Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

11 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

TOPICS OF THE DAY. -

GARIBALDI MEETING IN HYDE-PARK.…

[No title]

I MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF A GENTLE-…

THE BISHOP OF OXFORD AS A…

MR. PARTRIDGE'S REPORT TO…

ATTEMPTED ESCAPE FROJf GAOL.

POLITICAL GOSSIP. -

VICTOR HUGO ON THE PRESS.

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

VICTOR HUGO ON THE PRESS. At the dinner recently given at Brussels, in honour of Victor Hugo, he thus spoke of the press:—"Without the press there is profound darkness. All these pro- blems become immediately formidable. We Cia only distinguish sharp outline?; we may fail of BAaing the entrance and society may founder. Quench the pharos and the port becomes a rock. Gentlemen, with a free press error is not possible; there is no vacillation, no groping about in the progress of man. In tbe midst of social problems, of the dark cross-paths, the press is the indicating finger. There is no uncertainty. Advance to the ideal, to justice, and to truth; for it is not enough to walk, you must walk forward. How are yoa going? That is the whole question. To counterfeit movement is not to accomplish progress. To make a foot- print without advancing may do for passive obedience, to walk about for ever in the paih is but a mechanical movement, unworthy of man-let us have arc aim-let us know where we are geirg-let us proportion the effort to the result—let an idea guide us in each step we take — let every step be logically connected with the other—let the solution come after the idea, and let the victory come after the right- Never step backwards. Indecision in movement shows emptiness of the bra n. What is more wretched than to wish and not to wish ? He who hesitates, falls back and totters, does not think. As for me, I can no m ire admit policies without a head than I can Italy without Rome. Since I have pronounced the word Rome, let me interrupt my thought for a moment and direct it to that hero who is lying down on his bed in pain. Indeed he m'iY smile; glory and right are with him What strikes one down- what crushes one—is that there can be founa in Italy- in that noble and illustrious Italy—men who draw their swords against his virtue. Do these Italians, then, no longer recognise i Roman ? These men call themselves men of Italy; they shout out that it is vicrorious, and do not perceive that it is decapitated. Ah! th." is a sad misadventure, aud history will start back indignant before this hideous victory, which consists in killing Garibaldi in order that Italians may not have Rome. Gentle- men, who are the auxiliaries of the partiot? Thp press. What is the terror of the cowaTd ana the traitor? The press. I know it, the press is hated, and this is a great reason for loving it. Every indignity, erery persecu- tion, every fanaticism, denounces, insults, anl wounds it as far as they can. I recollect a celebrated encyclical, some remarkable words of which have remained on my memory. In this encyclical a pope, our contemporary Gregory XVI., the enemy of his age, which is somewhat tbe misfortune of popes-and having ever present in his mind the old dragon and beast of the Apocalypse, thus described the press in his monkish and barbarous Latin, guia ignea, caligo, impetus immanis cum strepitu horrendo (a fiery throat, darkness, a fierce rush with a horrid noise). I dispute nothing of the (iescription. The por- trait is striking. A mouth of fire, smoke, prodigious rapidity, formidable noise. Just so. It is a locomotive which is passing, it is the press, the mighty and holy loco- motive of progress. Where is it going ? Where is it drag- gicgeivilisatior)? Where is this powerful pilot entire carry- ing nations ? The tunnel is long, obscure, and terrible, for we may say that humanity is yet underground, so much matter envelooes and crushes it, so many superstitious prejudices, and tyrannies form a thick vault around it and so much darkness is above it. Alas! sine man's birth the whole of history has been subterranean. We see nowhere the divine ray but in the nineteenth cen- tury, after the French revolution there is hope, there is certainty. Yonder, far in the distance, a luminous point appears. It increases it increases every moment; it is the future; it is realisation; it is the end of woe; it is the dawn of joy; it is Canaan, the future land where we shall only have around us brethren, and above us Heaven. Strength to the sacred locomotive! Courage to thought- courage to science courage to philosophy. Courage to the press! courage to all of you writers! The hour is drawing nigh when men, delivered at last from tats dis- mal tunnel of 6,000 years, will suddenly burst forth in all its dazzling brightness."

THE NEW ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY.

[No title]