American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-06-14
Address of the President.

Gentlemen .of the Mississippi Press
association On my individual ac-
count it affords me much happiness
to extend TO You Il hearty fraternal
welcome to cur young city OF Me
rId!an, and to congratulate yOu up
on the suspicious opening of our
Ninth Annual Convention.
AS your President, custom has
made it incumbent upon me to pref,
ace your proceedings of this pleas
ant occasion with some Suggestive
remarks, pointing out cursorily AMI
modestiy some few OF the prominent
matters pertaining to our line of
business npon which action is
deemed advisable. Something like
an annual message is expected to
come out of me, and | proceed, IA
best l may, TO meet the just eXpec-
tationS of my confreres. If there is
anything wrong in the infection,
let the responsibility of it rest upon
my illustrious predecessors in this
office, who established the prece-
dent.
1t seems to me that the
FIRST DUTY
of n man who makes Or intends to
make Journalism Il business and
profession, is to labor to have it
placed upon Il legitimate, respecta
BILE, moral, sound, independent,
manly and healthy basis. There is,
perhaps, too prevalent Il disposition
to
EXPERIMENT WITH NEWSPAPERS.
Men who have neither money nor
reputation to risk are too often
found ready to embark in the diff
cult and intricate paths of country
publishing, as though they thought
the running of newspaper was Il
thing to fall back on after failure III
every other vocation. Thus the
difficulties to the wholesome success
! OF the press are recklessIy multi
( piled, and too many new spapers re-
duced to IL mere
! STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE.
The numerous failures thus engcn-
dered have Il tendency to impair
public confidence in the whole bust
ness.
Men without experience, without
education, skill OF money. and
sometimes without brains, boldly
launch their imperfect journalistic
barques upon an unoffenuing pub
lie, and feed themselves with the
hattering JUNCTION that they are
''powers in the land" These fierce
singers of undiyeSted editorial ink
are always especially fond of de
scouting upon ''the power of the
press" They have an exalted idea
of their Sudden elevation, and con
slider themselves intrenched benin
II bulwark which is able to resist
wind, and tide, and deluge. They
imagine themselves bcacons to light
uD the world, missionaries to teach
the children of men, oracles to pro
claim grand truths, shape public
morals and mould public sentiment.
They 60 forth, with sounding trun-
pet, To crush error, to eradicate cor
ruption, to wi pc out iniquity, and to
squelch things generally!
The sensible Editor, not too much
given to transccndeniaIiSm, will see
in performances like these a good
deal of nonsensical fustian. Taere
is
POWER IN THE PRESS,
louhtediy, as there is power in
the pulpit, upon the rostlum, on
the stage, at the bar; but he effect
of fencing with these great weapons
III this battle of life, is in either
J case measured by the genius. the
industry, and the individual fore,
of the tcncer.
While we should always be ready
and happy to welcome worthy ac
SESSIONS 10 our ranks, vet, in my
opinion, we should discourage the
tendency to use our profession as a
mere convenience, or DIS a SIN pie