Page:History of Journalism in the United States.djvu/246

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HISTORY OF JOURNALISM


the formation of the Holy Alliance and the endeavor on the part of the Holy Allies to suppress liberal thought, had its reaction in America. The storm aroused throughout the South American republics, leading up to the enunciation of the Monroe Doctrine by President Monroe, awakened the thoughts of the people, who had never taken much cognizance of political matters except those immediately surrounding them. Americans began to be conscious of the fact that they had stimulated the world. They began to realize that they, had established a democracy that was affecting the world and, as they saw the reaction, there came pride and conscious power and a greater determination to spread that power among the people. Foreign visitors declared that they had never seen such a proud, conceited people as these Americans.

Part of the same liberalizing movement was evidenced in a revival of religious feeling, which began in 1815 and was coincident with the formation of many philanthropic societies, among which were the Colonization, Tract, Bible, Foreign Mission, Home Mission, SailorsFriend and Peace Societies. It was the time, too, when asylums, hospitals and libraries were founded and when there began to be great interest in the public school, system.

One of the most interesting of these signs was the appearance of a labor party, following which came labor papers in numbers. Among the first of these was the Workingman's Gazette, appearing in October, 1824, advocating many things that were considered radical in those days, such as free education and the abolition of imprisonment for debt.

Many and strange were the phases of the reforming spirit which was spreading throughout the country, resulting in the establishment of a number of papers, some