The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-12-17
THE ENGLISH AND AMERICAN NEWS
PAPER PRESS.
BY N. p. Willis.

| BY N. p. WILLIS.
An Englishman takes the "Times" or the
POST" because his father took il before him,
and he sticks to il at fifty, because he read il at
thirty. That particular paper is as much a habit
as his hour Of dining, and he would as soon
think OF changing one as the other. News
would not look so authentic TO him in another
type, or on paper Of another shape and texture,
and the arrangement Of the contents, the politics
oil the Editor, the tone, on religion, morals, and
scandal, are all subjects OF confirmed habit, and
as little liable TO change, his for beef and
ale. This being the character of great ma
jority Of the readers of London paper, the pro-
prletors are interested, Of course, in preserving
its peculiar stamp-political, literary, moral, and
| typographical, and the Post, Chronicle and
Times, are essentially the same to-day that they
were at the close of the last century, and will be
at the close Of the present. This conservative
tenacity OF patronage, renders il as difficult TO
establish newspaper, as il is easy 10 sustain il
when successful, and as great capital is required
Tor the enterprise, it is not undertaken except by
very responsible men, who continue to invest in
II the capital with which they began, and. conse-
quently have very heavy stake in its good man
agement and character. " The Times. p for ex-
ample, is worth half dozen large fortunes, and
its revenue would pay the whole American cabi-
net. II has an Editor in each department, who
holds his place at the control of the stockholders,
| and, besides correspondent in every quarter of
| the globe, II employs hundreds of purveyors of
news, contributors and reporters-al nameless,
and, of course, all valued solely by the quality Of
their contributions. To procure an interview
with the Editor" is a matter of as much diff
Guilty and delay, as 10 speak 10 Her Majesty, or
Lord Melbourne. Indeed, the Editor is a much
more powerful person than either Victoria or the
Premier.
Jonathan's pot, on the contrary, is forever boil
ing, and every bubble breaks as il rises. He buys
| In the newest shop, he runs after the newest
parson, he crowds the new hotel and the new
steamer, swallows the new fashion without smell
ling or tasting, makes money il his shop burns
down, and "sweetens his treacle" by demand
ing yearly neqo newspaper. His daughters
have relays OF courtship, his sons have an ever
| renewing variety of drinks, his servants change
| their places every moon, and he himself changes
his home and his visiting circle regularly with
the birds in May-all in direct opposition to cor
responding habits in England II chance makes
Jonathan idle and rich, he travels for change if
chance makes him idle and fixture, he frequents
hotels and taverns. Change and experiment
form, with nationality and love of money--the
four cardinal points in Jonathan's horizon
And in this passion, for change and expert
ment, it must be confessed lies the great princ-
pie OF the nations growth and prosperity,-as
much as in the fire under the pot, and the rising
and breaking of the bubbles, lies the publication
from erudties and the final wholesomeness Of
meats and vegetables. The character of new
country, Ito illustrate what mean by hgure,)
hes IN stagnant pools, which, in process Of time,
are to be led into regular courses and maintain
healthy and regular flow. The superabun-
dance of water, and the indstinctness of the
new channels, at first create an irregular and I'M
certain flood, shifting with the violent action of
an element not easily controlled, and forming,
In great measure, its banks aud boundaries for
itself Every new direction given to the mass,
must be done with freshef, which though it
seem an ungovernable and wild commotion,
works by an infallible law Of nature, and poughs
deep through the unwholesome abysses of stag
nation. The channel once swept deep and
clear, the waters subside, and flow calmly, and
without obstruction or change of course; and
gradually, verdure covers the unsightly borders,
and the currents can be calculated on in their
depth, velocity, and direction.
In the dark search after prosperity during this
wild commotion you will see at once that the
English golden rule ofconstancy TO one current or
perseverance in the footprints Of the fortunate, is
one less to go By, than to make others go By you.
Perseverance,, tenacity, nservatism--qualites
which enrich in Engand-often impoverish an.
American. Versatility is the money -maker here.
To be ready to abandon project IN time, is the
first wisdom. To throwyour compass overheard
and swim with the stream is oftenest the way not
| to be wrecked. You pay in England, for exam
d
| meaning the certain advantage TO be derived
from the neighbors' habit of irequenting it. In
| AmeTca, for good will' we read ssnoyey !" and
pay twice as much for new shop at the oppo-
site corner.
| This peculiarly has much to do, and other
| things perhaps more, with the condition Of Anne
rican newspapers. We have, probably, no neps-
paper genius Of our oagn England stands to
us something in the relation of the elder son
whose clothes are regularly inherited by his
younger brother. We have no chance to suit
ourselves. Our literary wardrobe, though cut
out for bigger boy, comes in too handily to be
wasted. The tailor editor for us, overwhelmed
with materials, can only .'alter,n and if he ven
like all new patches on old garments fresher
stuff, but out of place and keeping. We never
shall have ''ft' periodical literature of our own
till the copyright law declares us ofage, and de-
prives US of this second hand cothes-press
/ When that day of I" freedom shall arrive, the
world, to say the least, will see the difference
between thread-bare and g bran new Brother
| Jonathan.
A BIT OF RoMANcE.-A new Italian opera,
called Hdegondd, has been produced under the
Temestoce Solera, with no instruction in mu-
sic whatever, claimed the hand Of his beloved,
the daughter Of rich apothecary in one Of the
Italian cities He was refused, unless he pro-
duced new opera. Nothing daunted, he com
menced studying the flute, and persevered until
he produced his opera Of Hdegondd which has
been fully successful. He then claimed his
bride, and received her in triumph The music
of this opera is said to be very simple and me
lodious, bearing great similarity to the works
Of the early Italian composers Soera, after
/ \ a.