THE POWER OF THE PRESS.

Saturday Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 124, 24 November 1877, Page 12

THE POWER OF THE PRESS.

r In his lecture on “ The 1 Power of the Press,” delivered before the members of : the Dunedin Eclectic Association, Mr T. Bracken made the following remarks in reference to the opposition which was shown to the progress of printing by the despotic governments of, Europe Owing to the jealousy of the despotic governments of the times, the art of printing was ■ rather retarded .than advanced by the rulers of the people. They saw the light breaking in upon the darkness of their down-trodden serfs, through the medium Of the printing press, and they determined to resist its encroachments. They succeeded for a time, but the flood of mental activity which was sweeping over Europe was too strong for them, and the printing press triumphed. The emancipation of the human mind from the shackles of ignorance was slowly but surely taking place, and the lightning- of science was rending the clouds of superstition asunder. The men who constituted the vanguard of humanity began to discover that the race had lain in a state of mental lethargy for centuries, and in the printing press they welcomed the means by which a vast interchange of thought, and a wide transfusion of knowledge, could take place. The lecturer, after reviewing the growth of public opinion at some length, wound up his address as follows:-—Freedom is now asserting its sway over the minds of tens of millions, and speaking to the intelligence of the world through its mouthpiece, the Press. An able essayist says :—“ The essential vital principle of a sound public opinion is ‘Do unto others as ye would that others should do unto you.’ This is the golden motto which is inscribed on the banners of the Press. This is the charter for which the voice and pen are fighting. This is the watchword of the Army of Civilization and Progress. This is the scroll which is gleaming on the horizon of the future. This is the beacon which shall light humanity to its highest destiny when “ Man tae man the warl’ oe’r Shall brithers be an’ a’ that.” What need to dwell on the triumphs of the voice and the pen ? What need to boast of the victories they have gained ? What need to sound the praises of those glorious benefactors of humanity ? Their humanizing influence is felt from one end of the earth to the other. Their blessings are scattered broadcast over the globe, and the fruits of knowledge spring from the golden seed. The voice has thundered forth G-od’s holy truths in the ears of tyrants, and lo ! nations and peoples awake from their slumbers and burst froih their shackles. The pen has caug-ht the sacred words of wisdom from the lips of prophets, and the precious brilliants from the souls of poets, and has given them immortal life. The voice is louder than the cannon, and the pen is grander than the voice, for the echoes of the voice would be lifeless without the pen. The ink which drops from the pen is the life-blood of the words which are written, and, the Printing Press is the mighty engine of intelligence which flashes them to the four quarters of the globe. The Press is the great teacher of the peoples, the wise tutor of civilization, the grand monitor of progress, the strong champion of justice, and the true guardian of liberty. Of all the blessings which science has bestowed upon the earth, the art of printing is the greatest. “ Inspiring art whose husbandman-like hand Wide over earth prolific thoughts have sown, Whose fragrant blossoms to thine honour stand Wherever life’s true purposes are known, And kingly knowledge sits on wisdom’s throne. The statesman’s speech, the sermon of the priest, The minstrel s lyric, and the teachers scroll, Increase there sway an hundredfold at least By thy beneficent and wise control, That gives them wings to fly from pole to pole. . ... That weedy wilderness thy genius found, Now by its aid with golden fruit is crowned! The people’s voice so weak before thy birth Is heard in tones whose thunders shake the '■if- : earth.” ■ vtl'•.telsjs' •' ’ : : v