American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1881-09-17

We cXt.nct tue following from an
eloquent address delivered hy col
o',,l IL !. Cross, before the I'uisi-
;,.t Treas Convention at Baton
Rouge:
Tnc main purpose of the news
aper is umd"ub' eddy to furnish
news. Tie multiplicity OF human
transactions is now sn great, aud
ttcir intcrcouf.cctioi OF human IN
tcrests SO intimate, that the daily
history OF the world III AL parts,
the progress OF It's inquiries, the de-
ve!uptneat Of Its industries and the
>iciSs,tuGcs OF Its cnterp l>cs, are
SUBJECTS not only Of curious inter-
est. bat. bear !. direct relation tothe
tor.nncS Of our constituents, and
/ therefore demand The greatest share
OF enterprise and Industry il the
profession. TniS obvious consider
alton has, however, led to- an ex-
trava giant esijmltiun Of the element
OF news, indicated by the prevails
ing tendency towards regarding the
collection nf news as the sole and
exclusive object of attention. Tle
facilities of tcl"graphic communlca-
ton have contributed to the growth
of a distinct evil in this respect.
The accumulation ofhasty AMI often
conjeclu,al items ofnews illuminated
only by Uippant and ill-consiiered
comment. is lo3 often accounted, the
evidence of a laudable newspaper
| Il nj
dice already Widespread and con :
stan.ly growing, confines the func
tons of the editor to the proiuc-
: ton of the para graph, scintillatin9
with an artificial glitter, but con-
tanning no solid golden thought
: 'Fhe editorial cuisine, therefore, Is
tending always towards the highly
! stimulating, without much regard
10 intellect u..i -nu:riincn'. Now,
\ like continent with my meat, bul
when my DINNER is to consist only Of
? Worcestershire S;itl.;e and NJ tunSe
white, | think the tendency to the
: spicy is somg what exaggerated. The
ncwspapc. is becoming moro every
day the interpreter between thu
, wor Id OF thought AMI the world o
practical affairs, and the guidance
: of the great march of popular opin
> ion in the right path requires some
| thing more than the kaleidoscope,
5 comment which presents no aistinc
t image and Offers no steady light.
I Tie fact is thar the press has
mission, and i'll he South especial
, ly, Il mission OF tremendous ant
{ vital Importance. Opinion here l,a
Z to be diverted from Old channels q
: thought worn deep by ANTICIPATE e
Q institutions. We are now gOin
$ through i, tedious and painful pro
: cess of tran >ition. The system q
/ social organiza ION prevailing De
: fore the war was essen tally medic
a val. The PAINTER OIL his hercdltar
n acres, surrounded by his serfs ODE
: ,lient to his nod, WAS i'll every socIs
: sense Il feud.ll baron. While thi
r system dev elopGd ANA sustained t!i
! generous and chivalric virtues whic
i are ever, where the ornament an
Il the flower Of ii hereditary case. ]
e was no. In harmony with the deve
{! opment OF civilization under til
{ INSTITUTIONS OF this century III TIA
: other parts OF the world. Til
chatela;nc was generous, sci reilan
II brave aad ho>piiable. but lis :nvt
IL crate and innI,linate individualtt
= .Xciu,.cd Lin from all concert wi.
: is partners i'll the social expeli
II ,nrnt. the seqne':e Of this exces
{. >ive and uure.uiated in:livi iualisi
il without the social compensation
{ that moderated lis rAcesscS an
- clothed its dcformiii.S. have fu
II ioWet! as into the new RELATIONS int
:, which We have been prrci t'itated b
II The IeSuI of / disastrous war. f.
Y capacity for fusion aud conccrt {
4 effort indispcns.'b, FOR til, advance
ii mcnt of necessary social cn.erpris:
"a is a.ilost entirely waiting. l.nn
Is grafton, manufac, u-es, internal in
% proycmcnts Of all kinds drirndeI
e on co opera i've effort, are lamguts!
n ing, not on account OF the lnii'it
Is uuacy of our resources but Of thes
t. dc Gets of GU so:i i and industrii
II org ,nizsion.