"the Press."

In our report of the exercises at the Xew England dinner, given in armory hall, Dec. 22, we did not have space last week for more than a brief announcement of the subjects discussed. One ol' the bett speeches of the evening was made ly Mr. B. Frank Bower, of' the Detroit Kvening News, in response to the toast of "The Press." Mr. Bower was down upon last year's program, but the exercises dragged out to such an unseasonable hour that the society adjourned, cutting off three or four speakers. Mr. Bower was invited to attend this year and accepted. In introducing the toast President Pettee made some humorous reniarks, alluding to the adjournment of last year; said that last year's banquet hadn't been finished, etc. The following is a sentographic report of the same : .f Ptttident, laditi on! gentlemen of the New Enfland tociety - I have been joked considerably about ttfe atlhir of last year, and the comlolcnces of my friemls have been deep and liearty; but I iliil notexpecl to he.ir the matter alluded to n iliis occasion ly the (.-liair. On my waj to take tlie train for Ann Arbor iliis evening 1 mei a tïieiul wbo Inqnired f I was golng bome, and hen I answered yes b remarked: '" I sec, you are i n r out to tinisli the dinner bcgnn last year." [Laughtor], "Yeft," i responded, and mean to (inisli II tonight or die in the attempt. [Laughter]. I am afraid Mr. Prealdent, that after I am done yon will wlsb thal l had dted in tbc attenipt. [Laughter], Nol long ago a gentleman of my acqnaintance connected witli the prets was called upfjii o similar gatbeiing to respond tothls toast. Se had been notitied son-r il;ivs in advanee, and had preparad an elabórate "impromtu" addreM nrlth whteh be proposed toeloctrify the aiidieiu'c. lint when be irow t do the etectrtfying h emotioiu orerpowered htm, and hcconld not strike a single spaik from the glowlng Iron. Toaitdown wiihohi ipeaking waa a failure, so he held fast to the table and managed to say, "Mr. President, the preSS speaUs for itrll!" Tbe oonpany regarded this as truly witty and uiiaiiiniously declared that he made the best speech of the evening. [Laughter.] I don't know but I should be doing ¦ wlae thing to yield to the modesty wbicb riiaractcrizes the newspaper man [smlles] and make, if nol the best, at least thesbortest speech of the evening byslmply remarknr that the presi reqniree no sponsor, bat at all times ipcakl lor itsell'. It is nlated Of Daniel Webster, that while trying an important patent case in the United States sepreme oourt, Involving tlie riglit to manufacture certain cog wheels, hls opponent - Mr. Choate. I think - delivered an exliiinstive argument in whieh he describcd tbe wlieels and lelt the matter more in doubt than bcforc. Mr. Webster, wita consommate abilitj", controverted the main points of the argument, and then, dtneUng bi.s attention to the descriptive ]art, picked up the model of the wheels, held thcni out at anus length, and saiel: "May t please your honor, herc are the poor wheels; examine tliem for yourselves !" It seems to me. Mr. President, that the most eloquent response thal OOtlld be made to this sentiment, would be to polst to the greal Joornals of the easl and west, and north and routh, anl say " Thcre is my response 1 [Applaose]. Journaiism, as we understand it, is tlie product of last tive deeades. and the newspapcr, likc steam and elcetrieity. the railroad and the tekgraph, the tetephone and elcetrie light.and all the lunovatloM of the ninetecnth eeiitury was iinknowii ti our uoestral Ditbers. To be sure tliere have been " newspapers" and "gBHttes" and "ISulletiiis" (rom time inmemorial, bul the greal netMfwper with lts leaders and cablegraau li dlstliutly and nooessarlly the creation of our own tiiuc. Therefore, when we oontemplate the 70 yean that intervencd betwecn the landing of the pilgrims on Plyuiouth Koek and the establishmenl of the first American newspaper. so-eallcd, it is easy for us to understand the ercbus-like darkness tbat must have enveloped their lmmdrumsphere, although they knew it not. But, sir, let ns consider the solciuu questiou what tee shoulü do it HM ncwspaporial suns, wliicli (hod IliC'ir refulgen! liglit. upon u, weit to bc sud(irnivaiid