Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-09-15
SPIRIT OF THE FOREIGN JOURNALS
From he London Times.

paratiye frequency with which the daily press
was alluded to by honorable members in the
course Of last weeks discussions; nor will 1t be
forgotten with what species OF notice the'poiiti-
cal character OF the press was hOnured, or bY
~ha, side Of the house.
The .peaai' press-the "tyrannical" sug-
gesti0ns Of the press--ihe - shameful aHd duda-
cious meaaees used by the press to deter menu
bers from the conscientious discharge OF their
duty. the impudent dictation of an al bltrary
press, which, base as it was, had acquired such
an ascen,lancy in the country, that there was now
no resisting it;'' the "vioent persecution" Of
the press against Mr.. Barring, Sc.
There is no question land we devoutly trust
there never will be any, that the newspaper press
Of England, regarded as whole, does exercise n
treat ascendancy over the nation. AS English
men, no less than journalists, we feel deep in
tcrest not only in the Immediate preservation Of
that moral influence. but in lis continuance and
extension for ages after we and our labors shall
have been alike forgotten, because our firm per-
suasiun is that The press OF England concentrates,
represents and distributes that power by which 4
civilized community can best be held together
the force of opinion contraSted with that 0i the
bludseon, the tirehrand and the knife. When
membcrs 1T Parliament yet up in their places
and employ strong terms OF reproach against
~ objects. does il never occur to them how I'M
wise they are To confess their own little estima-
ton no that quarter with which the press must,
bv the very nature Of things, be idenrifed-we
mean the whole reading body Of the people?
We affirm, tina, the portion OF the press which
svavs ia anv sensible degree the mind of politi-
cal society, cannot enjoy such influence but thro'
honest aud saiutary means. If newspaper or
any perodita al production were to insult its read
srs by statements which were generally or in
deed more than very rarely anG accidentally un-
true-with appeals to feelings which were not
warranted by justice by resort to arguments
not founded on reason, or subserrlency TO IN
terests which were not broad and national, but Oh
the contrary, selfish. mean and unrrow-what
would be the consequence to the proprietors OF
such journals? Why; they would excite against
themselves the disgust aud contempt of the
great mass Of society, whose welfare it was their
aim or at least their tendency to impair: and
they would leave Il victorious field for the saga
CITY and ambition Of rival journalists to act up
an: and thus their efforts at mischief, or their IN
capacitv for good would cease at once to be ln-
cra,iye to themselves, and injurious to the rest
pf the community.
The press is called by some babbcrs, reaaE-
What is the evidence for such charge? Ii We
pality be imputable to any class Of Englishmcn,
look not to the columns of newspapers for your
proofs,-iook ta the red book,--to the reports OF
Pariiament,--to the lists of Pensions aud sine
cures, to colonial iunctonaries twenty deep
10 merccuary Lords,-to pdmphleteering. job
bins. matchmaking dignitaries of the Church,
70 the innumcrable tribes OF yermIn bred within
the folds Of that poisonous mantle, which has
wrapped Tor ages, and gradually nuuDcd Tie Her
Culean might OF England.
Even on an aiStocratic principle. Sir r. Pee!
has no right to take airs in talking of an inteec-
,ual power, Welded in many Instances By men
whn according to the drawing room sense ut the
worJ.-a sense which he no doubt despises as We
ain. hat better understood, and more fnndly
cherished, by some of the right honorable Baro-
nets Tory ends,-might call themselves =" his
betters.o Sir Robert Peel owes his wealth to
the homelness of his origin. There are gentle
men. we believe, connected with the press, pro-
nrietors of il and writer's for it. who might have
been as rich as he, if their fathers had not been,
10 use the silly language of the day, " too well
horn 10 condescend to the condition OF weavers. y
Is that to their credit? Bah! Or reproach to
Sir Robert Peel's history? The rational world
bonors hm and the immediate ancestor the more
Bat it is bone to snsw Tor those wretched pup
pies who yelp out their querruious insoichce
from day to day, as if English journalists might
not be found who we're, even IN their own child
ish view of things, as IN all other respects 'hel'
betters."
Will any of these individuals presume to all
dress by name or in person, gentleman con
nected with any department of the press, the du
ties of which require liberal education, IN Ian
guage implying disparasement TO him or his pro
fessiou? We suspect not.
There is. however, another order OF llbellists,
for ii is plain that tie press can be hbelled, whi
sneak of it as being "a thing of straw,"-as {
thing without property" without = "a stake II
the country, "-as here to-day, and migratory to
morrow!
These men may not b. sef-ehensible for more
than tota! Ignorance of the subject A London
newspaper is not " a thing OF straw" Our co
tsnnoraries, and thousands of other well inform
ed persons. wdl bear us oat in saying that there
is nothing more difficult to establish no property
more impossible to remove or transfer "''n0a