The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1851-11-25 00:00:00

ASCENDANCY OF THE PRESS,

The Times, in lecturing a contemporary on the unwar-
rantableness of certain imputations levelled against itself,
makes the following remarks on the subject of English
journalism :

There is nothing in which the social welfare of this
country is more intimately concerned than in the charac-
ter and position of the press. Not only are political par-
ties dissolved, and political traditions obliterated, but even
the " liberal professions" of former days are breaking up
around us, and it is impossible to conjecture who in ten
years' time may be barristers or soldiers, consuls or diplo-
mats, electors or representatives, statesmen or ministers.
There is but one power on the increase in the country,
and that is the power of public opinion. There is but one
profession which will certainly be stronger in 1860 than in
1851, and that is the profession of a journalist. Every
year a larger and larger portion of the population becomes
agape for that peculiar knowledge which is practically
power, and every year the distributors of that knowledge
must grow both in influence and esteem. Already the
journals of this country discuss public measures with a
talent which is borrowed (and often but imperfectly) for
for more solemn deliberations, and the duties of a Minister
are considerably relieved by the luminous exposition which
every question receives before it is formally submitted to
legislative decision. The government of the British em-
pire is influenced in a most material degree by the metro-
politan press. This may or may not be an advantage;
but it is certainly not meant for a boast, and it is most in-
contestably a fact. The press, by universal consent, has
done much for the tranquillity and progress of the nation,
and it will infallibly be summoned to do more. Whatever
may be our differences, on most mighty questions we have
been found as one. There were not two opinions expressed
when a mortal earthquake shot from Paris to Vienna, and
when a mob on Kennington-common tried to ape the
destruction of a mob at theTuileries. There were not two
opinions expressed when the good sense of the country
had placed these misguided people at the mercy of the
law. There will never, we trust, be two opinons when the
cause of order, of civilization, of humanity, or of progress,
is really at stake. It is no irresponsible power that we
exercise. Our influence can never be operative for harm,
since it results only from the harmony of our appeals with
those instinctive sentiments of man's breast which always
ultimately partake moreof reason than passion. We can only
persuade by candid explanation, and convince by logical
proof; and if ouropinions carry weight, it isnot because they
are forcibly stated, but because they are plainly scpported
by reasons which all, by education or instinct, are more or
less competent to estimate. Our power is nothing but the
power of truth. As we approach to it we are strong ; as
we recede from it we are weak. No popular influence can
permanently establish a fallacy, nor can any popular in-
fluence be long preserved by an organ of opinion in which
fallacies are often mistaken for truths. In this country a
newspaper must either be practically harmless of generally
just, its power being an infallible index of its integrity.
The opinions which please Englishmen for years together,
must necessarily be founded on common sense and sound
reason, nor could any organ of dishonest sentiments retain
sufficient influence to give them material currency. Great,
therefore, as is this power, it is neither irresponsible nor
unlimited, though there is a moral certainty that it must
become greater still. There is no doubt about the stone
which as society advanceswill become the head of the cor-
ner, and exactly in proportion to the magnitude of these
prospects should be the solicitude of those before whom
they are displayed.

HORRIBLE REVENGE. Adelaide Swerte has just
created a terrible sensation in the quiet village of Cha-
mouni. Her lover, an apothecary, of the name of Carlh,
had allowed her access to his drug closet. In consequence
of some deep resentment, treacherously dissembled, how-
ever, the damsel having possessed herself of a quantity of
fulminating cotton, introduced it into the lining of a neck-
cloth with a large fold falling over the breast, and pre-
sented it to Carlh on his going out shooting. She had
remarked that, when in the enjoyment of his pipe, sparks
had often fallen on his shirt-front. Not returning to the
village, search was made in the mountains, where he was
found with his neck and skull horribly shattered.
DRAWING OF Tint FRENCH LOTTERY.—The drawing
of the gold lottery, at Paris, took place on Monday, in the
circus of the Champs Elys(les. The first-drawn number
was that winning the grand prize of 400,000 f. (X 16,666).
The person who won the prize was by some said to be one
of the enginemen of the Northern Railroad ; by others,
General Delarue was stated to be the happy man. The
moment the winning number was ascertained within, it
was affixed on a board, fastened to a lofty pole, which was
immediately borne by two men about the Clfamps Ely-
vees, for the benefit of the public who had not found room
within the circus. The prize of 200,000 f. (X 8,333), was
gained by a journeyman hairdresser of the Rue Montaigne,
near the circus, and close to the garden-walls of the Ely-
see. At the proclamation of the prize of 10,600 f. (X 416),
a voice was heard from the multitude in the circus, cry-
ing out, "La voila, voila ! Graces a Dieu ! c'est moi,
c'est moi ! j'ai gagne. Oh ! sees amis, quo ma mere va
etre heureuse !" The person who thus expressed his joy
was a young man of twenty, a chair-turner's apprentice,
of the Faubourg St. Antoine. No. 8, a prize of 25,000 f.
(X 1,041), was won by a serjeent of the Republican Guard,
who wee et the very moment doing duty outside the
circus.