permanentlj eclipsad and gooat forever in the black vo'ul their suspension would créate? n Menu to me that sueli i disaster would bc the noarest approxüna(ion ín tbal appolling plague laW to hare been casi apon tbc anclen! Kgypiians- voriiy, a AarkneM that would be telt. The hlstory of the press, intensoly uter esting i K coulii not bu followed In detail in aten minutos' speech, ltshistory is the Ulstory of dvilisatlon. The battlet i has tbught for human liberty. righl and jiistico, for freedom of thought, utterance and action would engross a speech of honn dnration. It ttrugglei ure Well known, 'The meaos rasorted to tor Itssuppiession- -from censorship of Henry VIII. mul the accompanying court of star chambcr, theknife, thethumb-serew.the raek, the pillory, the branding ron, and all the tortures thatbecottld devteedbyflendlth ingenuity, down to the modern means of stopping one's subscription, [Laugliterj tulng for libel.or whippinrthe editor, [Laiightcr] - are also well known The blood of inartyred salnts sanctiflad thatof reliffion; and tangnlnary wars note the hlstory and progresa OÍ eiviliation. lts growtb and development have been traced by abler hands, from the primitivo sheet without style or system, - to the paltry courtjournal, - to the largor dimenüons of Addison's 'Spectator " and ot her essays of its class.- to tiie great daily Journal of our Urne, which greeta us raornlng and evenlng, tïosh wilh the newa of all nations, full of the thoughtsofthe peopleofall lands; the newspaper, containlng ttdingsof pleasure and happineas, rilling onr hearts with Joy and gladneas; and tidlngi that ashen the cheek and steken Oír heart; the newspaper wiiich Edwin Burke proclalmed to be a dlurnal htstory of the worid; In whlch the evil doods siancl kk by side with the good, the pure willi the corrupt, the infamous witli viiluous, the Ignoble with the divine. [Applanse]. The Ulam of American ournalists a. one Ben Harria whoissued " publiek occurences" ai Boston in 1MH). Mr. Harris slalod bhal his journal would advocate measarera for tin1 curing, or at least the charming of tnat spirit ot lynching wblch prevalled amougsl tliem. [Langhterj. Need I add tbal "publiek ocenrances" lived bnl .1 tingle dajr f It diod almost beforc t had been fairly boru, crushed ander the weighi of outraged opinión, backed by th( itrong arm ot BnglUh law. The spirit wiiich instigatod the beheadlng and quartering of publishcrs in thcold country persuod the exiles across the oeeaji to their new bornes, and tais Brst American newspaper was suppresaed for alleged " Reflcctiuiis ol a very liigh character!" The persecutions of the American press continued down to the time of the revolutionary war, when the same sword that severed English allegianee ent the chaina that bound the American pres. The persecution of James Franklin and the memorable trial of Peter Zengei aroosed the country to the pitch of revolutlon, and when the black clouds of rebellion burst the press struck treniend(iii- blows for independenee under the leadership ol that lover of treedom and llberty - Thomas I'aine. [Applause]. The newspaper press, freed from its shackles, took for its motto "Excelsior " and its subsequent history is marked with gigantic strides towards improveruent and perfection. It raiohed out after each new facility like a student anxiousforadvancementH scizcd upon each improvement with an avidity bom of necessity and genius, and when Benjamin Franklin stretched forth his riglit hand to lieaven, plucked the liirhtning from the clouds and brought it to the earth to be the llave ol' man, the newspaper was gtven an ímpetus of which it has taken full advantage, and in it3 progress onwanl and upwanl nascarrted with it thewhole English-speaking race. [Applause]. The great west, in its eolossal strides, taxed New Enfrland for men of brain and nervc and eneriry, whose sons are largely tlic journalists of the west to-day, and whose best thoughts have done much - very much - for the people in whose mldst they live. The pioneer press did much to develop the thought and culture of the country. The editor with his pen strnek as powerful blows in his sanctum as the woodman with his axe did in the forest. He did as much for