The Express.
London, England, 1858-05-29 00:00:00

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LONDON, SATURDAY, MAY 29.

THE great invitation question is the order of the
day. Radical and Conservative alike denounce
this mode of corruption. As respects Mr.
DISRAELI'S imputation of the same weakness
to some Journalists that Mr. BRIGHT im-
pute. to Members of Parliament, we cannot, we
regret to say, meet it with a point-blank contradic-
tion. There is, however, one point on which we
would beg leave to illuminate those who are
alternately the seducers and delatoes of jour-
nalistic virtue. In the palmy days of the
Public Advertiser, and in the young days of the
Morning Chronicle, the newspaper was a mere
retainer of this or the other statesman or party.
The London journals were few and had a limited
circulation, and provincial journals, in a literary sense,
as yet were not. There was little capital in the trade,
and publishers depended mainly on gratuitous com-
munications. Politicians could snare the support of
a newspaper in return fee readable contributions.
Time has changed this state of affairs. There is a
large amount of capital invested not only in the
London but in the provincial journals. Leaving the
metropolitan newspapers out of account, the Man-
chester Guardian, the Leeds Mercury, the &amen,
and many other provincial journals are valuable—
some of them hereditary properties. Journalist.—
including capitalists and literary and mechanical
labourers—have become as much &professional body
as the aggregate of the different chimes of lawyers—
es
much " an interest" as the cotton-spinners. No
individual politicians, no political parties, can 'apply
patronage and support for so numerous a body. The
journals of England are dependent upon the general
public ; and not a few of them have discovered that
" honesty is the best policy "—that by telling the
truth on all occasions, and advocating what they
believe to be sound principles, to the best of their
abilities, they OM attract from our multitudinous
population a number of supporters—not one of
whom, perhaps, is individually known to them—
, sufficient for their purpose. They have discovered
that to make themselves the tools of party (in the
narrow acceptation of the word) is to gain a precarious
hold on the few, and to forfeit the respect and cor-
dial support of the many. A regard to their own
interest, as well as an average amount of honesty,
has taught no inconsiderable proportion of the
journalistic profession the great lesson of self-
' respect. Now, and henceforth, politicians meat
be contented to receive the support of such
journals as can give a support worth having,
on equal terms, as from allies, not in a spirit
of subserviency, u from mercenary dependents.
That oar politicians—even such of them as have,

like Mr. DISRAELI, bad considerable intercourse
with the newspaper world—have not yet discovered
this, is owing to two circumstances. In the first
place, not a few journalists are liable to the same
weakness as the accidental guest of Lord HOLLAND.
In the second place, there are a number of adven-
Wen on town, who, aspiring to an official career,
possess sufficient talent to make themselves useful
IS occasional contributors to newspapers, and find it
expedient, while waiting for the bounty of patrons
at the national expense, to avail themselves of this
espaoity. Some of this class are not among
the most scrupulous of men, and find it
for their advantage to act occasionally es brokers or
go-betweens to establish connexions between jour-
nals and political leaders, or would-be leaders. We
do not take upon us to say that professional jour-
nalist' are, as a class, ideals of political morality ;
bailee fearlessly maintain that in respect of political
amorality they will be found in advance of most
other classes of society. If our politicians have
formed a different estimate of them,it is because they
judge of them by those hybrids between the official
and the journalist who are so prompt to volunteer
their services u mediums of communication with
newspapers ; or it is because believing it more
convenient to deal with journals of easy virtue
they most affect connexion with such. The
tone in which Mr. DISRAELI affected to speak of a
large portion of the newspaper press is that in which
most of his political colleagues and rivals really
think of it. It is for the newspaper pries itself to
teach them better, by evincing in all its dealings
with them a becoming self-respect. In the long ran
every newspaper will find independence the best
policy. There is a public for every journalist, of
every shade of political opinion, if he can but con-
vines it by his earnestness, consistency, and fearless-
ness, 'combined with moderation, that he deserves
its respect and support. It is the function of
journalists to be the honest and intelligent expo-
nents of the opinions of one or other of all
the various sections of society. Honesty, consistency,
and moderation will enable any journalist with
average abilities to wield a sort of tribunitial power.
Parliamentary politicians—and their hangers-on of
every description—ought to be taught this ; and they

need the lesson—not only the aristocratic members of
the elms, but the demagogues who declare that a
newspaper ought to be nothing more than a vehicle
fee advertisements and reports. A wide field of

honourable and neural motion Is open to the journalists
of Cheat Britain, lint in order to cultivate it with
enema they mot, by first respect* thiamine,
east* ahem to respect their profesdon.

Ix English tiaaisial circles few subjects at pre-
seat mpg, =ors dieussion then the remarkable
depreciation of French securities, and especially of
French railway property. In Frame, sale natusal,
the anxious attention of the monied world is almost