Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-07-08

longed TO see him, and now, that the
goldeH opportunity has presented and
grim visaged war hath smoothed his
wrinkled front, / propose to avail
myselfof it,and ifno one will introduce
me, / shall introduce myself. / am
pleased to see him i'm our midst and
will say furthermore, that VI he is not
worthy his high character for a noble
integrity Of purpose, and certain
charming simplicity of character and
department, then old Mother Nature
writes All abominably bad hand, and
we are all mistaken. You have all now
seen him; you have witnessed the
soldierly modesty, aud yet withal, the
magnamnity and patriotism of his
words, and FOR you l thank him. In
this great day IL is well that all minor
considerations should be swallowed up
in the nationality of the hour. | thank
him for his high compliment 10 the
East Tennesseeans, the very men on
posed to me and | felt thrill of
gratified pride when he alluded
to their valor All. my friends,
are not these beautiful hills and
valleys the natural birth place
and home Of heroes and patriots. Tell
me where, on the historic page, il Is
shown that the people of hills and
valleys have ever worn the oppressor's
chain. Our section il sometimes de.
scribed as the Switzerland of America
] see sitting behind me an honored
son of old Switzerland. Ask him
how it is. He will proudly point you
TO the land of Tell, and to her cloud
kissing crags, and will tell You that
the sunlight of liberty alone rests on
those noble nights.
But to pass hurriedly on. A few
words to the Typographical Union.
What shall say TO you that shall be-
fit this most Interesting occasion
Shall l travel backwards to that
early period, when your art was yet in
its infancy? back to Faust aud Guten-
berg and others, and trace il down to
its presentstate of perfection and pow
err? No, you would not have me do
this. The circumstances and spirit of
the hour alike forbid. And indeed il
is not either necessary or desirable.
Ii is of the type of to day-the Press
of to day, that briefly speak 1t is
not too much to say that the art OF
which you are the representatives is
the most important in all the sister
hood of the arts and sciences. Its pre-.
eminently the art of arts; the " art
preventative of all arts.n
Suppose, for an instant, that by the
wave of some Lethean wand, the
world were suddenly lulled into utter
fOrgetfulness of your art, for all time
what, think you, would be its conse-
guence upon mankind? The mind, /
doubt not, would ere the lapse OF
many ages, roll backward into the
darkness from which it has been res
cued. Science and history would live
in uncertain tradition. The march
of Christianity itself would be impe.
ded. The peace of the world would
be disturbed, and the enlightened
codes which regulate the great family
of the nations would he lost sight Of,
or appealed to in vain.
Yes, my friends, | tell you that
every type you set is the symbol OF
power; every letter is force, an agent
in the civilization of The age. Your
art has done more to expand the EN-
pire of reason, and to elevate the hui
man race, than alp other arts com
bined. And in this sense, you are the
powerful ally of Christianity, as
well as of human freedom.
1t is you alone who pre-
serve to us, in their integrity, the
proud old monuments of ancient gen.
ious the mighty "tale of troy divine -
the immortal song of blind Milton
the achievements of Newton and OF
Bacon, the high priest of nature, to
whom she intrusted her most precious
secrets. In very truth, the alphabet in
your ambideXtrous fingers, is more
potent than an army with banners.
With it you daily teach and preach to
the millions, sending forth Thoughts
that breathe and words that burn. -
With it you reach, and mould and de
fine public sentiment every where.
With itsyou make and you unmake.
No wonder the Press is to-day the
greatest force known to society No
wonder tyranny tremble when the
righteous wrath of an unpurchasable
press is awakened.
The dramatist tells us that the great
Cardinal Richelieu once said that the
pen was mighter than the sword. BE
hold" said he, holding it aloft, " be-
hold the rch-enchanters wand Itself
a nothing! BY taking sorcery from
the master hand.
To paralyze the Cessers, and the strike
The lound earth breathlessn
If this were so in his day, when rea.
son was measurable in fet-
tiers, and language came limp
ing along as though afraid
of an upright gait, what, think you, is
it nO,O, when the bright sunlight of
republicanism is penetrating all the
hooks and crannies of the effete mon
arches of the old world and espe-
cially in reunited Columbia, the fair
est land that the God of Day ever
trimmed his lamp to shine upon! /
mean all that l say. And when turn
mine eyes to behold her, as she is. the
great central lumiuary of republican
liberty, round which all the lesser
planets revolve, and draw their inspira-
ton, their light, and their hope for the
future, you will pardon me if ! am
to eXclaim, with the poet,
Thou, too, sail on, oh, ship of State!
Sail on, oh, Union. strong and great!
Humanity, with all its fears,
With all its hopes for future years
Is hanging brcathless on thy fate %
He then read 1.-THE Song of the
Printer.nl
In conclusion, as the representative
Of the otherside Ofthe question, tender
to our guest a cordial welcome to