civilization as the farmer, tlic mechanic, the laborer, and truthful libtory wlll give him full credit. The power of tlic press Is vagTM and undcfineil. Indescribable, incalculable, iinmeasurable, tlic power of the great newspaper is, bevond precise estimation, presenting a problem that even the eminent professor ol mathematica in the aolreraity eannot solvc. It makesand uumakes public opinión. It regards with jealcus eye the conduct of public offleers. It correets abuses in the judiciary. It iniilles the inordioate ambition of polltlclans. It is the gTeateSt bulwark American llberty has today - an all important factor in the cheeks and balances in governrnent Seventy-six yeais ago there was one paper in this country with a circulation of less than 16,000 copies anniiallv, In a population of about (00,000. To-day there are over 9,000 newspapera with an aggreg;ate eirculation ot over sizteen hnndred million in a population of 4"). (MK), 000- an inercase of 1")0,000 fold. Said a celebrated divine the other day, when a frieml reniarked that he had preaehed to a amall audience, " Yes, but tomorrow I shall preach to the world !" The Rtatcsnian, the orator, the preacher, sjieaks to the world tlirough the newspaper - broadenlng and enlightenlng public opinión, teaching the ijrnorant, reforming the vlcions and elevatlng mankind. An independent press is no respecterof persons. It strikes corruption wherever it shows its hydra-head. It exposes abusos wherever pracUced, and does not spare the pulpit or the benen, AttempU to sliackle it have, been made ander the cloak of law, and ndges have essayed to become its dictators. The persecution of the lirst English printers by the infamous Jefferies will forever be a blot upon the escutcheon of the English judiciary. In Ihis repabUc much infamy will ncver be possible. The constitution does not warrant it, and the people will not permit it. S:iys a well-known author and able lawyer : "It will be a sad day for the independenee of public justice and the majesty of the law, when the petty tyranny ofan indifferent or corrupt judge can, witli impunity, arbitrarily punish the newspaper that ortttotses his action. There is no incense or sacred inlluence on the judicial ormino in a republic which can ever defy the watchfulness of the press. It wlll follow malfeasauee and ignorance and turpitude and tyranny in the courts, as everywhere else, with a vigilance as omniscient and sleepless and scathing as the ubiquity ot that Ca;sar, against whose imperial pursuit De Qulncy said the pathless deserts of the Roman empire were but a transienl and futile seeurity." [Applanse]. As great, and mlghty, and perfect aait ia, bas praal reaohed the acme of its power and gTeatnesS? io. The London Times reports its parlianientary debates by telephoue to the ear of the compositor, who putstbem uto type as the words fall from tlic instrument. Type setters are being uperseded h_y marreloos places of ingenious aiechanlsm. The daily Journal ia printed from oostiaaoM rolls of white paper miles and miles in length, at the rato of 55,000 copies per press per hour. All the available elements of heaven and eartlj are presëed into service in itscomposition, yet I am presumtuotis enontdi to prophesy (hst the aewapaporofa hnndred veins beun will be as tdnnced overm as the uewtpaper of onr time li orw that ol two centuria :iíí. Ii 11 on In lts graat oareer, - iaproving, broadenlng, ¦trefgtfcenlng, growing graaier wiih eech rcvolutiiMi of the glote, untfl Napoleon's MwrtioD iiiai ¦ ïinn aewipapen are more to be dreaded than ¦ hsndred thomand buyonets" ifaall lo truc wIkmtvit the preH - tree. :iml until Carlylc's uery " Ii ""I even able editor a i-uier t' the worid.ï" slmll liiivc pnnriü from Interrogatioo to afllrtiiation aml becomr an ;iiim In popular belief. Henoeforth the growth of the newipaper press will be akiii to thal of the miglity (ik. Wlieu the tender iprig sprnng from the soil :i chlld oould bend and braak It, and the gentle mimmer breczes bowed it to the ground. But, nartarad iiy the people, it s rootf extended and took a flrmer liold on roother earth. It grew aloft, Ua simde was tought by countless Bomben; the tieree mis blow but the mlghtjr "ak bowad not. [AppUme].