The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-22 00:00:00

The Newspaper Press of America.

The Spectator applies the word
"snippety" to
the comments of the American newspaper
press on
events passing under review. It adds thatnopetohpalne
believe less in what their newspapers tell them
the Americans—not even the Italians, who always
imagine that the statements made arTeheinctoemudmedenttos
conceal, not to explain, the truth.
of the Spectator on America are generally conceived
in such a broad and fair spirit, and conveyed in a
style so terse and vigorous, that we would be slow
to take exception to what our contemporary said,
but we think that in this instance the Spectator is
scarcely fair. " Snippety," by which we presume
is meant short and superficial editorial notices,
is perhaps a true and pert word to convey the
writer's meaning. The leaders in general are
" snibbity" though the exceptions are very nume-
rous. We have transferred to our columns an
article from the Round Table, in which that journal
replies to an allegation of the New York Evening
Post, accusing it of not being up to the mark of the
leading London weeklies, falling indeed consider-
ably behind the standard of such a journal as the
Spectator. The Round Table, with the good sense
that characterises it, meets the charge by a simple
admission of its truth, and retorts by saying what
is true in a still greater degree, that it comes
nearer to the standard of excellence attained
by the chief London weeklies than the New
York daily press does to that of the leading
London dailies. The Round Table may instance its
own successful establishment as a proof of the rapid
advance of journalism in the United States. It is
characterised by the strongest and freest expres-
sion of truth ; commenting without fear on social,
political, and moral delinquencies. Its articles are
the reverse of " snippety," and its opinions are ex-
pressed without any regard to the public feeling of
the moment. The consequence is, that this journal
steadily gains in reputation and power ; and as its
circulation increases, the ability of its proprietors
will increase to attain their avowed aim to bring their
organ up to the standard they have in view. A
few years ago such a journal could not have main-
tained its ground in the United States. (Then the
newspaper press of America was filled with sensa-
tional stories of a style which did not reflect credit
either on themselves or their readers. Enthusiastic
young ladies poured out their " gushing"Lentonleitit:
without regard to nature, giving
with; greatehst
wildest imagination, and not
t exploded.
rubbish which they styledPwdtalease:
wholly, this sort of thing is almios
There, in
for example the Philadelphia
itlhe smallest sheets
ghTake
quii cr.
the smallest possible typde, on
of paper, is crammed
Correspondents from all
Union and of the world.
the news of the
the
ewesv
events
for t
st
Otte.
journal.
Telegraph
the States up to the hour of going
parts of all countriiesi
descopnadt
curring throng:: ouu(Th
to
to press, and t ecnlisees btrhienigr
the eye of those accustomed
pap
able, yet we consider ers the appearance is uufavour-
'der it to be impossible to condense
more important matter in entailer ,
to a space. If the
atoLondon new
airn of a newspaper be to give news, the Inquirer
certainly fulfils its mission. Though its editorials
are short, they are always pithy and to the point,
and
in keeping with the characteristics of the news-
paper. The broad sheets of the leading dailies of
New York are filled with the fullest information on
every subject from all parts. As these journals
aim at the dissemination of news, we cannot under-
stand how there can be any force in the statements
of the Spectator that the people put no faith in them.
This might be said of a weekly review devoted to
articles commenting on the news already given by
the daily journals, but cannot fairly be applied to
the daily journal, which contains little more than a
bare record of events. It is true that news may be
so conveyed as in a measure to disguise its real
significance, but we think that the American papers
are as little open to such a charge as those