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

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And then look at the opportunities o.
journalism. L praise the pulpit apt
magnify my office, but l state fac
which you all know when I saw tha,
where the pulpit touches one person
the press touches 500. The vast maiori.
ty of people do not go to church, but al
Intelligent people read the newspapers
| While, therefore, the responsibility OF
the ministers is great, the reponsibiJity
| OF edit)rs 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 IT,,
hands of the Almighty. To you is COM
mitted the precious reputation OF WON
en-. Spread before our children an ele
waited literatu,e Make sin appear dis
gustiDg and virtue admirable. Believe
good rather than evil. While you show
the hypocrisies OF the church, show up
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 roll on
which you write with mans pen be a
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 Influence and the editors
and reporters can go up aod take this
world for God and the truth. The
mightiest opportunity in all the world
for usefulness today is open before edi-
tors and reporters and publishers,
whether Of knowledge on foot, as iD 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 misrepresent-
ed2" l answer that in thu opportunity
the newspaper press of this country and
other countries have given me week by
week to preach the Gospel to the ma
tlons, L am put under so much obliga-
ton that l defy all editors and reporters,
the world over, to write any thing that
shall call forth from me one word of
bitter retort from now tillAtbe day of my
death. My opinion is. that all reform.
ers and religious teachers, instead of
spending SO much time ana energy in
denouncing the press, had better spend
more time in thanking them for what
they have done for the worlds inteli-
gence and declaring their MAJ nifcent
opportunity, and urging their employ
ment of it all for the benefcent and
righteous purposes.
Again, remark that Henry w. Grady
stoud for Christian patriotism irrespect-
i've of political spols. He. declined all
official reward. JIe could have been
governor Of Georgia, but refused it. He
could have been senator of the United
States, but declined it. He remain ed
plain Mr.. Grady. Nearly all the other
orators of the political arena, as soon as
the election is 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 pouting about
tho management of public affairs or ours
ing Harrison or Cleveland. When the
great political campaigns were over Mr.
Grady went home to his newspapers. He
demonstrated 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
modify In this country. Surely the Joy
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 all on
the fiagers of one hand. The most it,
lustrious specimen of that style of man
for the last ten years was Henry w.
Grady.
Again, Nh. Grady stood for the new
South and was just what we want to
meet three other men, one to speak for
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, and might by one
misspoken word have antagonized fol-
ever both sections. His speech was a
victory that thrilled all Of Us who heard
him and all who read him. That speech,
great for wisdom, great for kindness,
groat for pacificaton, great for bravery,
will 60 down to the generations with
Webster's speech at Bunker Hill, William
Wirt's speech at the arraignment OF
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
South9 Who shall come forth for the
Rew 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 a new natior
at the gates of Castle Garden every year
and the wheat bin and corn crib Of ou
land enlarged with every harvest, and I
vast multitude Of our population still
plunged in iiliteracy to be educated, anc
moral questions abroad involving tht
very existence of our republic, let thu
old political platforms that are worn
eaten be dropped and platforms tina
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 on. But there are o lot O
old politicians grumbling all around tn
sky who don't want o new South, nev
North, a new East or new West. The