Wichita eagle., 1888-03-11
THE AMERICAN PRESS.
Interesting Extracts From q Recel
Speech by Robert G. Ingersoll.

Interesting Extracts From q Recent
Speech by Robert G. IngersolL
The press-what was the world with
ont it? What has tho press done: What
ought it to do? Not many years ago the
nations were walled in by prejudice OF
race, of custom, OF religion. Each be-.
lieyed it's race the greatest, its religion
the only true one. The nations met as
enemies, nothing to exchange but blows,
nothing to give and take but wounds.
Movable type was invented, and as Mrs.
Browning says: "Civilization was thrust
into Europe on the point Of q Moorish
lance" Thoughts were then exchanged
in place of blows; the newspaper was in
vented; the provincialism Of Europe be-
gan 20 disappear; the peasant who had
thought his King the greatest in the
world. in comparison with his petty
neighbor, began to get just view.
The same thing was done in the United
States. Each citizen thought his State
the greatest and the love of State was
the highest civic virtue. But by the cir.
culation of the newspaper the patriotism
for the State-whichI call mad pa triotism
became transferred to the State, and
tie citizen became true and splendid
American. The papers, disseminating
the same news, tend to the unif1cation Of
the Nation, and we get the benefit Of the
greatest brains in the solution Of State
questions
There was a time when civil ization was
in a minority; when baYbarism was well
nigh UNIVERSAL; when the torch Of progress
was held in a few feeble hands and bar.
barism tram pied it down and extinguish-
ed it in the blood of its defenders. Yet
other civilizations arose and kept arising,
one after another, until now the great
Republic is able to hold that
torch against the combined world.
In the struggle between civiliza-
ton and barbarism the world has pass
midnight. We have passed midnight also
in the struggle for supremacy OF the gov
errors or the governed. The world is
des tined to be republican. Those who
obey the laws are destined to make the
laws. Yet the relations of the nations Of
the earth are those Of savages. Each
ma ton for itself is civilized. But the
world will never be what it must become
until the dealings Of nation with nation
are the same as those between civilized
man and civilized man. Kings and min
listers used to be content with the appl ause
of each other. But now Kings are com.
pared with Kings; when they go to war
they know they are to be judged at the
bar of public opinion. This public opin-
ion must be created by the newspapers.
l have heard much talk lately about
our country being over-populated. Look
at the map, look at the Mississippi drain.
ing vast portion of this splendid
country, reaching from the Allegha-
MES to the Rockies, capable OF sup
porting, clothing, educating, enlighten.
ing five hundred millions Of human be-
ings. The Mississippi river is natures
tn at this country IS to remain one and
under one flag. Let the press be
the worthy mouth-piece Of this
great and splendid country. All ask is
that it be not the bat of suspicion chat
tering jay OF gossip, a raven boarse with
croaking of disaster, OF a vampire fatten-
Ing on the regulations OIL men. Let it be an
eagle, rising and soaring in the cloudless
blue, above all things mean and sordid,
grasping only the thunderbolts of justice.
This l say is to be the greatest of re-
publics, so great that it can dictate to the
world and say to any nation about to
strike a weak one, stop" and the order
will be obeyed. 1t will grasp by the throat
any combination of men, however intel
iectual, or cunning, or rich, that may at
tempt to rob the toiling masses of Europe.
All hope, all ask for, is that the press
of the United States may continue worthy
Of the great Republic.