The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1806-07-14 00:00:00

711 E PRESS.

We promised, on Saturday, to take some notice
of an article in Tae Courier of Friday, in which it is
asserted, that " with respell to the present riego-
ciatioa, the Newspapers have been very ignorant,
while the Stock Exchange has been very knowing ;
that the FOXIT es have obtained a very general and
extraordinary influence over the Newspapers; and
that they have made no inconsiderable progras is
reducing the Newspaper Press of London, to the
same state of dullness, ignorance, and degradation,
with that of France."— Ili: is the suns and sub-
stance of the charge in The Cour:er, preferred in its
usual broad and vulgar manner, in which coarse-
toss is mistaken fur strength, and confident aner-
tion is made to supply the place of argument.
Now, to estimate the motives in which this calumny
upon the Government and the Puhlic Press has
been engendered, we must compare The Courier, at
the present time, with what it was six months ago,
in the hands and under the guidance of the very
same condu.tors. During the late Administration,
the Empirics of The Courier daily dealt out their
doses to their patients, with the following labels :
" Government has this day receryed the important
intelligence "It has been just communicated to
us, Irons irulhori?, :" 'The Privy Council sat this
morning, and determined, &c." l'hat vli. PITT,
in the pre-eminence of his talents, felt himself every
thing, and every one else nothing, in his Admi-
aistration, we admit. That he did not over-rate
himself. or undervalue his retainers, we also readily
agree. If, to purchase the puffs of The Coin, r,
they were capable of betraying state accrete to the
Editor, which are now wirheld from him, the pre-
sent Government are not to blame for declining to
Witham such nauseating drug., noon such terms.
But how low must that Print be sunk in its own
estimation, when it condescends to make. • public
comfession of its ignorance, and the only consolation
t s which it aspires, is the fond hope, that others
are as miseraole as itself ; when, to gratify a selfish
panioa, it cries out. Liu all the other Papers at's
eanaily without information, an i " that the Fox-
I TIES have reduced the Press of London to the same
state el dullness, icnorance, and degradation as
that of France.'' The Courier, we grant, is as ig-
norant of state secret•. as any despot could wren;
bat that Print is. of all others, the most tn.&
measiste of the Public Press. That it should be
deinsed. in a peculiar degree, try Government, ca.,.
not surprise those who r -ad its duly rioaldry and
anuse of the Fort I ; who look back to its con-
due at the birth of the present Sfin.stry ; the hopes
and fears with which' it was agitated at that im-
portant crisis ; me day bellying. another day beg-
ging to be retained in s•r►ice ; and, finally, as if
t had actually completed the bargain, announcing,
that as any writer of talent appeared upon the li-
terary stage, he was sure to be bought up by Govern-
ment ; that it would soon become the duty of
The Courier to support those whom it was then
abusing.—Tbe Comer, in this instance, however,
has proved itself as bad a Prophet, as it is a Poll-
tician.—lt has not yet felt it its duty to support the
Minister; and of the great political measure of the
Jay, we mean the Vegociation, it confesses its
entire ignorance " But then." adds The Courier, as
evidence of the antipathy et the Government to
the press in general, " T4e Morwiez Chronicle must
be fully sensible of the truth of this observation.
To discuss, animadvert, and censure ; to irritate,
inflame, and embreil•; these are the objects of the
Fox Ira press. in opposition ; but when in power,
it aims at the silence, dullness, and tranquillity of
Despotism."—lf this be not intended merely as an
invitation to change places, and play over time old
complimentary duet of the Leading Print of Go-
vernment. and the Leading Print of Opposition,
with which the town was so long nauseated, we do
not see the force of the appeal.—lf TA* hlereiag
anise,* did formerly discuss, irritate, and int Mlle,
and if, as The Courier asserts, it has become "a vapid
publication," surely, atl this may htie happened
without the interposition of the Foetus, or any
wish on their part, to " reduce the Newspaper Press
of London to the emit state of dullness, ignorance,
and degredatioh, as that of Paris."—lf it irritated
and inflamed, to get its friends into power, and if
they are now in power. surely, that is a reason why
it should alter its tone ; unless to irritate and in-
flame, without an objet, or an end, be the duty,
at all times, of every Newspaper.—The present
Government may be so firmly bottomed in public
opinion, as not to require the support of the public
Press ; and the opposition to it, so feeble, as to
be unworthy of notice. No attempt may be made
to irritate and inflame the public mind against the
C rise tea eAGHS. the Roses, and the Bonanza ; but
surely it is hard to vi.it this as a crime upon the Fox-
ir as. and a proof of their antipathy to the Public
Press.—Tbe soldier of Luc us. us, who was desperate
when poor, became cautious when rich, without
any imputation upon his courage ; and whoa urged
to a dangerous enterprise,