"FALSE, UNHEROIC."
Ought not an. uncorrupted and presumably incorruptible newspaper press to make it a chief object of existence, that it should instruct the public as to the truth of all it treats of 1 Its members form an estate affirmed to be more " important " than that of king, lords or commons — the " Fourth Estate," so constituted by the possession of a " tongue which others will listen to." in the " voice of the charmer " consists its strength and virtue, and before all things it is necessary that it charm " wisely." But if this tongue become, as the children judge, ■worthy of blisters, if this voice grow " out of tune and harsh," how great is the bewilderment and chaos that are introduced into the minds of men ? * A BEGULUS-like devotion to the interests of the community should distinguish our editors. The dash of Leonidas is undoubtedly commendable ; but into all visions of earthly glory the idea of self enters too far to admit of conduct which may be inspired by such beirg considered totally free from suspicion, and, on the whole, the cold-blooded, calculating immola- ! tion, adopted after long consideration, and adhered to notwith- j standing all blandishments and entreaties to the contrary, is that which is preferable, and that which they, on whose tongues such vital interests are understood to hang, should seek to acquire the power of making. " Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds." How badly do they savour who deviate from their lofty course ; who. instead of endeavoring to explain " the Reality which lies at the bottom of all Appearance," are, on the contrary, concerned in the obfuscation thereof. " World's priests" are they who sacrifice to idols, and from whose centers are wafted fumes which, though they may seem sweet to the sense, are poisonous. But oh ! for the potency of pelf, the Belial of to-day, and for the bigotry of a public that will have editors pander to its prejudices. Let us take an example. When Cardinal Antonelli died, the hatred that had pursued him through life was not charitably allowed to be buried likewise. Some thing of panegyric 1 there was, indeed, appearing in the columns of most news- , papers. His manners, his tastes, his habits of life were alluded to'not unfavorably, but, through all, one saw that the seeming smile of approbation was iv truth a sardonic grin not as yet fully developed ; and the guffaw ot mockery followed in due course. Our honorable editors, no doubt, would have had it appear that when they sang paeans over the supposed diahoaesty attendant on the acquisition of his wealth by the Cardinal, they .had in view the exposure of a fraudulent career, and were not engaged in the spiteful pursuit of blind prejudices, nor in ministering to the depraved appetite of a bigoted public ; but such a pretence is but shallow, for none of them have undertaken, as in common justice they are bound to do, to inform their readers that the hints, sneers, and scandalous statements they published, respecting the dead statesman, were totally unfounded ; and that it has been shown bejond controversy that his property had come into his possession as honestly as that of the most esteemed man of substance amongst us has been inherited or acquired by him. They vilified the memory of the deceased Cardinal, and they did so for the express purpose of casting dirt through him upon every member of the august Order to which he belonged; and, so long as they satisfied their readers, and gained fresh assurance of support and profit, truth and justice were alike indifferent to them. Heaven, help the world in which such a " Fourth Estate " has become more important than the other three.
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New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 207, 23 March 1877, Page 11
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622"FALSE, UNHEROIC." New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 207, 23 March 1877, Page 11
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