1846.] Stand by Your Own. 315 



STAND BY YOUR OWN. 



[Extract from an Address delivered before the Madison County Agricultural 

 Society, by Ledyard Lincklaen, 1844.] 



" Among the French, on the contrary, a country life is regarded 

 with dislike, and followed by none who can escape it; almost all 

 wealth and talent is concentrated in the cities, and consequently, 

 a few great towns dictate in morals, literature and politics, to the 

 whole nation. Corrupt city morals are universally diffused, a 

 metropolitan excitement becomes a national movement, and a 

 constant succession of revolutions is prevented and restrained only 

 by the strong hand of centralized power. 



" An independent country spirit, then, is desirable on consider- 

 ations of general patriotism. But motives of personal and sec- 

 tional interest also impel us to contribute, to the extent of our 

 power, to raise our country and county standing and influence. 

 It should be our desire, to see a county spirit prevail among us, 

 like that which lately brought the sons of old Berkshire, in Mass- 

 achusetts, home from every quarter of the land, to testify of their 

 attachment to the spot where they were born and bred. 



"On this principle, there is one profession among us, which has 

 a special claim to our support. I refer to that of the country 

 press. A well conducted newspaper, which, instead of taking its 

 key in all things from some leading city journal, and merely aid- 

 ing to diffuse more w'idely among us notions of politics and other 

 subjects ready prepared for our adoption by central cliques or 

 associations, shall stand up manfully to defend and advocate the 

 interests of a particular section, and express the views of its citi- 

 zens, is of great benefit, and adds to the importance and influence 

 of that section in no small degree. Such a paper, however, can- 

 not be sustained without a large list of subscribers, and unless citi- 

 zens generally patronize the printer, and pay him too, they cannot 

 reasonably expect a sheet, the appearance or contents of which 

 will be creditable or beneficial to their village or county. 



" It is often said that the city papers are afforded cheaper, and 

 that they give the general news of the day equally well. But the 

 general news is not all that we need to see in a paper. The city 

 journal, the Sun or Tribune, does not give you the local news of 

 your own district, it does not contain the advertisements of your 

 neighbor, or the proceedings of your meetings. In its long, vague 

 list of marriages and deaths, you do not find that record of the 

 joys and sorrows of your immediate friends and fellow-citizens 



