Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-05-21

wasting votes for an elections? is there
no merit in dedicating my life to the
information of my fellow-subjects .
What public question have declined9
What villain have l spared ?"
He confesses that the word hide
pendent has been "overworked." In
dependence may lapse in the indiffer'
ence of apathy or run to the opposite
extreme of reckless empiricism-just
as the world has seen the sacred name
of liberty invoked to cover icentiOus'
ness on the one hand, or the bloody
despotism of the Commune on the
other. But taking the word as inter.
preted and practiced by Mr.. Halstead's
journal, and as indicated by the above
quotation from Junius, our objection Is
that the sphere assigned by it to the
press is too limited. We should moi
merely denounce the bad, but inculcate
the good, 1t is not enough to punish
villains. Government must 60 on.
Neither can we replace the villains with
saints or angels, but with other men
liable to temptation and fall. With
the respondent views of Mr.. Halstead,
he must make choice of evils, if he
would effect anything. To depose one
set of rascals, without providing some
practical plan by securing better men,
is only to make room for other and
more hungry rogues. In reconstruct
ing house we might first rae the old
edifce to the ground, then turn our en-
ergies to the brick kiln or marble yard,
and at our leisure raise new and mag
nificent structure. Notso with govern
ment. The pulling down and building
up must go on pari Passu. Ii new ma
terial Is not ready to hand, We must,
perforce, use the best we have. This
we must do at each successive stage of
the operation. We may know that
better material is coming forward, but
government cannot stop, and the work
must 90 on without it until 1t ar
rives.
Mr.. Halstead's Independent policy is
to pull down villainies. This is the
work Of a minority. When that
minority finds itself becoming a
majority it has other work, that
of building up better. The mission of
the press is not merely to hold the
mirror up to nature and expose the
corruptions of the times. 1t should al
SO inculcate saving principles. Our
orator sustains this view IN a compari-
son of the Netc York Herald and the
Tribune:
James Gordon Bennett was a news
man. Horace Greeley was man of
opinions if you please. Ben
nett's paper had the larger circulation
-Greeley's the greater influence. If
the qualities of the two great journals
the Herald and TTibune-could have
been combined, theproduct would have
been almost the ideal newspaper.
Nay more, he confesses that the
great deficiency of the press is that it
merely reflects the popular impulse In
stead of directing it into better chan
nels. 1t raises the storm, but fails to
point the haven into which the ship of
State should be driven by its force.
Here are his words in this same speech:
If there is one thing that troubles us
more than another, it is not obscurity
nor is it lack OF influence. The
press has affiuence of power, but it ap-
pears rather IN stimulating than in d.
recting the forces of popular move
ments. One can not be confident that
it does not sometimes augment the ten
acity of original sin and strengthen
the vigor of total deprayity. Its ca
pacity in exciting revolutions and en-
wars has imposing examples,
and has reader recognition than any
ability 1t may possess to guide with
wisdom the fiery storms it has famed.
True independence leaves the editor
free to help that party whose practices
give, in his Judgment, the best earnest
IF real reform. No movement affect
ing communities, counties, States and |
the country, can be carried outwithout |
cooperation. But corporations party, |
and party is cooperation. The thing |
s necessary, no matter by what name
t may be called.