
America he was simply Jealous adventurer,
burning with passion for discovery, carrying
| flag which was given him with reluctance and
commanding men who followed him with ap-
prehension and dread. He gave Spain an
empire, which, had she been wise, would have
made her the mistress of two continents; and
his reward was to be carried homo in chains.
The settlement of New England arose from
the prosecutions of bigoted king, while the
wild and reckless men who founded the Old
Dominion of Virginia were seeking career
which they had thrown away In England. The
story of individual travellers of Marco Polo
and Vambery and Humboldt: of DR.. Kane
and Sir John Franklin; of Sir Samuel Baker
and Du Chaillu and Livingstone-are stories
of personal enterprise and daring, sometimes
attended with hardship and death. These
men have contributed to science and know
ledge at the expense of their lives, and
their careers never cease to be read with q
fascinating interest.
When the HERALD equipped an expedition
to explore Africa, and find traces of the
famous DR.. Livingstone, it marked new era
in journalism as the rpest phase of modern
civilization. 1t recognized the duty of the
press to be something more than merely to
stand still and print the news that came to it.
The nations were watching with interest and
sympathy the movements of this world
renowned explorer. He had charged him.
self WITH the duty Of solving the problems
involved in the mysterious and, so far
as we know, the marvellous countries
of interior Africa. Was it possible that
country blessed by God with abundant adj
yantaoes with n mild climate fruitful soil
streams and lakes and valleys and mountains,
should be abandoned to the wild beast and
the still wilder savage9 Was there no way
Of making Africa blessing and comfort to