The New York herald., 1844-09-04

CHARLArAsIsx IN REPoRrrSe.-We have been
very much amused by the efforts Of some OF the
whg papers to depreciate our admirable report OF
Mr.. Webster's speech at Albany. This is always
the way with those imbecile concerns alter they
have been beaten by US in any interesting or I'M
porant effort in newspaper enterprise and manage
ment Ii we publish speech OF oConnell, or any
other great public character on the other side Of
| the water, IN advance of any body else, why then
these poor, lazy, aslhmac contemporaries Of ours
call out as loudly their weak lungs enable
them" Oh it is forgery-no such speech was
ever spoken" If we report at length and publish
the first details of some curious and novel move
ment in politics, society, religion, or any of the
muttudinous elements in motion in this remark
ableacountry Of progress and transition, then the
same stone-blind, stupid, and indolent creatures
scream out" Oh it's all one Of Benefits forge
ries-no such thing has happened'' And yet we
viii md them some time afterward waking up,
rubbing the encrustations off their eye.lids, and
grayely telling the world as news, what we had
made matter Of history, months, perhaps a year
before!
Just so with reporting speeches when they really
do make an effort-an effort something like that of
an antiquated gentleman of sixty attempting to
dance the Polka in the gay saloons of Saratoga =
After we have reported and published life like,
graphic, fresh, and faithful report-ln that style
which has made the reports OF the Herald interest
ing all the world over-we find these creatures
coming out with dull, heavy, tedious reports furnish
ed by the speakers themselves, and bearing about
the same relation in point of merit and readable
ness 10 ours that stoneug Of stale root beer does
TO bottle of Hiedsick. Thus it was with Web
ster's speech at Albany. That great orator writes
all his speeches. which are elaborated with great
care-almost as carefully manufactured. indeed,
as one Of Washington Irving's incomparaby finish
ed pages-and after he has delivered the Grafton or
speech, he unbuttons his blue dress coat, always
cut OF the sam. pattern, and very like the style OF
Sir Robert PeePs, and takes ont of the right hand
pocket manuscript neatly folded and tied, some
times with blue and sometimes with red tape, and
occasionally when that is not convenient, piece
of respectable white packing cord, which manu-
script he hands to short man with a snub nose,
suspicious linen, and uncombed hair, who had perch
ed himself on high chair at Mr.. Webster's elbow
when he rose to speak, and had occupied himself
very diligently during the delivery of the speech in
biting his own nails with an air Of most mysterious
terocity, and counting the number of buttons on
MIR. Webster's coat, which he had uniformly as
certained TO be six on one side and half dozen on
the other. The short man with the snub nose,
ct cetera, rushes off the platform, and makes
with all speed for the office of the lumbering pro-
synewspaper with which he is connected, there to
have the manuscript set up, whilst our reporters
write out heirnotes, and are, after all, first in giving
to the public the report Of the speecha report so
life-ike that the reader thousand miles off from
the scene sees it vivdy before him, and almost
fancies he hears the shouts and exclamations OF
the multitude.
But no sooner does our report appear, than the
poor hal-starved attaches Of the big, prosy, slug
gard newspapers, who go about to the watering
places and get their dinner and ''shake down. in
the hayloft, in exchange for pus In their scores
pondence''- the mark !-pufs very dearly
bought even at that tprce-begn to abuse the Herald
report-swear that it was s'miserable fsilure"-
Every poor efiort"-and then bespatter each other
with euloges, the bad taste OF which is only equal
led by their bad grammar. But the public under
stand all this perfectly well, and we do not know
that we are justi6able in occupying SO much space
with an exposure of miserable charatanism al
ready sufficiently despised.