Delaware gazette and peninsula advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1814-1820, 1817-06-07
From the y: T. Daily advertiser.
Monday. June 2. 1917.
I" Dull Timesn


Z" Dull rimes.n
In a season OF universal langor ia
the regions of news and politics, when
there is no European war nor reyo.u.
tions to engage the public attention.
excite its sympathy, or alarm its fears
it is very apparent that newspaper
editors must experience much iiiIicuI-
ty in making up their papers from day
to day. and from week to week. with
vigor enough TO make them pass even
tolcrably among their readers. Thi,
difficulty is the more severely fell at
the present time, because the old re-
fish for tumult, and blood shed has
not entirely subsidized, but there is st;,l
to be found amongst mankind a good
deal OF anxiety to hear something Of
the buisterous and ssnguinary clarac-
ter Of the times that are now passed.
and gone.
Unin:erestinS, however. as the
events oil the present times are CON-
pared. with those which we have so
lately witnessed. the evil Of the pre-
sent sits more heavily upon tie edi-
tors. than upon their readcrs--for We
verify believe that dullncss is more
iull TO him that prepares il. than TO
him for whom it is prepared. Nor
do we think, notwithstanding this is
considered AS emphatica!ly the charit-
able age, that any great share Of that
christian virtue is extended to editors.
What an astonishing difference is
there between the present times and
the past A few years since, aud no
thing was easier than, to fill news-
Ipapcr. even If it was the largest that
was ever published in this country.
Then almost every arrival brought us
a Bulletin of some tremendous battle,
an account of the capture of some cap-
Iital, the dethr0nement of some mo-
march, the annihilation Of some state
or nation, the creation Of some new
sovereign, some terrible naval battle,
6c. dc. On subjects Of this sort, the
public attention is instinctiveiy turned
and fastened with the greatest posi-
Die degree Of eageuness and forcc.---
At such seasons, newspapers are in
demand, and editors ia high repute,
and however low the state OF taste for
general literature may have become
Ia the country, it never failed to rise
to the level ofU,at which is contained
in the public gazettes.
.No1c, all is changed. In the room
of bulletins, and battles. and ssUisa-
iparte, we have cutworms, and locusts,
and frosts. and drought. and spots ON
the sun, and seasons drranged--iard
winters, cold buck ward springs, prog
INVESTIGATIONS Of barren summer, aud
approaching famine. II there Is any
amusement in all this it must be to
Ihypochondriacs, who dwell with de-
light on such subjects AND, indteds
upon aii subjects thai are gloomy. u
|liscourasing. But who can calculate
a newspaper for persons OF this tenn
|per--who consider il as next TO com
Uniting the objectionable sin to laugh
and whose music. ifpreparcd by them
selves, would consist only of a single
|tuNc. and that would be Funeral
Thought" We do not wish to mur-
mer. or repine--resigoation would he
a much more useful frame Of mind.
both in edit, rs and readers. These
OF us, indeed, who are naturally dull,
enjoy real benefit in the times--we
lci.argc our own peculiar characters
tic quality to the times. But to those
few who are OF "A more lively and bril-
liant cast of mind. we can scarcely
|conceive of more trying preJieamenf
than that in which they are now pia-
cet!--withnut one cheerful or euliYen-
ling subject at home, to call forth the
powers Of their minds, or the tfca-
sures of their understanding. and
nothing abroad, except the distnrban'
ces in South America. of which we
know but little, and that little IS iuii
las we'll calculated to depress az 10
exait their spirits, or their genius.
Goblet and the Democrats.