large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_11_belloc_64kb_51
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_11_belloc_64kb
English
7264
But such a Free Press in defence of religion (the pioneer of all the Free Press) arose in Ireland and in France and elsewhere. It had at first no quarrel with the big official Capitalist Press. BUT SUCH A FREE PRESS IN DEFENCE OF RELIGION THE PIONEER OF ALL THE FREE PRESS AROSE IN IRELAND AND IN FRANCE AND ELSEWHERE IT AT FIRST HAD NO QUARREL WITH THE BIG OFFICIAL CAPITALIST PRESS
slightly coloured by the dominating religion of the country in which each paper happened to be printed--and there was an end of it. Great bodies of men who cared intensely for a definite creed found that expression for it was lacking, even if this creed (as in France) were that of a very large majority in the State. The "organs of opinion" professed a genteel ignorance of that idea which was most widespread, most intense, and most formative. Nor could it be otherwise with a Capitalist enterprise whose directing motive was not conversion or even expression, but mere gain. There was nothing to distinguish a large daily paper owned by a Jew from one owned by an Agnostic or a Catholic. Necessity of expression compelled the creation of a Free Press in connection with this one motive of religion. Men came across very little of this in England, because England was for long virtually homogeneous in religion, and that religion was not enthusiastic during the years in which the Free Press arose. Y CONSENTED TO BE SLIGHTLY COLORED BY THE DOMINATING RELIGION OF THE COUNTRY IN WHICH EACH PAPER HAPPENED TO BE PRINTED AND THERE WAS AN END OF IT GREAT BODIES OF MEN WHO CARED INTENSELY FOR A DEFINITE CREED FOUND THAT EXPRESSION FOR IT WAS LACKING EVEN IF THIS CREED AS IN FRANCE WAS THAT OF A VERY LARGE MAJORITY IN THE STATE THE ORGANS OF OPINION PROFESSED A GENTEEL IGNORANCE OF THAT IDEA WHICH WAS MOST WIDESPREAD MOST INTENSE AND MOST FORMATIVE NOR COULD IT BE OTHERWISE WITH A CAPITALIST ENTERPRISE WHOSE DIRECTING MOTIVE WAS NOT CONVERSATION OR EVEN EXPRESSION BUT MERE GAIN THERE WAS NOTHING TO DISTINGUISH A LARGE DAILY PAPER OWNED BY A JEW FROM ONE OWNED BY AN AGNOSTIC OR A CATHOLIC NECESSITY OF EXPRESSION COMPELLED THE CREATION OF A FREE PRESS IN CONNECTION WITH THIS ONE MOTIVE OF RELIGION MEN CAME ACROSS VERY LITTLE OF THIS IN ENGLAND BECAUSE ENGLAND WAS FOR LONG VIRTUALLY HOMOGENEOUS IN RELIGION AND THAT RELIGION WAS NOT ENTHUSIASTIC DURING THE YEARS IN WHICH THE FREE PRESS AROSE
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