riority of free, self-improving, self-relying America, over the states that are submerged in European authority.

The accumulation made through centuries by government, disposing of large means, has formed in the European world those great depositories of the productivity of the human mind, with which the American public libraries of course cannot compare. In this country the beginning was small, and comparatively recent; but the extension of libraries keeps pace with the rapid increase of general prosperity. Private munificence or associations originally founded the public libraries here. The various colleges, endowed in this way with libraries, or increasing them by their own means, or by public subscriptions, although unable to rival the libraries possessed by the European universities, evidence the early and earnest solicitude of a society and of individuals depending upon themselves, to provide the community with means of education. Now, in many States, the legislatures, those organs of a self-gov erning people, extend their support to existing libraries, and create new ones, principally in view of the normal education of the masses. The public common schools possess libraries, and their stock increases yearly, by the care of the popular government, by the care of the communes. this way millions of books are put at the disposal of the masses in the Free States. School-books embracing various subjects of instruction are the most numerous products of American typographical industry. None of the villages, and not many towns and boroughs in Europe possess public school libraries, they have no such fountains for the supply of their intellectual wants. Neither the care of governments, nor private solicitude, extends to that branch of the diffusion of knowledge. Where such resources exist they are neglected and considered as the last of all the necessary provisions. In the Free States, some few of the more

In

recent ones excepted, in New England, New York, Ohio, and all the older States, there is scarcely a farm, or even a log-house, without books; nothing but the utmost poverty prevents a family from surrounding itself with these household goods, well used and highly valued, and almost wholly unknown to the millions and millions of European rustics, operatives and working-men. In this respect, not any European country, not even Germany or Prussia, can compare with the Free States of the Union. The Slave States in this as in all other points of civilization, carefully and proudly nurse their utter inferiority. This use of books by the masses explains, aside from the extension of the press, the consumption of paper, yearly surpassing in America that of France and England put together.

Private collections of books are more numerous and more extended among the population of the Union, than is the case comparatively in Europe. In every European country can be found larger and more complete libraries, owned by certain individuals in aristocratic castles and palaces, by rich parvenus, and a few others, than among private persons in America, but these special, individual collections are surrounded by millions of men uneducated, unlettered. The diffusion of books among the American people constitutes one of these rare occurrences in the comparison of the two worlds, where there is less show and more reality on this side than in many other conventional terms of comparison. Where the genuine democratic spirit is at work, there no shams are possible.*

* Among the private libraries in America, the one collected with the most masterly choice is that of the Rev. Theodore Parker, in Boston. Without having large sums at his disposal, Mr. Parker is always in advance of every public library in America, he is the first to enjoy the last sterling publications concerning history, philosophy, theology, that are issued in Germany, England or France. Each

If higher scholarship, exquisite finish and refinement in arts, scientific supremacy, have hitherto been the incontestable patrimony of Europe; all this is chiefly concentrated in a comparatively few bright eminences. America has enkindled light on the plains where undulate the great and real waves of mankind. Europe has polished classes; learned societies; but with less preponderating individual learning, America, the Free States-stimulated, led on by New England, by Massachusetts—they alone possess intelligent, educated masses.

work in his collection reveals the earnest, studious and progressive mind,-holding communion with the most luminous, learned and advanced spirits of his epoch.

CHAPTER IX.

THE PRESS

THE independent press is the high pontiff of our epoch. Light and freedom are the elements of its life, of its function. The press, in its true and normal comprehension, is to become more and more emphatically the most spontaneous utterance of the human spirit, with its manifold thoughts, impressions, feelings, faculties and passions. In the press re-echo the most delicate, energetic and subtle powers of our minds, and its destiny is to warm and enlighten, to radiate in all directions and to penetrate into the most secret recesses. The more society shall free itself from prejudices and from deference to the so-called, time-honored, various authorities, the more must grow and expand the influence of the press, entering and transfixing all the social crevices and fibres. The mission of the press She is to dissolve pre

is to be the chivalry of the age. judices, disentangle the truth, elucidate if not solve daily social, political and administrative problems, defend the oppressed, the poor, bring to daylight abuses, discuss with conscientious independence the acts, not only of those to whom society in any way or manner intrusts the regulation of its affairs, but even of private individuals when their actions bear upon the community. On account of

the daily increasing power of the press, it is her sacred duty to keep always elevated before the public a higher standard of morality, and direct towards it the public opinion. It is her function to remind men of rights, to keep communities in the path of duty, and unflinchingly adhere to what she recognizes as true and elevated. The press may err, but her errors are pardonable when they originate in a mistaken judgment, and not in a premeditated treason to her own convictions and faith.

The growing influence and power of the press are proportional to the increase of freedom and civilization among nations. This is an indisputable fact, and many are the reasons which account for it. The press is the most rapid way of initiation to life, to its exigencies, causalities, activity, to its daily occurring phenomena. It is accepted, valued and submitted to as a spiritual chain of daily communion between personally unknown but mentally united, associated individuals and numbers, and gives them the security not to stand alone, to have convictions shared, to be linked with many in tendencies, aims, purposes. So the press serves as a sign of mutual recognition for those who are separated by space, even by time. Freedom and publicity are the cardinal conditions of a higher development of the individual, of society, of communities. The sunlike publicity and expansion of the press, constitute and explain one of the reasons of its power.

Every new idea, notion, opinion, fact, moral or material conception brought forward, inaugurated in the world to assert its existence, has used the means of publicity, extant at the time of its appearance. The word spoken by the prophets and masters, by philosophers, and even by bards, by apostles and other teachers, was the most immediate and direct way of bringing forth and diffusing among men the fruits and results of mental activity. The printed