The herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1835-1837, 1837-02-07
Nfe Iron the Great Meiropolis.l
NeWsRaper Press--L OMdOn.-NeW YOrI


special care TO keep the circumstance as great secret
he had committed some penal offence OF the nrst
magnitude. New the most distinguished persons IN
the country, only often contrbste TO newspapers,
but are ready to admit it, except where there may be
accidental reasons for conceament. Many OF eur
Peers, and still more of our representatives IN the
House of Commons, write for the London newspaper
press In speaking OF the daily papers, have men
toned some of the distinguished persons in the habit
of writing for the London journals. Mr.. Canning and
Sir James Macintosh, were both connected with the
newspaper press, for considerable time.
Among the editors Of the metropolitan newspapers,
there exists scarcely any feeling Of jealousy with one
or two exceptions, towards each other In the ma
jonty of cases, where they are personally known to
another, they are on the most frenaly footing to-
gether They readily accommodate each other with
any reports of meetings or other articles of Inte-
gence when one has received anything important and
the others have not.
But if there be great contrast between the feelings
with which the editors of the London newspapers re-
gard each other, and those which the breasts
of editors in provincial towns the contrast between
the American and London editors is, in this respect
infinitely greater. As have in some measure d.
crossed already, content myself with the following
specimen Of the feelings the New York editors enter
tain towards each other. 1t is copied from "The New
York Herald" of May last, and IS headed
aFRAcAs IN NEW YORK.
"Editor James Gordon Bennett was assaulted in
the streets by rival editor James Watson Webb of
The Courier and Enquirer. The former gives the
following opening of this affair Sit was about half
past two o'clock-the sun was shining bnillantiy-
the sky was clear-and no doubt the angels and spr
its in heaven were looking down through that azure
sky, 10 witness how brutal-how mad-how villain
ous-how cowardly-how rutianly It waspossfblefor
one man in New York to make himself. As soon as
found myself attacked, turned upon him. His SUI
perior personal strength which God Almighty in his
wisdom, has given him for some nscrutable purpose,
altogether too powerful for me to contend with.
The great crowd of brokers and others who collected
I'd ont m Rannptt'-t Shoot no
Id rascal = Shoot him down, he deserves it.
wish had had with me my good pistols, which kept
parated by the crowd My damage is a scratch about
ger of the left hand which received from the iron
railing was forced against, and three buttons torn
from my vest, which my tailor will reinstate for Sd.
His loss is a rent from top to bottom of beautiful
a blow on the face, which may have knocked down
his throat some of his Internal eeth for anything
know. Balance in my favor, 80 dollars "a cents.
"sAs to intimdating me, or changing my course,
proceeds Mr. Bennett, the thing cannot be DONE,
Neither Webb nor any other man can or shall intlm-
date me. tell the honest truth in my paper and leave
the consequences to God. Could leave them in bet
ter hands? 1 may be attacked may be assaled-
I may be killed. may be murdered; but never will
abandon the Of TRUTH morals and virtus II Is
not, nor was, in James Watson Webb to intim-
date eghten from the exercise of his rights James
Gordon Bennett. II the public authorities do not
peaceable men in the enjoyment Of theE rights shall
carry arms for nay own protection.
Hereafter shall be obliged TO carry weapons to-
defend my person, and IL he gets killed IN the street,
the blood be upon his own head"
" After insnuatDg that his antagonist IL mad, the
writer in the Herald proceeds
"tOut Of pity TO the poor maniac, l shall today
make an application to the Commissioners OF Belle
the worthy head of that establishment, to take him
into his cus,ody-to give hIm good iodgngs-to treat
him kndlyand by all means, to have his head shorn
and every bit of his whskers shaved OIL With the
help of Heaven and topical eathlngs may De ane
means of restoring poor Webb to his long lost senses
May Heaven grant il Amen
"The writer after modestly comparing himself to
Socrates, goes on telling OF the inward promptngs Of
his -. Il hear voice, as It were, from heaven,
by morning Aoon and night crying me onward IN
the cause Of TRUTH morals and civizan.n In the
mazes of Wall strect-amid the solemn chantings OF
Tnnyn all places Of public resort, where the pretty
rnaliner girls in town fish for overs-at the Kissing
academy in Sullivan street, in the midst OF the very
smack-nay even at that graceloss fellows theatre,
Hambin the humbug-hs volces continually sound
ing in my ear, like the distant voice Of many waters,
almost articuated into words: Go on the day OF
another Athcnian civilization is Mt hand-n new Ath-
ems will agais arise in another land the barbarian
and brute who wears whskers, and attempts to beat
down truth, will himselfbe struck to the earth
I have seldom read anything more nch than TINS
II is truly amusing 70 see now Editor JAMES Gotuon
ven leok such special interest IN hum, instead Oh
sdinp with the rival editor, James Watson Webb, OF
the Courier and Enquirer The injury too, winch
lanes Gordon Bennett did to the very beautiful black
cont Of his rufan' rival, which cost forty dollars
while his own wardrobe only suffered 10 the extent OF
the loss of three buttons which any tailor would re-
instaio for sxpcnce'--s mentioned win inmiiaole
effect The comparative pecunIary damage Wnch the
martial editors sustained is given, no doubt WIN great
impartiality Poor Editor James Watson Weoo seems
10 have been sadly punished even supposing tnere
had been no ground for the fact alphabetically put by
James Gordon Bennett namely, that the blow nc
gave his rival had knocked some OF hrs internal ec'h
down his throat" Then comes the humane WISH
20 zee Editor james Watson Webb safely deposl'ed IN
" good lodgings"-which, being Translates INTO yet
plancr English, means n lunatic asylum" win ms
head shou and every bit Of his whlskers shaven =
The last is the cut of ALL Depend omit that James
Watson Webb is Unfortunately proud Of his whskers-
"a much so, no doubt, as Mrs. Hola IDS celebrated
Russian hero was. He Of the "New York Herald"
knows that the whiskcrs are the sore point with him
of the NV York Inquirer, and hence his descrp-
ton of the latter as the barbar and BRUTE whose
whiskors should be shaved James Gordon Bennett,
in conclusion depicts IN glowing coors. the useful re-
suits which arc likely to accrue from his exertlons IN
the cause of "tuth morals, and civilization" Not
onlg will the barbarian and brnie who wears whls-
kers be struck TO tho GARTH but the day OF another
Athonan civilization is at hand :,
This graphic description OF transatlantic editorial
scufle has seduccd me into short digresslon now
return ID our metropolitan editors and newspapers.
a,ahi uOhrct