The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1879-06-19
THE PRESS CONVENTION.
Extracts From the Proceedings-
Speech of Maj. BarksdaIe and
Essay by Mai G. w. Harper.

Essay by maj It. W. harper. Il
By request of the Convention, Mr.
Barksdale prepared and presented res
olutions of respect for the memories oi
the deceased brethren, as follows:
Whereas. by the inscrutable decree
of the All-Wise Ruler of the universe
the lamented and beloved j. w. Robb
Jas. A. Glanville, W. J. Adams, 0. V.
Shearer, j. P. Allen, KinIoch Falconel
and w. J. L. Holland, seven OF oul
ureful members of the Mississippi
Press Association, have been called
away from the scence of earth to the
realities of another world. and thcil
presence among us will be known ne
more forever; therefore,
Resolved, That in bowing with re
verential submission to the will of the
Almighty Ruler of che world-whc
doeth all things well--in removing
these, our beloved ibrethren from oul
midst, we will sacredly preserve theil
memories and build to their names ii
our hearts monuments more lasting
than storied urn or marble bust. AEd
that as token of respect We will veal
the us ual badge of mourning for thirty
days. .
Mr.. Barksdale accompanied the reso
lutions with some brief impromptu re-
marks upon the life character of eacl
of the deceased members. Five ol
them had fallen at the post of duty as
heroes of humanity, when the yellow
fever raYaged portions of our State
To Col Holland and the four others,
who persisted thereby, it was in con.
temptation by the representatives OF
the Press to build monument to theil
memory. Lay its foundations be broad
and deep. "Let it rise till it meets the
sun in it's coming. Let the earliest
rays of the morning gild it. Let part
ing day linger and play upon its sum
nit"-still the monument which will
perpetuate their fame are the noble
deeds in the performance of which they
laid down their lives. Standing by the
new made graves of these departed
brothers, ''let us" said Mr. Barksdale,
"draw from their lives and examples
lessons for our future guidance as mem
bers of the useful and honorable pros
fession of which they were shining
ornaments" Upon the duties and
mission, Of the Press Mr.. B said ii
had been sptly styled "a great mora
engin" which nodded upipion and prop
ogated ide as and principles. 1t saved
to the mass Of man kind the trouble OF
thinking and investigating for them-
selves. The public had come to look
to it for instruction and guidance. The
editor, IN his closet, gathered up the
events of the bnsy world and spread
like map before his readers. People
literally read as they run, and its lnfin'
ence like its presence is ubiquitous and
they all pervading How important, then,
that who conduct the Press shon!d
make it channel for conveying useful
information, advocating sound princi-
pies, vindcating the right and redress
ing the wrong. They who perfom this
mission faithfully deserve well of their
country. The class who produce the
materials that compose the newspaper
press were important factors in human
progress. The most obscure para
graphist drops into the sea of journals
ism mere atom which produces wave
which expands on its mission of good
or evil, until 1t reaches the utmost con-
fines of civilization; and the thunders
of great organ of public opinion
rolling and reverberating among the
nations, shake established orders to
their centre. No wonder, then, that of
all things outward and visible, that we
know, the newspaper press was the
most remarkable. 1t might we'll be
likened to the image seen by the kirg,
and wildly described in Holy Writ,
whose brightness was excellent and the
form thereof was terrible excellent if
devoted to the disseminati ton of sound
principles; terrible, if employed for
the propagation of error and falsehood
It should be the aim Of the Press to
be independent, but not in that sense
which stolidly refuses; but i'll that
sense which leads to calm and dispas-
sionate Investigation. and to the ima
partial and fearless expression which
would result from such impartial in
quiry. 81 do not say" continued Mr..
Barksdale, that 1--WE shonid not be
partisans in the ordinary sense of the
term, nor divided into political organi-
cations, for they are inseparabIe from
free government, but our advocacy Of
measures and support of men, should
not be a mere blind following We
should exercise our own God-eiven
faculties" We should ''ponder boldly
and remember that it is a base aband-
onment of reason to resign our right OF
thought" There was one maxim
which he would especially commend to
his brethren of the Press, who assume
to direct public opinion, and that was:
BE just and fearnot'
Let all the ends thou aim'st at
Be thy country's, Gods and truths"
Iu advising the Independence which
condemns that which was wrong and
approves that which was right, he
would not be understood as advising or
even tolerating that system of personal
vitupefation which SO often impaired
the uaefulness and detracted from the
dignity of the Press. He is q poor
Judge of human nature who does not
know that men could not be induced to
change their opinion by abuse; and
they who resort to poisoned weapons of