, 1873-05-02
AMERICAN JOURNALISM.
An Address by Mr.. Henry Waiter
son, Editor Of the Louisville
Oourier-Journal.

Delivered Before tho indiana
Press. Convention, at Indinn-
apolis, May 1, 1873.
II will not bo considered Irrelevant, trust, II
standing In the presence Of an association Of
editors, I proclaim a long-chorishod and we'll
defined belief In socioties which guild them-
solyos upon the noble principle Of mutual i'd
miration; nor will you charge mo with an OK
coas Of loyalty II add that whilst respecting
them tho more tue larger and tile stronger
thoy become, am by no means indifferent to
their advantages where they aro not 30 impos-
Ing and numerous, but happon to bo reduced
within tho compass of quadrilatoral lines. Be-
causo my friends, Ill considerable omi-
nouco springs in measure out Of
TINT which is called in common life
tho. co-oporativo system. We are living In
N epoch not Of miracles but OF mechanics; Of
multitudinous social, scientific, and profos-
eional complexities; mud instead Of it's
being true that man OF parts gets on faster
and fares bottor without assistance and cn-
couragoment, the reverse Is true. Ono mind aids
another; ono haud holda up auothor; ono Aoart
chcorB another; aud, aa a man Is really an eblo
man, the creator need and uso ho has for his
supports, for that reserved forco, without which
battles could mover bo won, nor great odiaces
constructed, nor political organisms set in mo-
tiou, nor newspapers made up and issued.
Neither is this Indispensable help purely 1nuscu-
lar and artificial; 1t ia often apiritualiatio and
artificial, illustrating the homely adago Tint "two
heads aro better than one, though ono be
shocp's head" Mon Of genius have in a1l tinos
sought association and movod in cluHtora. There
was the shakspearoan cluster: thoro was tho
cluster which collected itself about tho figure of
old Sam Johusou aud thoro iR in our day and
country notable olustcr ciroling around Agassiz
and giving to Boston tho title Of the
Modcr1, Athens; mutual admiration society
which Holmes has boldly avowod and dofonled,
but which wants for no dcfenAe, heinR
a moat natural and reasonable brotherhood Of
poota, wits, and atateamen. Tlis society has
| been represented in courtR, in sonatos, and in
Cabinets and it's members, scarcely moro by tho
special gifts Of ench than by tho honest help and
| appreciation Of all, are known throughout tho
world. You remember that the lion in The fable,
who was shown picture OF ono Of his race lying
proBtrate beneath the foot Of 0 triumphant
human animal, observed, in lis facotiouH,
loonine way, that the situation would bo reversed
If q lion, instead Of mortal had been tho artist.
Now it il given tho journalist to DO at onco tue
lion and the artist, croator and critic; to do
pict his own profession !; to control ind magnify
despite some dolinquoncteH and disfgurementa
in Lis conduct, he has used this advantage
so inoessantly and go ehillfully TINT jour
nss nssm p1 a's Ss@ sS%e hs to 5 r. sa7s %1ss oat
tho oonceit-"a a yeritable Fourth Estato." The
freedom Of tho press, obtained ct length oven
more securely by tho victories 1t is achieving
over dependence md subsidy than BY the nber.
ality OF tho laws which guarantee it, ia sort Of
popular religion; md 80 truly is our journalism
Realizing tho pretty comlnon-placea with which
! 1t once, IN the dnya Of it8 bondage aud gloom,
couhooa ltaelt 70 thoroughly is IL coming to re-
nera Of the ago, and to DO actually, and not hg~
uratively
| --"a map Of busy lifo,
| 1ta fluctuations and its vast concerns"
TINT thoughtful peoplc, paraphrasing tie race-
course epigram of Randolph Of Roanoke, are
beginning to aBk, it the press controls the colu-
try who controls tho prcsB
| LITERATURE AND JouRNALlsM.
am fully persuadod that, take it for all and
all, tho journalism Of America Is tho very best in
tho world. It il complete auHwor to tic
anciont eneer OF the Cocknoya touching OH.
books, for It Is, in truth, our literature. DO not
moan to disparago Longfollow., and Whittier,
and Lowell, Motley, and BANCROFT aud ~ hope
lar distinction for our craft at tho expense OF
our greatest humorist, IT declare that tho morn
ing paper Ia tho only autocrat Of tho breakfast
table; When cousider tho labor and the learn-
ing that arc devoted to books which will 10 for
tunato If they got eight Or ten thousand readers,
nnd observe the ineroaslng audiences which arc
gathoring about tho prcBs. mourn in silence
lfarto, joaquin .Slilier, and Marx i Twain
throwing thomsolyea away, and 70.
joioe, aud ain exceedingly glad In tht
salvation to journalism and the worlt
image aside, my serious meaning is that every
age haH It's interpreter; there waB the age Of tht
drame; tllero waa the ago Of the pamphlet; there
was the ago Of tho novel. This is the ago OF tht
newspaper. A. congreyo and Sheridan were, as
} Dickens and Thackeray woro, tho Journalist mn,
be, and partly Is already; 1llan in whom pub
icinterost great Or loss according to his gcaiua
Ia taken 4 man who, loving his follow~mon, Aal
IL very simple, 10 DO kindly, honoss, foarloas
capable tiiat is all; All! na1no kindli1lesB first
J bocauso il newspaper, would DO popular i
} mnst, like IN individual, carry q pleasant as
poet; 1t must be amiable and unprotontious
; apoaking tho language and wearing, tho habili
montg OF tho people; bono Of their bone uni
1losl, OF their tleBh, a Hlnooro az woll as M OF
feetiye delivcror Of their thoughts, wiuhes, ant
fancies.- II Shakespeare lived il our time, eon
coiylng him to hayo boon Il robust, blithc, AMI
hearty person oonooiviny him to huyo beer
what wo unt!crstand by all ablo poraon and III
ablc~bodted, md, wislial a mast gay md festy.
} liud tue drama the bobt volole for hi,
oyori1owing wisdom, his sxuborant wit, lllmor
aud fancy, hiH amazing actiylty and wondo.
that nun OF such varied and largo rosourcou
OF aucll vigorous, current, and racy faculties a
Dion Uouolcault should ho comparatively u poo
man, wandering about tho world ind writing
playa. when ho might be, had llo bent himself
that way, the editor OF the London Times.
| THE EN1I1HH PRESS.
/ do not name the London Times aH q first
ratio example Of 1rat~olaBs journalism. There Il
no journal Of the first olaaa in London. ] III
not able to say what tho Times may lavo boor
In the days Of Arr. Kinglakos somewhat apooll
ryphAl, shrond, ido clergyman, WHO lnslo It hi
duty to loitez about places Of common resort Ant