The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-01
Stirring Sermon by Robert Collyer
OF American journalism.
THF HERALD's ACHIEVEMENTS.
Tn 0mmscience, OmnipOtence and On
nipresence Of the Press.
JOURNALISTIC SCANDAL MoHeERs.
He breaches, Prays and Praises Best Who
Reads the Papers,"

Rev. Robert Collyer, the Beecher OF the West
preached to-day sermon on the American press
which deserves some report. Beside its general
application this discourse had local significance.
One OF the Chicago Sunday papers mas for some
months been publishing series OF articles ON the
city churches wherein the faiings Of the pastors,
organsts members Of the choirs superintendent,
deac0ns and members were dwelt upon unspar-
ingly. Thus one gentleman was accused Of pub
ncly washing his feet In one Of the spas at water
ing place he had been visiting; another was
charged with leasing his houses to prostitutes;
third with publicly frequenting houses OF assigna-
tion with lady member Of the same church; the
daughter OF fourth was accused OF visiting
broker at his downtown office, and fifth was
stated to have gone on spree instead OF attend
ing his wife's funeral and to have repudiated the
bill for attendance at the ACCOMPLISHMENT, which
proved fatal, with the remark that he had chad
three bastards and none Of them had cost as
much as this damned brat" couple OF
columns OF matter Of this kind every Sunday
CREATED NO SMALL SCANDAL
do not criticise the articles from journalistic
peint Of view, simply remarking that Chicago pre-
sents the anomaly OF a city whose papers display
metropolitan enterprise in the collection Of news
and than rural pueriliy in the publication OF
little scraps Of personal scandal, which would
never find place in q New York daily. On Sun
day last reporter for the paper publishing these
articles was expelled from an Episcopalian church
by Rev. DR.. Sullivan, and the paper afterwards
sent dispatches to various other daies represent
ing the request to withdraw as an outrage on the
liberty Of the press, adding that the popular SYM
patty was with the paper and against the
preacher. Az this despatch was forwarded to the
NEW YORK HERALD without your correspondent
being vouchsafed the ordinary courtesy OF jour-
nalism in the shape Of an intmaton that such
despatch was TO be forwarded, and as its publfca-
t10n in the HERALD has been quoted as proof that
the HERALD endorsed the paper and condemned the
preacher, your correspondent desires to put this
explanation on record, and to add that popular
sympathy'' has been with the preacher.
When, therefore, it was rumored that Robert
Colyer intended to take
THE PRESS
as his subject for to-day's discourse public ex-
pectation was rife. AS o preacher, who has the
reputation Of hitting his subject as Justify as ever
he thumped his anvil, something vigorous was to
be looked for from him, while, as one OF the most
liberal thinkers OF the day, he was likely to bring
to his labor breadth of view and degree of toler-
ance not to be exhibited by every clergyman IN
America. When Mr.. Collyer entered the pulpit at
Unity church to-day the edifce was packed to
overlooking by auditors expecting an intellectual
feast or sensational entertainment. Mr..
Colyers exordium was NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. In
territorial or not-of recent HERALD leader; the
examples of American enterprise were oil selected
from
THE HERALD's RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS
In finding DR.. Livingstone in reporting the Polarts
disaster, in laying under contribution the genius of
two continents and two languages to describe the
Vienna Exposition, and he paid an eloquent tri-
butte to the Independent school and style OF journal
ism founded by the HERALD. Your correspondent,
therefore, believes that an abstract Of Mr.. Coyers
Sermon faithful If not very full will be Of interest
Such an abstract is presented below.
Mr.. Coyer took for his text the thirty-frst,
thirty second and thirty Of the second
chapter Of Daniel:-'This great image whose
brightness was excellent and the form
thereof was terrible. This images head was of fine
gold, his breast and his OF silver, his belly and
his thighs OF BRASS his legs OF iron, his feet part Of
IRON and part OF clay" The speaker said:-
The great power for good and evil in America
and in Europe-with, perhaps, the single exception
OF Russia-is the newspaper. In monarchles IL Is
the real King In republics 1t IS
THE ACTUAL PRESIDENT.
The rulers look to the newspaper for inspiration
and direction as few of them, It is to be feared
further, the most remarkable outcome Of our mod
ern civilization. No one thing beside has appro-
And discoveries Which have made the last century
peerless over all the ages preceding. NO one
thing beside employs to-day SO much oil the nnest
power in the thought and life OF man. the steam
engine does ne work so marvellous In result as the
work 1t does IN Its press room, the telegraph WIRE
nashes no such messages as are addressed to 1t,
che express train bears no freight 30 precious as
Not only does the newspaper make tributary to
Its purposes the finest results oil Science-it cap
lures as well the finest power OF current thought.
Many years ago Chalmers said that the best think
ing and writing OF the day were done in the news
papers. He wondered constantly how such match
less essays could be written on the spur OF the
instant IN the clash OF the worlds intensess ssrile
and decision was sprung on the writer The
average newspaper article OF to-day Is better than
II Ia the result OF tins consuming enterprise, fed by
ample means, which searches every corner Of the
Hand for men Of the finest ability and iastens them
with chains OF gold, each in his own place, the
Roman conqueror or old bound captive kings to his
friumphal car. To the best thought is added the
keene6t enterprise 1t sends news to governments
Of battles and revolutions lar ahead OF their own
gwiftest messengers. 1t sends man
TO THE HEART OF AFRICA
70 find lost man, and he does his work IL could
not be done through any other agency, and comes
sentences which he that runs may read. Netting
escapes ITS present and all-present IL Is
IKE tue elephants trunk. which can tear down a
tree or pick up pin. TN one page 1t reports the
great markets; On the next 1t chronicles a straw
berry festival in q church basement: IT gives i'm
lance Of the small gossip Of the day. the roth and
foam the chalice OF life and the vast movements
That grow out OF AL tne ana Se .9
i
fhe time, showing virtue her own feature, sc0rn
her own image and the very age and body OF the
time his form and presence.
the most potent power Of which we know among
things outward and visible, and that we should be
proud of it where 1t is held sacred to virtue and
truth In any sense; and we ought especially 10 De
glad and proud because among papers Of the 1rst
rank there are few which are not managed Dy men
OF broad and liberal convictions. When the great
papers
TOUCH RELIGION
nj nj n m a man.
ner, and give no quarter to the narr0wness ana
bitterness Of dogmatism or bgotry. No wonder.
then, that the daily and weekly newspaper mas
come to be more popular in this country and more
widely read than the Bible Nobody ever has to
make the same confession about IL that Fuller once
aid OF the Bible and ask forgiveness Tor having
stunned the leaf first to see whether IL was long
chapter" The ''lesson for the. morning" or the
evening which we find in the newspaper Is never Q
sTong chapter" What we read there stirs US as
fear we are seldom stirred by the story OF the
ProdlgaI. This Is to be accounted for by the fact