The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-03-15
THE POWER OF THE PRESS.

For some time past the tendency has
been going on to administer law through
newspapers. Popular opinion is so thor
oughly influenced by them, that when
their full tide of obloquy is directed
against any particular criminal, the law
yer who defends him understands that
the only safety of his client consists in
wonderful devices for prolOnging trial,
and thus escaping the popular pressure
which perneates the court and jury
room. Until very recently the Press has
been a unit against capital punishment.
No matter what the offences of a man
mightbe, the barbarism which compelled
judicial murder was the subject OF UNI
mitigated and scathing censure. The
results were plainly visible in the escape
of the most atrOcious criminals from
we'll merited punishment. Judges and
juries alike became infected with the
sentimentalism Of humanity.
But we notice a decided change i'll the
spirit of the Press upon the subject of
capital punishment. ItallOWs now, that
there are exceptional cases where public
good requires that the full rigOr of the
law should be dealt out to certain indi-
viduals. Since it has gone thus far, the
chances are that it will touch the other
extreme. We certainly do not eXagger-
ate the power Of the Press when we call
it an educator of popular opinion. Most
men, in these days Of fast living, have
no time to read and ponder owe the
questions of the day. The newspaper
view of them is generallyembraced, and
when these viewsdifer, the readerchoOs-
es the one most ably supported without
much weighing pro OIL con of its truths.
Let some great gun of the Press cast
itsstOne against some cryingevil. Strait
way the little Davids of the guild fling
their own pebbles until the chill of ours
ing" rises mighty and tail. Each little
sheet will fight and sQuabble over its
own political opinions to it's hearts con-
tent. Nay it will pitch into a mastadon
opponent when a favOrite candidate is
concerned, but upon all abstract Ques-
tons, some two or three popular news
papers give tone to the opinions Of the
Press and sometimes lead the country
sheets into sad sloughs.
The Darwinian theory has proved the
worst middle Of all. 1t has grown into
u question of such popular interest that
the smallest published sheet in the
Union, at times, finds itself compelled
to make some allusiOn to the descent
of man. Among Zoophytes, Batrachia,
Sauria and Q%uadrumana, some of them
have become inextricably involved.
A racy little country paper washes its
editorial hands Of the question in the
following manner:
eve have done IL best, the Lord
knows, to keep our readers posted on
this internal Darwinian theory. But we
throw up the sponge. We don't know
anything about it Ourself, and what's
more, we don't want to know. If We
are descended from some venerablepapa
Ape, why should we keep up the old gen
tleman's peculiar propensity for thrust
ing his paws into every thing hot OrcOld,
that he knows nothing about. We OBJ
ject to the strain of blood"
The Pressls a tower Of strength when
it is q unit in praise or censure But
there is one thing against which it fights
vainly. We mean the absurdities OF
modern fashion. No matter how ridicu-
lous an article of female attire may be
no matter what relays of wit, satire, OF
abuse may be brought against it, il
f1aunts in triumph thrOughOutthe whole
Of it's little day, and thatday is not short
ened an hour by newspaper invective,
The Press may hang a man, OF save him
it may plunge q nation in the midst OF
q bloody war, or raise it to the summit
of greatness, but it cannot take off one
quarter inch from a lady's panier, o.
shorten her boot heels. She piles OIL
chignons, or scrapes up her hair from
the back of her neck into a little nubbir
on the top of her headsomething like Ger.
tain of the grass-hopper tribe, known a.
the "devil's horse" butyet the Press car
do nothing if it made a simultaneous at,
tack against chignon or nubbins. The
fashionsof women conquer us. We sur
render at discretion. ...,
THE PUNISHMENT FOR ExToRTIoN II