The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-08-01

journalists says Mr.. y. a. Frouue, "uo PiV
sided at recent dinner Of the contributors
10 fhc fund, are BADLY paid and trying 10
their health" and an association OF TINS SOFT
is In manner necessity. Al the oinher
MIR. Froude made spirited ana cie'er
speccl,, from which we quote !:
eve of the present generation nave ifcu
all our lives in an atmosphere OF newspa-
pcrs. They are part Of our being. Necan-
not contemplate an intelligent existence
without them. But let lis PROJECT ourselves
for 4 moment outside the stream. Let US
think Of the newspaper press as h''toIs-
cal phenomenon. 1t Will tneh perhaps nfs1
present itsel, ia its real significance. Starting
up, as it were, yesterday-lor TWO centuries
ago there was Starcely newspaper IN the
world---it has now spread through the en-
tire globe. II has become necessary OF
lie among all civilized mankind. 1t has be-
come. too, one Of the greatest of political
forces, with which it is VIGOROUSLY danger
o,is to NEEDLE. Laughter and cheers.l And
the meaning of the press becomes more
apparent if we compare 1t with the insti-
tniions of which it is the evident successor.
The functions which now belong to the
p.css were once exercised by the Roman
Catholic Church. Besides the charge OF
teaching religion, the Church claimed very
wide dominion in the name OF right and
wong over the practical business OF life.
liz moral questions, social questions, polltl-
cal questions, the Church interiered on
hundred sides. aud with its spiritual CEN
s,rcs it continued 10 make Itself obeyed.
From Kings Cabinet TO village ale.houst
nothing was too high for it, nothing was toe
low. Ii cc0rccd statesmen, it bullied squlre-
and barols, il intcrposed between fathers and
children. 1t controlled literature. 1t was
an omnipre sent power, pervading the entlre
circuit OF life in Christian countries. It's
uYctcnsions did not end with the Reforma'
ton. Ecclesiastical discipline was never
halshcr thanamnng the French Huguenots OF
the Scotch Calyinisls. Even in England,
down to the seventeenth century, Protestant
specchcs we're as often as not political
speeches. [Chccr'.l In this country the
change came with the Restoration. The
church WAS sent to the organ-ott, as Car
hlc puts it, to pipe and fiddle, and Interfere
With ucbody'> practice any more. Much
lmigbter] When the Church let fall it,
authority, the newspaper press took 1t up,
and from feeble beginnings have grown TO
what we sec. Who now sits in judgment
on kings. Who arraigns ministers! VINO
discusses debates. argues, and comes to con.
cIu>ions on the great questions OF eXpedl'
.ncy and justice which were once the
Churclfs province! The public con-
science is not represented now in pulpit OF
~ altar. but in the newspaper press
Hear, heart Who, again, now ln1lcts penl'
Tertiary discipline on private offenders
against society,"? [Laugker] Once they
were made to carr, tapers in procession, OF
stand in white shirts in the church alsses
They escape that form Of penance, but they
have exchanged it for Il worse. They and
fiirir misdeeds are now hung up in the sight
oi al! mankind in the columns of the Time:
ald the Daily Ners. Laughter and cheers.
y cain, who now looks after the books
tIl't are published: [Laughtcr.] We have
not now TO apply for all 7n1pranldt'r TO
committee Of orthodoxy. we are not liable
TO he burnt ourselves, or to see oul
books burned by the baDgman. Re
Mewcd lalghtcr.l But the instant we make
IN appearance we are brought before q
tribunal which can be sharp enough in It's
ways [hcar. heart, and ii less partlcu'
LIZ about orthodoxy, Is, and ought 70
70, extremely intolcrapt of stupidity. This
!, point on which ] can speak from expert.
euct. Laughter On the whole, English
literary criticism Is siugularly ta!r, ana
Especially is there an absence OF personality
[tlear, heart There are, however, one OF
TWO peculiar features about 1t which deserve
notice. NUllaire, in one OF his novels,
b!inys his hero to 4 place where there Is {;
peculiarly successful literary journal. DE
asks the editor for bis secret. The editor
says that when book is to be criticised be
looks cut for the personal enemy OF the
auihor 10 write the review. Laughter
1;t 90 hi. in -Ia nd
IF ANYTHING Of the kind occurs, personal
friends spring up and make it straight.
But there is IN anomaly OF another KIND
which has often struck me. In other probes
siUns men learn their business first in prac-
tite, and only arrive at last at the func-
ton of judges. In literature, observe, the
practice is just reversed. \ young writer
commences with sitting in Judgment on
others, and having served bis time on the
bench. dcSccuds to practice on his own az
count at the bar. [Aluch laughtcr.] l
might continue indefinitely the parallel
Which have been drawing, for it is no
fancy, but Plain, literal fact. The Church
has now become strictly spiritual entity;
the temporal powels all those Scmi-secular
functions which once belonged TO it, have
been passed over TO the press. Not TO be too
more points only which have to do with our
business here this evening. OF course news
papers are all intalliblr Ilaughterl, but then
they are not unanimous renewed laugh
tel, which prevents infallibilty from doing
mischief. A free stuge and no favor for all
forms Of opinion-that is what the press
offers; and it is the continual motion, the
continual conflict and collision of opinion,
" i,tto oil atrn
fresh and healthy. [Cbcers.] If we knew
the truth about everything without effort in
learning it the world would be the dreariest
Of al! imaginable places. Truth is doled out
10 Us bit by bit rs the reward Of constant
struggle between mind and nature, and be-
tween mind and mind. Hear, hear.l Theo-
yies form, interests form, strong minds lead
weak minds, parties rise, and when they are
numerous enough they start their journal
10 represent them. The press atpresent Is
i'll the state in which the Church was be-
fore its doctrines crystalZed. 1t is system
of the purest voluntaryism. With no con-
nection with the State [hear], with no
tlXily Of tenure, each organ lives
on The goodwill Of its voluntary
supporters. Hear, hear.] Newspaper gen.
orally are just the expression OF such forms
OF public opinion rs are uppermost. .ihey
must reflect them or they are nothing.
Whether this will always remain the condi-
ton of the press is large question. Always
Isl long time. There is already all over The
world u sort Of freamasonry among neHspa-
rer writers. u sense of common brotherhood.
Hitherto, whenever any new power has
manifested itself among men. it has generally
or universally shown tendency TO gather
wealth and substance about it, and acquire
IN assured position. Many strange things
may happen in the course of centuries. But
changes 10 this direction, if such there are to
be, lie far ahead of us. When the press be.
comes established. when it becomes depart