Year: 1861

ment aud al that the history of other nations
or other governments teaches us about these
powers, as being instrumental in the over
throw Of fprincipalities and powers, will doubt
less be true in our own case. Corrupt courts,
intriguing pariaments and treacherous rulers
haUe destroyed governments and ruined peo-
pie, but this was done in ages and centuries
where the mystic power Of the vote was never
known. And. sir. il the world should stand
ten thousand years, no government could ever
be destroyed by any or all these powers, u
the vote is left free to combat them.


But, sir, in this Republic a power exists
that is more formidable than all these-a pow
er such as no other government ever had to
contend with--such as no government can
contend with, and leave history extending
back into centuries. It is a power too sub
tie, too dangerous, too insdious for the bonds
Of any constitutional government to resist.
and, sir, it is the only power on earth that
The people living under such government cam
not defy-that the people cannot in some way
or another resist and repel--and that power is
the AMERICAN NEwsPAPER--the licentious-
ness, ! will not say freedom, Of the American
Press. DO you doubt this, or, sir, are you,
with your three score years and ten, unwill-
ing to believe that power which has done
SO much for civilization can possibly be held
responsible for the greatest wrong ever per-
petrated against the liberties, civil and relig-
lous, Of man-the destruction Of our Federal
Constitution.


| know that you are not credulous. Then
let me say to you, when the American people
are no longer a nation, when the accumulated
wealth, happiness and prosperity Of this Re-
public shall be stepped in the blood, and per-
ish with the horrors of civil and intestine
war, when the flag that now floats in every
breeze under the whole Heaven for the pro-
lection of the most sovereign and indepeu-
dent people that have lived since the birth Of
Christ. is crimsoncd with the blood Of parent
and offspring then ask yourself if any power
on earth save that which fashions the intel
lcct and controls the hearts. passions and i'm
pulses Of both people and rulers. could hare
dome this thing.


Why. sir, I find il almost impossible to
convince myself that the newspaper Of this
country, taken m conjunction with the litera-
ture Of the day, has such power, but with
out Attempting a review OF its exercise for
the last thirty years, in order to demonstrate
my position, .et me simply make a few refer
ences; let me remind you that the influence
that such book as Uncle Toms Cabin has
exercised in the homes and about the tiresides
OF our people, has done moro to weaken the
bonds that make us one people than Jefferson
ever did to strengthen them; again let me
remind YOU that "the tree is known by its
fruit that dissolution, which IS now the
danger that threatens US, is nothing but the
fruit, the ripe fruit Of rank, rabid tanaticism,
and the fanatic is none other than the legit-
mate offspring Of the American newspaper.
When called upon for the evidence OF "the
faith that is in him. whittier does the fanatic
turn but TO tho newspaper that hrst taught
him the heresy. North or South. East or
West, the man who votes as he believes his
own sentiments, and the men who boast OF
their power 10 control votes, are all driueH to
the polls like sheep to the slaughter, by the
+ bit and spur OF the paper or papers that have
/ furnished tnem brains to discuss the issue"
4 that have prepared their minds to accept a
( heresy that is at war with the spirit Of the
Constitution and the genius of government.


When men become twenty-one years Of
age. i mean all men, not simply the masses, )
and come in contact with the rough and
sharp points Of life, the knowledge that they
acquire for the purposes of life, to oentrol
their actions. both civil and social, in fact to
( make them men, is CLEANED, the cream of that
knowledge is cleaned from the newspapers,
and thus it is that this power is given TO the
press--the power that has taught our people
to believe that the Constitution is not such a
charter Of rights as we demand-that it is "a
league with hell, that better Constitution
can be made and a better government formed.
and that his one must stop. In few words,
this is the war that the newspaper has made
against the country and the Constitution
t.t 81. Il. 4
Z The man or the men do not live, they new
er did live, who could acrite a constitution,
who could prepare charter of civil liberty
for this or any other people, that this power
could not crush in fifty years. Before such
licentiousness nothing sacred to a man as a
citizen or 10 a man as a Christian can stand.


Let the batteries Of this licentious and cor
rupt press, that for years have been playing
against the Constitution, be all suddenly
turned against the religion of Christ against
the baptism of Christ, against the crucihxon
( of Christ, against that bedside prayer aud
altar supplcation of "the giver of every good
and perfect gift, Qua FArHgR WHO ART
IN HEAVEN" and how long, sir before the
papers that daily and weekly visit your New
/ England homes would all be read by infdels
4 Why, in less than one decade and the Athe-
{
ter from the lip of SIM" your temples would
be driven from the family altar and the name
, of the living God would become a by-word
I in the land.


! This is no fancy sketch, "every candid and
rejecting man knows it too well''--and when
the work of dissolution is fully accomplished,
the whole truth will be confessed. and the
power of the newspaper will then be realized.
\ Dissolution is now at our doors. To-day
one link is broken, and tomorrow or the next
day may bring 'oar-for that is inevitable -
War! What is it, Instead of internal pros
perity, made up of prosperous husbandry,
thriving arts, multiplying manufactures,
fourishing trade, swelling and extending
commerce, we shall have rioting, plumber,
murder, crime of every hue, and in your
streets and mine, and around the homes OF
''happy America, man. matron and maiden
will walk clothed with the insignia of bereave-
ment-this is wdr-and we shall live to see it
unless the flowers of the coming spring bloom
DER our graves.


Hoping, my dear father, that these pages
may direct your thoughts into new channels
OF reflection, and that you may be able TO see
this thing in its true light, is all that | ask.


have written this letter hastily. too has
tily, perhaps, for so serious subject, but at