The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-10-28
ANCIENT NEWSPAPERS.

The Romans, though we are apt to overlook the
fact, had registers of politics and intelligence, which
We're really not unlike our own newspapers in their
contents, but UNNECESSARILY inferior in the mode of
circulation. The journals Of the Senate and Ma
tional Convention long contained little more than
tries resembling those IN our collected Acts of Para
ment. These furnished most of the materials from
which, till G25 the pontifls compiled their annals and
there is also proof that after the republic had extended
its domnons, those official journals regularly cop
led and transmitted to public men living at distance
But these sources were not enough. Every man
abroad had his correspondents in Rome; and, when
the task Of collecting news became mole difficult sew
eral persons assumed newsmongng trade, taking,
in rt-hand notes of the proceedings at public meet
ings, and selling copies OF them, well as of the
mon gossip of the day, and the official journals. julius
Casar, in 694 established regular system of record
ing the deliberations, both Of the Senate and the con-
ventions, in form much like our reports of Paria-
mentary debates and he allowed these accounts be
copied and freely circulated. Although Augustus
stopped the publication of the reports the restraint
afterwards Withdrawn; and, after their
introduction by julius these and all other archives of
the State unreservedly open the public and
their contents were dlffused in many shapes, that
we are often uncertain whether the sources to which
the Roman authors refer these official reports or
the notes of professional short hand writer's or, final
y, those collections of common that were hand
ed about with the other pieces of information But
we less curious to dsentangle this confusion than
to learn of the subjects which discussed in
bates embraced the acts and resolutions the rescrpts
Of the empelors the reports of magistrates commit
tees the of voters like that of Thrasea Patus,
whose silent dissent watched with such eagerness
by the provncias the speeches. their reception and
the squabbies of the debaers Stray articles Of law
intelligence seem to have found their way into these
collections. There WERE likewise occasional notices
extracted from the local registers of births, and an
nouncements of marriages, divorces, Deaths and fune
rails, also descriptions of new public buildings,
shows of gladators, and such ordinary themes ia
Illus Caesar who read the news-sheet every morning,
gave strict orders that Cceros witty sayings should be-
regularly added to the other current matter. Iho
journals too, like own the receptacles for all
tragical and marvellous occurrences; and Pliny de-
rived iom them many of the odd stories inserted in his
Encyclopedia, among which the following may DO
cited. The gazottcs related, that, the day when
Cicero defended Milo, there descended a shower OF
bricks; that under Augustus, burgher of Fasula
walked to the Capitol in procession formed by his
own sixy-three descendants; that when slave of
the unfortunate Titus Sablnus had been executed by
Tiberius his dog watched the corpse carried food to
It's mouth, and, its being thrown into the Tiber,
swan after il and strove to bring ii to land and that,
in the reign of Claudius, phonix from Egypt
publicly exhibited in Rome; which last story, how
ever, Piiny truly announces to be manifest invention.
Cabinet Library, No. NIX. Italy and the Rat
ian Islands, VOL /.