Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1884-12-20
:. Can wing its way
Swifter than lightning flashes, or the

Swifter than lightning flashes, or the
beam
That hastens on the pinions of the morn. =
From this cursory review of the his
tory of journalism it is evident that
journalism has kept abreas. with the
most extravagant ideas of progress. at
least in all mechanical appliances, and if
we turn to its effect upon the morals and
the intelligence of the human family the
arts. the sciences, and upon government.
we shall find its potency for the anchor
alton of society, can not be properly es-
timated by the finite mind Of man. As
an educator. the press meulds, guides.
and controls mankind from the cradle to
the grave, and none feel more sensibly
its power and influence than the great
political leaders of the world. Napoleon
while smarting under the pungent criti-
cisms of the press was heard to Say. that
Four hostile newspapers are more to
be feared than thousand bayonets. -
He trembled at the result of their cease
less hum of industry, the great plough
share of restless thought breaking up the
field of the human intellect and prepar
ing it for the growth of new ideas which.
like thunderboits. were breaking the
chains of the Monarchies of the east. He
had kept vigilant eye on the growth of
ideas in his own Empire. while the fer
tile soil of the human mind had under
gone the process of irrigation by the
daily stream of news issuing from the
press until thought had made men hotter
than fire and there burst from the hearts
of the French people a wild tumultuous
desire to destroy the last yestige of a
Monarchy and set up the people in its
%he,k a. h
ed the streets of Paris. The dogs of war
were let loose blood flowed like water,
aud the revolution was a fact, thought
out by philosophers and philanthropists,
high erected thought and swept into
confiagration by the press. Is it any
wonder that this vast man" should
tremble at its approach. He knew it was
the Juggernaut beneath whose ponder
GUS wheels his dizzy ambition should lie
bleeding and dying.
And SO the world looks on to-day,
while in the language of Shelly,
Thought by thought is piled till some
great truth
Is loosed and the Nation echo round
Shaken to their roots.
How small at first the old germ of abb
llrion in this country. how difficult and
dangerous to attempt its PRONUNCIATION
Yet step by step with unerring certainty
the press pushed the idea upon the peo-
PIE until the masses began to think, and
thought in attitude imperious " de-
manded that all men be free and it was
done. The war cloud in its angry
threatenings burst with indignant fury
on the happiest people op Gvd great
| footstool. Contending armies with self
sacrificing devotion threw down the
gauntlet IN wager OF battle aud appealed
to the God OF battles Tor the justice of
their cause, but the fiat of Jehovah had
gone forth and in the deep counsels of
heaven, it was decreed that the blighting
curse of slavery should forever disappear
from = the land of the free The germ
became an active. living principle and
through the power Of the press the Amer
lean continent in less than score of
years shook off that abnormal growth on
the body polite which threatened the ul-
innate destruction of the fabric of our
government, work OF much greater
magnitude than the extinction of serfdom
in England which has required centuries
of persistent effort IN the most enlighten-
ed country in Christendom. Can you
measure the power of the press Can
J
of ideas AS we'll attt mpt to count the
stars. number the sands of the sea shore.
or peer into the lnscrutable ways of di-
vinity. 1t is this power that generates
public opinion in whose august presence
the soldier statesman, and civilian alike
bow in meek submission and he is ill.,
deed hero who dares provoke its indig
nation.
Ii you would grasp some conception of its
Unreasonable potency, study the history OF
the world tor the last four centuries; mark
the mighty who, through superstitious and bi.
gotry have fallen In the track OF pi ogress, md
read between the lines as the cause OF their
disaster opposition to the advancing tide OF
civilization borne resistlesiy on by the public
press. How through this agency The ever
widening stream ofphlahthropy has broken
down the barriers of superstition, that sense
less fear of God, which troubled the dreams Of
the world for 500 years like night mare and
opened up a highwa for the Nations more in
harmony with heavens high purposes. In re-
liglon. business, social life and the science oil
government, men have learned to accord to
their fellow man that high prerogative of a
freeman to think and act Tor himself. Sect
clan and class are fast disappearing from OFT
the earth, and lnen are being measured by
their merits. To what is this attributable =
Not to thought alone, for men thought as pro-
foundly AS ioeraliy and we're aciuated by as
pure motives before Journalism was known as
now, but their thoughts fell BACK tuvin-
selves for want OF a medium OF transmission
and were lost. And not until the press WI.
It's ever permSabing intelligence instructed tile
masses were the great ameiiorating projects OF
men spread upon the record OF human reason
changing the heretofore apparently unaiter-
abl9 DEGREES of fate, placing all men upoL the
broad platform OF equality before the law and
liberty has become the watchword throughout
the immense domain OF civilization. Whilst
journalism may have at times espoused an uu.
holy cause, advocated dangerous doctrines or
enunciated erroneous propositions, and thus
threw an obstacle in The road OF progress, yeI
III the main it has always steadily gone for
ward, in the very nature of things II could not
De otherwise, every publication of the news
paper, or the weekly, or nonih journal be-
comes a cog-wheei to forever bar its retrogres-
sion A great thought once thrown to the
millens through the press ever after defies
shall cease not until II breaks on the banks OF
eternity.
But TO be more practical the press of West
Virginia has before ii a field ripe to the hal
vest; weare citizens together OF a state within
whose borders more of Internal and undevel-
oped wealth is hidden away than can be found
IN any of the other thirty-eignt states In this
union and may add that part -four old
mother, Virginia, We are among the most
hoary of the numper. And yet for some cause
or series OF causes, we have been all this time
numbering around in the woods as II were by
The light OF the moon, while our neighboring
states have been steadily moving OH 10 wealth
and position in the full radiance of the nou,-
day sun. Thetinie has come for us TO make
cur exodus and join In one united effort 10
reach the promised land.
When we consider that our State can only
hope to move on In this highway Of prosperity
when the OUTSIDE world shall be fully Impress
ed with the fact that We possess the respect Ca
free people for our own laws, and maintain
that distinction between the several depart
ments oil government adopted by our fathers.
and by them regarded as sacred and essentially
necessary for the peri,etuity OF our institutions
and the only safe guard against despotism,
tlat we believe in the highest sense in the su
premacy OF the law until they shall know our
resources and capabilities.
We can have some conception fthe work to
be done IN order To the accomplishment OF III,
purposes of the progressive elements i'm our
slate. We can begin TO understand that it re-
quires an active and potent agency To pene-
trate To the cabins OF our forests, break down.
the prejudice OF our fathers. grapple with thu
sofdid seifishness OF the shyiocks who hav.
axes 10 grind BY deadIocking the general pros
perlty, and persuade the antediiuyian moss
backs To shake on their antiquity and live liz
the present.
.moDg some of the most important matter
which oyer-shadow our future prosperity anu
demand careful thought and immediate atfen-
ton. may I've noted the scheme OF the debt
Synthetic of foreign capitalists represented IT.
70 kax.