The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1876-07-20

our national economy, it were well that /
We do not forget that good men and brave /
men must be the directors and governing /
spirits in the propagation of the pTinci-
pies ct public petty. Measures Tor the |
good Of the whole, with the true-hearted,
patriotic American citizen asasupp0rteF, |
and men of worth viii be found at all /
times, ready to carry the banner of /
American freedom in any and all con-
f1cts where American honor IL involved, |
or the polity Of the nation endangered. |
THE POWER OF THE PRESS.
In connection with the developments !
Of our beloved country, il Is but proper |
in this day of devotion to the memories |
of the past, and the glorious attitudes Of
the present, to mention the varied infu- |
ences that are to do so much to sustain |
prestige secured by the results Of
century Of effort. Among the most dis
tinguished of these valuable auxilliaTies
is the Fourth Estate" that mighty
power 80 inVuIneFable when welded BY
the forces of energy and worth, and 50
formidable for good when waving its
wand in the cause Of civil and religious
liberty. The press Of America, through
| its Representatives, has a mission to full
fill; It is their province TO stimulate the
right and to depress the wrong. 1t is to
| this gigantic part of OurmOral force, that
our people are to turn for guidance in
their yearnings for the instruction in
| political economy, and how necessary it
| Is that there should be an indiyidualism
in the press, q management of moral
force, infusing life and power into the
workings of this intellectualmotOr. The
journalist, on this day of our great ma
tional reunion, should remember that to
him is given the expression Of the Amer
lean idea, and in his acceptance Of the
trust a responsibility is assumed, fraught
with results Of vital significance hence
how careful should the mentor be Of the
instruction given how zealOusly guard
ed of his motive, its genius and design.
IF true, ne is indeed a benefactOF; If
false, he is of all men the most danger
GUS. The American journalist, like all
other patriots, as he gathers around the
shrines of to-day, will promise that nom
this anniversary of the enfranchisement
of great people, his pen shall be 8
magnet, whose attractions viii be 10 the
/ worship at the altar of American liberty.
CHURCH AND STATE.
} OfaIl the virtues within the scope Of
( the American republican idea, none have
received q more marked recognition oil
international society, with the common
: datiOn of the liberal and virtUOus of all
D lands, than the latitude given as 8
, guarantee under the constitution o.
e freedom of religious thought, based
e upon the distinct separation of church
q and state. Although what may be meritO
: rious in the church temporal cOnstruc
!, ton, is not obsolete in the body polite
u but is attuned to the moral discipline o
+ the state, without controlling thu
/, issue of sects or the peculiar modes
}, of individuals. The Shaman, or thu
a Sintaist, the Fatimist, the Oniade, o.
e the Abasside, Greek, Jew or GENTLE, ha
+ within the area of American freedom
t full play for the powers Of his indie
n pendent worship, clear of the trammel
q of a domination of either church or state
y he comes to this land offFeedOm, buoyan
+ with the arm of faith in the belief tina
8 religious federation in the United State
d of America ia assured to all, that her
% to-day, in this centennial anniversary h
r can offer his prayers, perform his vows il
IS such manner as may be in full accOrt
,. with his own obligations, or those he ma.
J, inherit from his forefatheTs, in securit,
+ with a guaranteed immunity from Op
70 preston or dictation. Let us again Of
:, this day of rehearsal of national promises
Q renew eur obligations to the world, tina
l. this is "the land of the free" that her
q in this oOsmopalia may all the peoples o
,, the world gather under the banner O
d state and church freedom Independents
10 of the one, and integrity of the other, al
y of which we promise them, as the bOOl
e given to us by the percepterso our earl,
d history, and sanctihed to their posteFit,
o by the blood of the heroes shed for tn
l. disenthralment of man from the Eeligiau
n prosecutions and the monaFchical tyFar
. nies of the deCaying dynasties of the oil
o world.
L THE CENTENNIAL.
= Among the commemorative token
y offered the future of the achievements {
y our country from tsintanCy toitspFesen
standard Of Is ripening into yigOrOu
manhood, none will be more brillian
because grandly symb0lical Of advanc,
ment and accomplishment, than til
10 national centennial exhibition, and il
70 a tiattering JUNCTION 10 the soul of hone.
II ambition to have the recognition an
e commentator Of international society
a. this stupendous result, twill teach th
Is historian, that republics are not simpl
70 honest, but they are great, they are nc
10 alone industrious, but they are creative
N they conceive, and the magnitude of ID
Of conception IL only eclipsed by the mas
N v,sGaenNn ne fha nwaeYlffnn FTh1 nantaS