Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-12-04
FHOM NASHVILLE.

my heart long time to write to
you, but the press of a ceaseless
round of duties has thus far pre-
vented. / write now, first, because
it is a pleasure to do so, and sec
ondly, from a sense of obligation.
Your excellent paper brings us
weekly news from one of the most
pleasant of our many homes as a
lifelong itinerant. Ably edited,
filled with the record of current
events, abreast of the times, it main
tains an enviable dignity of tone
and character. The civilization of
to-day and therefore of the future is
largely nodded by the secular press.
The discussion of the purely theo-
logical and religious belongs of
course to the church papers. While
on the other hand it is the main pur-
pose of the secular press to treat poll
tics, trade and society at large, this
necessarily involves its moral and
religious phases, and we can there
4 fore truly estimate the good or evil
constantly wrought by its influence.
Our county papers are perhaps more
universally read than any other
class, they reach the firesides of
country homes in hills and dales
where larger sheets and heavier
literature never come. Each coun-
ty has its local interests recorded in
its own organ, which, with editorials
and general thought, molds largely
the opinion and practice of a great
community. How much therefore
depends on the dignity, purify and
truthlulness of the local press.
The newspaper that ignores vir-
tuous sentiment and opens its col
umns to low filings at religion is a
curse to society. Your correspond
ent remembers but too well an
article that appeared some years ago
in county paper so obscene and re
voting to good taste that pen or
pencil could hardly have given it
deeper coloring, and that paper
went every week into the parlors of
one of the best counties in Tennes-
see. Our minds would have been
relieved by the conviction that the
publication of the article was acct
dental but for the fact that the man
ayers of the paper habitually
ignored anything of decidedly re-
ligious and moral tendency.
Not long since there appeared an
article in an ably conducted journal
in which the writer said in SUBJ
stance, if not in these words, that
''the sooner society learned to pay
less regard to what the preachers
said the better for all concerned"
1t was not from the pen of the ed
itor, who is scholarly and just gen
tleman, but then being in his paper
it has his tacit endorsement.
Understand me, Mr.. Editor, the
christian ministry and christian
church are public institutions and
as such are open to just criticism,
and ought to be; they propose
high standard of truth and morality
and if they fall below it are rightly
open to arraignment. But all this
does not justify the style of many Of
our papers, which constantly make
low filings at men and institutions
whose only purpose IS to help and
bless the world. Let criticism come,
but let it be evident that in the heart
of the critic there is not an inherent
hatred of truth and virtue and re-
ligion.
We started out to thank you in
the name of society at large for the
fair and dignified tone of your paper
on all subjects. No man need fear
to have it come into his family.
Long may it prosper.
Without depreciating in the least
the defeated candidates we con-
graduate Montgomery county on
her selection of representatives to
the next session Of the legislature.
Messrs. Daniel and Rhodes are men
of talent and integrity and such the
country needs. Whatever is done
at the next session will constitute
crisis in Tennessee's fair history.
May the issues be favorable.
BY the way GAINESVILLE has other
representative here of which she
need not be ashamed. DR.. West at
the famous old McKendree, clear,
strong, conservative preacher as he /
is, claims your city as his Jerusalem.
DIR. Wright, at Tulip, in East Nash
vile, scholarly, pure and gentle
manly, dates his history before and
after he went to GAINESVILLE, Bran /
don formerly Of the sprightly Leaf,
your worthy neighbOr, is here, wide I
awake to the success of the Sunday
Times. Ed. Bringhurst, genial and |
kind-hearted as mine host of the /
Franklin House, is here too, especi- I
ally cheerful during this coal wealth
err. All these, Including the writer. +
stand ready to welcome with hos /
pitable homes the friends who en-
tertained US in other days. Their /
faces familiar and loving (if not all
handsome-we mention no names)
hang in full view on the walls of
memory, and as we gaze on them
our minds anticipate the day COM
ing when these pictures shall burst
into real life and the seemingly
sundered ties of earth be knit again
with thread immortal. Let us hold
fast our friends.
Everything about Nashville is
comparatively quiet. Excitement
over the election is fast dying out,
but it ought never to entirely sub
side. Happily the two leading par
ties Of our great country are nearly
evenly balanced and thus are we
from great excess. twill