The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1890-03-13

And then look at the opportunities O
journalism. L praise the pulpit ant
magnify my office, but 1 state fac
which you all know when l saw tha
where the pulpit touches one person
the press touches 500. The vas. maiori
ty of people do not go to church, but al
intelligent people read the newspapers
While, therefore, the responsibility oI
the ministers is great, the responsibility
OF edit1rs and reporters is greater
Come. brother journalists, and get your
ordination, not by the laying on of hr.
man hands, but by the laying on of IL,
hands of the Almighty. To you is com,
mltted the precious reputation of WON.
en-. Spread before our children an ele
Vated llteratuic Make sin appear dis,
gustipg and virtue admirable. Believe
good rather than evil. While you show
the hypocrisies OF the church, show I'D
the stupendons hypocrisies outside of the
church. Be NOT. as some you are, the
mere echoes of public opinion; make
public opinion. Let the great rnll on
which you write "i,h mans pen be q
message OF light and liberty and kind.
ness and awakening of moral power.
| But who is sufficient for these things ?
| Net one of you without divine help.
But get that irflucucc and the editors
"Dd reporters can go up aud take this
| world for God and the truth. The
mlghtiest opportunity in all the world
for usefulness today is opcn before edi-
tors and reporters and publishers,
whether of knowledge on foot, as in the
book, or knowledge on the wing, as in
the newspaper. pray God, men OF the
newspaper press, whether you hear or
read this sermon, that you may rise up
TO your full opportunity and that YOU
may be divinely helped and rescued and
blessed.
Some one might say 20 me: How
can you talk thus of the newspaper
press, when you yourself have sometimes
been unfairly treated and misrcprcsent-
edf l answer that in tn, opportunity
the newspaper press of this country and
other countries have given me week by
week to preach the Gospel to the na-
tlons, am put under so much obliga-
tion that defy all editors and reporters,
the world over, to write any thing that
shall call forth from me one word of
bittei retort from now tillathe day of nv
death. My opinion is. that all reform.
ers and religious teachers, instead of
spending SO much time auo energy in
denouncing the press, had better spend
more time in thanking them for what
they have done for the worlds intelli-
gence and declaring their MAJ anifcent
opportunity, and urging their employ
ment OF it all for the beneficent and
righteous purposes.
Again, remark that Henry w. Grady
s'ood for Christian patriotism irrespect-
i've of political spoils. He declined all
Official reward. lie could have been
governor of Georgia, but refused it. He
could have been senator Of the United
States, but declined it. He remained
PLAIN DIR. Grady. Nearly all the other
orators Of the political arena, as soon as
the election lie over, go TO Washington,
or Albany, or Harrisburg, or Atlanta, to
get In city or State or national office re.
ward for their services, and not getting
what they want spend the rest of the
time of that admiration in pou,ing about
tho management Of public affairs or ours
ing Harrison OF Cleveland. When the
great political campaigns were over Mr..
Grady went home to his newspapers. He
dem onstratcd that it is possible to toll
for principles which he thought to be
right, simply because they were right.
Christian patriotism is too rare a com.
Of living under such free institutions as
those established here ought to be enough
| reward for political fidelity. Among all
the great writer's that stood at the last
presidential election on Democratic and
Republican platforms you cannot recall
In your mind ten who were not them
selves looking for remunerative appoint
ments. Aye, you can count them oil on
| ha
lustrlous specimen of that style of man
for the last ten years was Henry w.
Grady.
Again, MI. Grady stood for the new
South and was just what we want to
meet three other men, one to speak fol
the new North, another for the new East
and another for the new West. The
bravest speech made for the last quarter
of century was that made by Mr.. Grady
at the New England dinner in New York
about two or three years ago. / sat with
him that evening, and know something
of his aDxieties, for he was to tread on
dangerous ground, aud might by one
misspoken word have antagonized fol
ever both sections. IIa speech was q
victory that thrilled all Of us who heard
him and all who read him. That speech,
| D. 80 BiSoe lbl uCSS
great for pacification, great for bravery,
will 60 down to the generations with
Webster's speech at Bunker Hill, William
Wirts speech at the arraignment oil
Aaron Burr, Edmund Burke's speech or
Warren Hastings, Robert Emmet'sispeect
for his own vindlcation.
Who will in conspicuous action repre-
sent the new North as he did the new
South3 Who shall come forth for tn,
Hcw East and who for the new West
Let old political issues be buried, let OLE
grudges die. Let new theories be launch
ed With the coming in of new nation
at the gates of Castle Garden every year
and the wheat bin and corn crib of ou
land enlarged with every harvest, and
vast multitude of our population still
plunged in iiliteracy to be educated, ant
moral questions abroad involving tn,
very existence Of our republic, let th
old political platforms that are worn
eaten be dropped and platforms tha
shall be made of two planks, the one tn
Ten Commandments and the other tn
Sermon on the Mount, lifted for all O
us to stand Cd. But there are q lot 0
old politicians grumbling all around tn
sky who don't want q new South, a nev
North, new East or new West. The