Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-05-29

"A 4 NAAA = '>
mark new epoch. to proclaim now
world. By slew but surc degrees the
nation as approaching tide in Its
affairs, a turn in its philosophy, that
Its founders had never conjectured.
People were getting tired of Now
England aud Virginia and the Caro-
linas. The sly leaven of immigration
was at work among them. In buying
Louisiana, to secure permanent COLI
troll Of the Mississippi, Mr.. Jefferson
had unconsciously opened up 3 ter
ritory whose extent and value were
in time to trivislize the Atlantic
states, contradict and upset all pre-
vaillng theories with regard to soil
and climate, and transfer the center |
of population, production and politi- |
cal po owsr Thousand miles westward.
The children of the men who fought
the revolution were not csntent with |
the narrow, provincial vision which |
ha d satisfied the cid folks. Haran
was well enough, they granted, but
Canaan must be better. They could
no more have helped the feeling than
they could have helped their heart
beats. 1t was in the blood. And so
they started-not swiftly, nor formi-
dably, but lelsurely and in small
bodies; and they have been coming
ever since. Distance and poverty,
mistake and peril, retarded them at
times, but did not dismay them, did
not turn them back. For they were
hand in hand with an unseen aud
irresistible purpese-
THE ALWAYS WESTWARD MARCH
which has been the logic of civillza-
tion, the key to human progress, in
every age of tho world.
1t was a good time for things to
happen and therefore good time to
start newspaper that should grow
up with the country. The Gazette
grew slowly, however F.; as late as 1922
it measured only 20x26 inches, and
its circulation was less than 500
copies and it took fourteen years
more to make daily of it. That was
when Jackson was president, and
Col. Knapp had but recently finished
his apprenticeship in this same print
ing office, and received the stipulated
suit of clothes, and bible, which
trust he reads frequently even now
to Hyde and McCullagh. St. Louis
had ceme to be city of some 5000
people, while Chicago was yet but
half as large, aud had just secured a
newspaper, and been visited by an
eastern misister who described it az
"a raw, wild town." and ga good field
for the gospel" There were already
about 10000 settlers west of the
great river, and Missouri was soon to
furnish fall regiment Of volunteer
t soldiers for the Seminole war il
, Florida, with the heroic Gentry te
die at the head of them. Severa
new papers had been established il
: 81. Louis and up the valley, one u
far as Columbia and Parson Meekel
had taken printing-press over into
Kansas, for missionary purposes
q setting il up, with rare foresight
e very near to Kansas City. 1t still re
quired twenty-three days for goods
- to come from New York to St. Louis
and eastern news travelled at the sam
$ laggard pace. But the west was nov
a beginning to make its own news
9 The steady flow Of immigration, tn
q rich achievements of agriculture, tn
o navigation of the Missouri aud tn
e Usage, the progress of the great trad
}. across the plains with the Santa Fe
: were disclosing signs and wonder
q that could not be matched outside o
d dreams and allegory. A new sun wa
rising III this remote aud vague hor
izon-
A NATION WITHIN A NATION
was asserting itself. History wa
making ready not only to repeat, bu
I to surpass, all former examples 9
growth and advancement, prosperit
and dominion. How we'll that promis
has been redeemed. how grandl
f fortune has kept faith with courag
4 facts OF this good year 1880 bear test
l. mony.
r. Every editor west of St. Louis ha
= these facts at his tongues end, and
q need not rehearse them. 1t is sufficiel
to say that this vast domsin Watere
+ by the Missouri and it's tributaries
=. territory greater in extent and j
a fertility than all of Great Britain an
l. Ireland, France, Germany and Au'
l. trials to-day the paradise of labor
10 the center of national vitality, th
"a home of more people. and free
II thriitier, happier people, than ther
n were in all the Union at the tim
|, Charless printed his first Gazette
is Nor need stop to recount the su'
O cessive steps by which this work We
e wrought, this significant result a
ss tanned. The whole marvellous n
" c0rd-thanks to the newspspsrs-is
d tireside story. Those were crow,
n ing, trying, critical years. Thel
1t were many sunless days IN then
N alas; aud nights without stars. b
the radiant days were plentiful, to-
8 and all days were brave and man
IS and steadfast days. 1t is tale thicl
at ly enriched with things to be .:
I'd tolIsd and remembered - obstacl
m overcome, privations endured, en-
T. mics met and conquered. There al
some things in it, Too, later and MOl
- tween neighbors, strife and bloo
u, shed among brethren-which, plea
"a God, should be forgotten.
IS NOT THE PAST, BUT THE FUTUR
IL Is what truly concerns the people
le this great valley, and should engai
IL the power and skill of its newspaper
ut which are ct once its prophets and /
pc interpreters. Jackson was q goo
re president, we are bound to believ
III away back yonder where our FIR
daily was started; but he Isn't pref
:, dent now-and he isn't likely to II
Nj this year, and there is nothing to
gained by voting for him. Bent,
IL was q watchful and sagacious man
el his day, and he echoed the then pr
ld vailing belief when he declared tn
ng it was idle to talk Of erecting tel
d) graph line across the plains, becau
ng the Indians would pull down Il
of wires and break them into pieces
st. kill lizards with; but we know bs
vo ter now, and it can profit us nothil
nd to debate the question. Our busine
is not with what is behind US, b
IL with what is before US; not with ye
q terday and its refuted signposts al
cy exploded scare-crsws, but with t
b. morrow and its inviting and tathol
" less possibilities. For this lucky sy
lr TEN of states here at the center
1T the continent has as yet but fair
v. cntered upon Its destined career
no production and progress. And amor
he the agencies which fortune has su
lis piled TO shape and promote, to gui
le, and eXalt, that career, the pre-
ID. stands foremost. There are at tt
= time