Mexico weekly ledger., 1886-02-25


his sword to Grant at Appomatox
there was no battle fought, great
or small, but the Confederates
gained.a signal, brilliant and de-
eisive victory, and it would be inn
possible for you to conjecture in
what manner the rebellion had
been suppressed.
On the other hand if you read
the Northern papers published
during the same time you would
be surprised that the war lasted
six months. In speaking of the
first battle of Manassas the North
ern papers stated that General
Mcdowell withdreto his forces from
the field and left the impression
upon a confding public that it was
a brilliant strategic movement
whereby the Confederates were
greatly outgeneraled.
Why, | understand, Mr.. Chair
man, that there are some news
paper men who are menbers of
your order and who are present
here tonight who wear medals
which they claim are made from
a brass cannon captured from the
rebels at the first battle of Bull
Run. a newspaper man claims
everything, proves what he can
and gives up nothing.
We have often been told that
the press is great and important
factor for good. This is the truth,
but it is not all of the truth.
1t is good in that it widely and
almost gratuitously dissenimates
useful knowledge, but bad in that
it also widely and gratuitiously
promulgates a great deal of false
hood and error.
It is good in that it teaches many
great moral lessons, but bad that
it throws in the face of the public
all the filth it has gathered in it:
cess-pool.
| 1t is good in that it commemo
rates and preserves from oblivion
the deeds of our heroes, but bad IL
that it perpetuates in memory The
vices of all our Williams.
| I noticed in the Daily INTELLI
GENcER of yesterday a beautiful
tribute to the memory of that gal
liant soldier who has just sheathe'
his sword and gone to that countr,
where wars are never waged; tn
gallant and "superb soldier" Ge
W. S. Hancock. It recited an in
stance of dis daring bravery upol
the field of G gettysburg. No highe
tribute can be paid a soldier tha,
, to accord and publish his acts G
gallantry on the field of battle
Yet there are newspapers that fo
T valuable consideration would pa
just as great tribute to Benedit
Arnold.
: The press sometimes praise
what is praiseworthy, but ofte
: praises extravagantly what
wholly worthless. 1t will tell
l great truth on one page and Ii
l on the next.
A small farmer in virginia, VIII
r was a very pious man at times, Wa
J.. growing few acres of corn on
F., steep hillside, SO steep that ploN
= could not be used. He had finisl
f ed hoeing the corn for the La
l time late Saturday evening. Til
f corn was needing rain and the o]
e man saw a cloud coming up in tt
: west. He commented largely c
Y the goodness of God in sending
g rain Just at the time his corn W;
: clean and the ground dry. tt
: rain came in the night. Ne.
). morning he looked out and sa
e his field, corn and all washe
C down into the road. He lost b
e faith and with disgust said:
e believe if you take the Lord up ol
J. side and down the other he do
II about as much harm as good -
d Whilst I don't agree with hi
l. in his opinion of the providenc
of God, yet when / consider he
n much good the press may do al
'e actually does, and on the 9th
n hand how much of evil it sugges
r; and encourages, I say I dor
W know, but if you take the press
one side and down the other
y does about as much harm as
> does good.
b. IL =,