Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-06-14
AMERICAN JOURNALISM.
Robert Collysr of Chicago on American
Newspapers.


Robert Collyer is the central figure 10
the Chicago pulpit. A man Of broad |
views and sweet sympath es and gener-
Gus humanity, with a noble presence, and |
"a style which combines strength and |
beauty 10 u remarkable degree, he is quite |
the most attractive preacher in the city, |
and a recognized moral force. What be |
saws wins attention as what he does COM
mands respect. lie belongs TO sect
about us much as TOse-tree belongs TO
the tub it is rooted in, whose fertility Of
soil il converts into sap and fibre and
leaves and lOyelincss for all to admire
and eujoy. In fact, he belongs to the
Church of All Outdoors, and is never
50 much at home rs when considering
some question that concerns the public
wei fare, or some Of the larger interests
or aspects OF society or mankind. And
| he usually treats these subjects In direct,
common n-sense, practical way, holding
them up IN the light OF warm and ten
der Christian faith, and showing how
they are related to individual duty, and
| how they may be turned to The largest
personal aud general advantage. And
THIS gives AN added weight and inlclUsl
to what he says on such subjects.
MIR. Collyer preached last Sunday morn
ing on the newspaper, and his sermon
was printed in the Tribune of tue follow
ing day. I'll ali able and rich sermon,
fully appreclating the worth and work OF
the newspaper rs il is, and entirely tfee
from the hackueyed dittribes and digni-
lied drivcl which tho average preacher
iudulges in. His sermon has the ring OF
"A sturdy realism all the way through,
and is as fresh as bed of new blown
prairie roses, and as free from cant as n
cable telegram. 1t sees that the news
paper is an important factor of mode, n
civilization. He recognizes il rs mighty
moral aud humanizing force. He beholds
in il what Matthew Arnold secs in
Diviniy-a power that makes for right
eousness. Here is what he says OF ita
Intellectual ability; "Dr. Chalmers said,
, many years ago, that the best thinking
and best Writing Of his day was done iOl
; the newspapers. Il was perfect wondel
TO him how such matchless essays MS Dc
read every day could be written on TIT
: spur of the moment, in the clash anG
y elang of the inteusest life Of tne world
I and when each question that came up io
u discussion had been sprung then anl
u there on the writer Il Is not TOO mucl
Q To saw that the newspaper article, on th
70 average, is as much better now as IN
paRers are better than those Of thlrt
i Years ago on which Chalmers based hi
IS wonder. IL Is the result OF this deyoui
q ing enterprise, fed by ample means, whic
" searches through every corner aud ctahn
Z. of the land for iFen aud women Of IN
"a finest ability, and thea iastcns lheh Wit
II golden chains, as the old Roman col
! querors fastened kings, each IN their o"
a. place"
II MIR. Collycr does not agree with mau
VI of the smaller orter OF ministers, WI
re condemn the newspaper on Sunday 4
en- irre,i. iuus, and then rush out Oh Monde
OF morums to sec If II contains report {
'ts their il considered words. lie looks {
e il rs essentially religious IN its eehcr
Ne influence. ile SAVE that, without dOuN
the newspaper ''ls MORE popular ni
Irs more widely trti in this country Inv
re the Bihic. Nc nltcr bear Of nuybut
gu making such 4 confession about " as
ou Thnma- FU l,r made va h1nUred yea
in ago. ahnnt the lesson for the day; fo
.iye me To- Ills, that tni- morning, VIII
all myself tu read Thy Word, | turn
nd the Leaf iirst to sec If II Na- loug cha
III, ter The lesson for the morning or /
an evening we read from tbs newspaper
never a long chapter. We never u
OF lOng-lost spectacles between It's pag'
TO and we are stirred here and there
n l what we read, as l fear we are seldC
lint stirred by the twenty third psalm, or I
r a parable of the Good Samaritan. I
r reason is, / think, that the newspaper
the the quick aHd close lesson for the day.
vas is the thought and action OF the wo
ght about us caught on the wing and ira
'ho ferred, throbbing with life and dei
n with love and hate, with terror and j
uld into our hands, and so II is not dlsial
'ed, nut nearness that lends the enchautme
'rm aud wo are unspeakahly more awe
zen The death of Salmon Z. Chase, than
'ing that of Samuel the Prophet, and to Cal
tied ia the lava beds than TO siseIa slain
and an equal or worse trcachery In the
I oil of Joel.o 81 believe that a great 4
good newspaper is as sacred in its
ana way as the Bible. II has something !
h TO Of the very present word ef God to m
'Ort- and the very present word OF mal
here God. The heartbeat of both pulls
berg It's newspapers the hand of both sets
here type, and the spirit Of both rtads
hieh proof. An old printer of Norwich, W
aud, newspapers first began, when he
ance not enough to fill his pages, used TO
me a chapter out of Job. But now, "
the whole world Is its neighsorhood,
ion. trouble is to find room for the teeu
but revelation that pours in as the SUI I
W the world OF the Woru Ol Nou 70 "
nan "a good newspaper is as true mi
d to tranl to the best life Of the soul as
Vt be bread is to that of the body, aud i
COM become about as Indispensable. i
sometimes as If / would like 10 rel
ate great leader as second lesson in
, and service. That man prays rest and pri
pped best who keeps up the truest, stea'
chip intimacy with good paper, because
and l is ,ken outside himself tor his subj
otice and finds his heart going ont tow
9 one the whole living world in suppilcauC
sons thanksgiving before the throne.
yer that man breaches best who IS
avlng grounded in the old sacred yeritles
them then watches this mirror of tile psi
me to time, aud so brings out OF his trct
came things Old and new"
lived Ol course MIR. Collyer condemns
coarse and vulgar sensaliOnalism
lowest papers but he has none OF
hypercrltical over-squeamishness
, cor- making public matters that coneer
- aaN IA