The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-05-19

( February ISs ISo ~
alwavs be in the direction of Truth but
4 Truth can wait: she has the eternal
wears. and above ali she scorns the help
/ Of fraud | believe have somewhere
seen IL stated that the voice OF the peo-
pie il the voice of Color words to
/ that eff-ct-but | also remember that
| il was this same infallible voice which
sent TO the poison cup The. greatest
/ teacher OF the heather world, ana 10
/ the bitter cross the founder OF the Chris-
/ tiau faith If the public veal be threat
ened, though the, menace should come
/ from within our own ranks. should not
/ the warning De sounded? Aye, and by
! q louder. clearer, stronger blast when
silence might be completely with wrong,
than when danger approaches from with
/ out.
Continuance IN power is to be sought
bv every lawful me rs; every sincere
| believer ia the principles of his party,
feels that public interest requires It
| hnt IL j. not always the election oil a
| D. mocratic Presidentor or Of Democratic
| Governor that constitutes victory -
| if that President or that Governor
peryert his high functions to his own
service and use his vast opportunities
merely for the purpose OF securing con
! tinuance in office, utterly ignoring the
! lofty principle that "Publtc ONCE Is
public trustw OF such an one, should be
ever come 10 exist, | say: Let him be
hurled from place and power, amid the
execrations OF an outraged people
though thrice a Democrat. BY such
means President Louis Bonaparte be
came Napoleon Third.
John stuart Mill says OF the Amerl-
can people: What The French are in
military affairs, the Americans are IN
every kind of civil business; let them
be left without q government, every
body Of Americans is able to improvise
one, and to carry on that or any other
public business with a sufficient amount
of intelligence, order and decision; this
is what every free people ought to be {;
aud people capable of this Is cei tain
to be free; it will never let itself be
enslaved by any man or body of men,
because these are able to seize and pull
the reinsof the central government.
And what the great thinker says of the
whole people, may safely be predicated
of any part or party of 1t. The people
hre patient and long suffering, but en-
durance has its bounds
s'Many land
Hath bowed benea'h the woke and then
As a stout lion, Tendtug sitken bonds,
Upon the open field before high tirayen,
Won such majes ic vengeance as hath MADE
lie name power on eaTth.
All history Is rife with example and
warning.
Rewards promote gratitude; and
the gided hand of promise may
shove aside the popular wish; yet re-
wards are not numerous; nor can prom
ises be made plausible enough TO int1u.
ence the mass. Uufaithful shepherds
must be found to betray the flock. Such
Establishments are more apt TO be offered
to our profession, as class, than to any
uther-both because of tle influence OF
the Press and because of the facility
with which il can expose evil designs.
when understood; certainly, whatever
the ability OF a journalist who should
thus become the tool of uDscrupulous am-
bition, be speedily degenerates into mere
collar wearing thrail. We cannot all be
alike, however, either in our views OF
policy or in our estimate of men. There
is certain unity on cardinal poin.s,
which is established among all holding
to certain lines of thought-but even
this admits of wide diversity of deduc
ton and inference.
There are those who profess to think
we should all shout the same strain :
that, no matter upon what subject, We
should follow the same bent and take
the same view; this is impossible in the
many sided nature of the human mind
unless individuality should be sur
pressed and individual utterance sub
iected to some standard of authority.
Perhaps this NAV be what is cOvertly
meant-that the Press of party must
wait for a "keynote" flock for
the movement of its bell wether. This
would initiate custom which prevailed
in congregations many years ago. There
was a functionary whose province 1t
was to lead the siguing, after giving out
the words to be sung, two lines at a
time; with a solemn twang of his tun
ing fork to give the pitch, he would lead
Off
Arise and smte the Amslekite,
The man oi sin, also.
And every member of the congregation
must start at the precise moment with
the leader and come out exactly on
time or forever be held in scorn. An
offender might be right, but no matter;
the precentOr's tunieg fork must not be
blasphemed There must be conformity
or there must be silence. | would not
have this, nor anything like it, obtain
| among the members of free Press,
however partisan it might be. Let
every journalist "arise and smite" for
himself. whenever he gets ready, and in
whatever direction be thinks he can d.
the most effective work. The cause for
which he strives may fail-foes may
rejoice and friends may criticise-bu
he can well afford to await the sure
yindication of time.
hold it to he self-evident that the
errors and dangers which an active ana
viglant Press can best combat are, pre-
eminently, those arising--or threatening
to arise from the action OF its own
party. OF course, only the strictly par
| tisan press can accomplish much. Nor,
| if it becomes the duty of a journalist tn
warn or to protest against the design or
action of his political associates, does 1t
matter against how great odds ne takes
his stand. He is his own judge of the
propriety of his course, and II be be
lieves it right should not hesitate to go
torth armed against the multitude. The
! few are often right against the many.
and Truth demands homage though but
from single worshipper, and even in
the midst of the votaries of error.
Shall the shrines of Baal-though
| built beneath every green tree-be hon
ored TO the neglect of the affairs Of the
living Gad7 When Israel went astray
| ia The OH time, that patriarch was right,
and he alone. who said: Let all the
people bow the knee, but as for me and
| nv house, we will serve the Lord" 60,
brethren, let it be with us for the sake
| of truth. No matter what wooden gods
be set up for our homage, let US de
nounce them as idols; then it the people
| will to bow, aud abdicate-why. we shall
have done our best. Golden head, aud
cheek of brass cannot daze the eye oil
him whose glanee takes in the feet ol
clay.
The danger of self-seeking in the pres.
is apparent, generally speaking. sai
needs no comment here. in other coun
tries the press has sometimes fawntd fol
thrift---has seemed, indeed. to need anc
to seek some object upon which to fawr
but my remarks are only intended I,
apply to the Mississippi Press, and thi
subject falls without their scope.
4 la concluding this subject, permit M
to cite as embodying advice appropriate
for us all, words as old and trite a
Shakespeare, but not less tue than trite
sBe Just and fear not.
ssIet all the ends thou aimeet at be thy country
.Thy Gods, and truths"
And
..The friends thou hast sad their adoption tried,
Grapple them 70 thv soul with h.soks o. steel;
1 Hi L. rnr.f slfill tn palui with Rntea tainmrnI