The Sun.
London, England, 1869-06-17 00:00:00

CORRESPONDENTS AND THE PRESS.

As Washington correspondents are bound to fur-
nish news from the political capital of the nation,
and as the public hold it to be no excuse that there
is no news, they make it. Gentlemen of a lively
turn of mind and of imaginative powers can alone
discharge the duties of a Washington correspondent.
The manufacture of this gossamer web is sometimes
from the smallest bit of raw material, sometimes
from " airy nothings." It is hard for the reader to
believe that the substantial castle placed before
his eyes is no more than a Chateau en. Espagne. a pure
fiction, the creation of the correspondent's fancy,
perhaps taking its colouring and appearance accord-
ing as exhilarating beverages or cigars had predo-
minated on the previous night. At times Washin.4-
ton brims over with news ; again you have to dip
deep in the well to bring up any. In the winter
those best known in the Union are there met at every
turn, and Pennsylvania Avenue is thronged ; in
the summer a hot, wearied, disgu,ted. Chief of a
Bureau only is to be found, from whom no news at
any price, can be extracted. It is then that the
peculiar talent of the Washington correspondent is
brought into play ; but unfortunately the habit
thus acquired becomes confirmed, and he is apt to
carry his romancing into the winter when there is
no occasion for it. Take as an instance the stories
to which the New York TVorld gave publicity,
wherein General GRANT, on the eve of inauguration,
was represented as freely expressing opinions on
leading political men. Ilis words were quoted, and
the circumstances under which they were uttered
detailed, not in one, but in a series of letters, in
which, from beginning to end, there was not a parti-
cle of truth. The effect was to create a very
shy and awkward feeling between men about to be
brought into close contact, and the PRESIDENT had to
break through a fixed habit in contradicting state-
ments which were no less than pure inventions.
When General LEE visited Baltimore on Railway
business in connection with the college over which
he presides, be wrote to Gen. GRANT stating his de-
sire to pay his respects to the PRESIDENT, for which
purpose, if agreeable, he would call at Washington
on his way home. Gen. GRANT, as any gentleman
would, expressed the pleasure his visit would give,
and although rather an awkward meeting, consider-
ing the positions occupied by these distinguished
men, and, perhaps, tinged with dullness, these cir-
cumstances tending to create a restraint, yet the '
correspondents went home in a body (after doing
their duty to their papers at the telegraph offices)
to write of the momentous interview which settled
the fate of Virginia, although there was nothing about
Virginia said, nor anything which had a shade of
political significance. The Herald's correspondent
when "interviewing" Senator SUMNER, after his cele-
brated speech, put the words into his mouth signi-
fying that that speech had been read and approved
by the PRESIDENT before it was delivered, yet ti.is
was not the case. A great deal of the indignation and
alarm created by it in England arose from the be-
lief that it in some degree expressed GRANT'S senti-
ments, but it had no connection whatever with any
feeling, opinion, or word of
,the PRESIDENT, being
merely a very forcible utterance of a general na-
tional indignation, in the style, manner, and on the
responsibility of an individual Senator. If the
English had viewed that speech as expressing the
sentiments only of a distinguished Senator, it would
have attracted no great attention, but representing
the Administration—as it was presumed semi-offi-
cially to do—its views became of serious importance,
and this erroneous impression was mainly conveyed
by the correspondents.

Touching the American press and the Alabama
question, the Nation makes a truthful remark :
" One of the unfortunate consequences of the con-
stancy with which a large portion of the American
press abuses England year in and year out, is, that
when there comes a crisis like the present when real
and unusual resentment seeks expression, the news-
papers are inadequate for the task, for nobody minds
them. They have, owing to the limitations to
human speech, to leave it doubtful in the minds of
their foreign readers whether the American sense
of British perfidy and unscrupulousness is any one
year a whit stronger than it was any other year of
the last ninety. Congress has thus far done nothing
to supply the deficiency. There is not, nor has
there been for years, a serious debate in either
branch on foreign questions. In the House the
illustrious BANKS has it all his own way, and his
speeches and resolutions of course have long ago
ceased to influence any rational person in either hemi-
sphere. In the Senate the work of commenting on
English policy has been left to Mr. CHANDLER, but
no American has ever had the face to ask any
foreigner to heed him." There is a portion of the
American press edited by Irishmen who write of
England much in the style of the Dublin Nation or
the Irishman, but as a rule the leading papers in-
dulge no more in this pastime than the English
papers do in abusing America. These criticisms
have, as. the Nation observes, lost their force, but
not so much from their persistency as from their
disregard of truth. It is surprising to see how
quickly the feeling that existed six months ago can
be forgotten, the tone of the day being assumed to be
that of the former period. The American press did not
express any feeling of irritation until Mr. REVERDY
JOHNSON having imbibed the spirit of his namesake,
the celebrated ANDREW England, and
, was sent to
there discovered an easy and effective mode of
stroking the fur of the American cat the wrong
way. When vicious boys want good-natured
the
animals fight they pinch their tails ; but whether
animals bite the boys or fly at each other s
That
chance, and so it appears to be with nations.
I. .
a mere
chance,
there was a strong though dormant rma, ton in
America, which quickly fired up under Mr. RE-
VERDF JorrNsoN's treatment, is proved by the re-
sult ; but if the American press failed adequately to
convey this feeling to the minds of Englishmen, there
is no doubt that the English press has fully succeeded
in makinc, known England's decision on what her
people erroneously consider to be Mr. SumNER'S de-

mands, for he made no demands. In justice to the
American press, it should be stated that it met the
British outburst of wrath with a moderation winch
has done it no small honour. In truth, it is charmed
with its new and unaccustomed position. Hitherto
it had been the attacking party, denouncing British
perfidy, selfishness, and unfair demands, while
threatening all manner of penalties. Now it calmly
witnesses and soothes the British ire, recommending
the old gentleman to compose himself, telling hag
there is danger of apoplexy in such unreasonable
fits of anger, that when in a more placid mood he
will find that nothing unreasonable will be pro-
posed, and whatever may be the proposition
it will
be made courteously. The essence of our sub-
ject is, that journalists, whether correspondents or
other writers should adhere as closely as they
can to the truth. The public willingly allow the
press some latitude, but if it habitu illy draws nh
imagination for news, and publishes leaders written
without reference to facts, the influence it ions-
sesses will be lost. The habit of abusing public
men because they act in oppositon to their party
has had the effect of making many leading Amen-
cans care little, and cease to contradict even the
strongest comments on them in the newspapers,
however untrue, and this well-known fact is any'
thing but complimentary to journalism._Anylo-
American Times.