The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1877-06-19
GRAFTON OF COL. J. R. PETTlGREW
BEFORE THE
Arkansas Press Association,
AT FORT SMITH. ARK.

Mr.. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN 1t
has been truly said, revolutions sweep
over the earth like troubled visions over
the breast of dreaming sorrow Cities
rise and fall like bubbles on tho ocean y
This beautiful city but few years ago.
was known as a point on the confines of
civilization; in sight of where ! stand,
then, as now, was the home of the red
man, within and beyond which the pro
gressive spirit of the Anglo Saxon race
had not reached. | remember, in my
boyhood days, standing OF your warf and
seeing United States sodies engaged in
shipping +" Bragg Battery of Flying Ar
tillery,a which had shortly before won
for its commander world wide renown
and added undying fame to American
arms. the Mexican war had closed:
California with its golden wealth had
been added to our Territory; American
CIVILIZATION. mt one bound, had gone
westward more than Il thousand miles
the flag of our country instead Of being
confined to yonder flagstaff waved over
the Golden Gate and our Territory
| like a diamond was set between two
oceans in clasps of sparkling spray.
| 1t is matter OF congratnlation that
| the Press has kept pace with the pro
gressive spirit of the age, and that its in.
anence has been SO well directed for the
good of our common country. Our
neighbors over the line have caught the
spirit of progress, and have established
Newspapers that are conducted with abil,
il in l,n I'm
any of the states ! would have been
reioieed to have met the editors from the
Indian Territory here and had them take
part in our deliberations.
Although this is the first meeting of
| the Arkansas Press Association in this
city, 1t is not tue brsC time Arkansas Ed
itors have met here. IntIe years gone
by they used Ia meet over the river, out.
side of civilization, and het oud the reach
OF law 10 settle tuels disputes that, ac
eording to the then prevailing Custom.
could only be adjusted hy an appeal to
arms but | thank God that relic OF bar
barism has well nigh passed away, and
all the editors of Arkansas meet here to
day not with murderous intent, hut for
mutual improvement and to elevate our
professional stanf ard. Since our last
meeting, the discussions Of the state
| press have been courteous, except in a
few instances, and they have been promp
ly condemned and generally frowned
down as tn not likely occur again. But
! however much we may condemn a resort
| To the code in settling dtllculties, We think
it infinitely more agreeable than gener
al Indulgence in biiIngsgate aud q hlthy
war Of words. While, AS we think, there
has been decided Improvement in the
tone of the Arkansas Press We would
lot be understood as disparaging the
/ ~ history of this state such editors as
William L Woodruff Sr., Pike, Colby,
Dauley, Borland, George W. Clarke and
a host Of Others, took rank among the
ablest in the land. They laid the founda.
ton Of superstruCtion broad aud deep
| that it has been difficult for their sue
cessors to build upon. The Arkansas
Press Association from its organization
in October 1878. has steadily increased
i'll interest and importance, until, at this,
its fifth annual meeting, nearly, if not
quite every newspaper in tue state is
represented, 1t is pleasure as well as
| profitable to rest awhile from lncessant
toll and renew former friendships aud be
come better acquainted with each other
We can go from this place with mind
and feelings rejuvinated and renewed,
organized as an army corps to do battle
against error ID whatever form we find it
/
| Since the invention of printing The
power OF the press has steadily iDcreaS
ed until those who have learned to WELD
! the powerful pen have become the great
lights and the ruling spirits of the nation
the world NJ man will call ia cues
ton the power of This wondrous agency.
The time was when oratory filed the
world with wonder, ann more than any
other one agent swayed tue destnies OF
Nations and OF Empires. History tells
us, that in the ages gone by, when Greece
was the school of Nations, and Athens
was the Alma Mater of the literary world,
| all Persia and the splendid thrones Of
| Macedon all quailed before eloquence
| When Rome sat upon her seven lille, in
queenly pride the Mistress of the world,
wv Na'h "h' Slhoi uSui PEI VI pCp-
| piles rights, tremnled in dismay at the sim
gle voice Of Cicero. Coming down to
the beginning of our own National history.
the eloquence Of the tongue and pen
were more potent than even the sword of
Washington in breaking Il the chains Of
despotism, and giving birth to our free
and independent nation. So that we can
not set too high an estimate upon their
talsmanc power But The orators words,
while they fall upon the ear with AL the
sweet melody of the most enchanting
music, or come with the force an pow
er of the onrushing tide, stirring the au.
dience to frenzy, yet after all they die
away with he breath that uttered them,
or taking the channel of tradition woul
soon be lost forever if not taken up by
that mighty agent the press and placed
in that ever enduring form that goes
sounding down the ages
The influence Of the press of the pres
ent day has become so widely ditfused
that it is felt in all the qualifications Of
society, in all conditions of men, and
among all peoples The pen, therefore,
has become far the most potent instru-
ment welded by man. Only compare
he influence of the mere man of bust
ness with that of the eloquent and pun