The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-12-03
Tho poI,tIcIau. and tho Press.


Buren,, @! Undertook, have.at length made ar
rangements for the purchase and control OF
party journal of small circulation in this city,
and placed it under the direction of new editor,
whose instructions will. probably, be to con-
duct the Presidential campaign now opening, in
opposition to the administration of Mr.. Polk,
and with the view of bringing forward Mr.. Van
Buren, as the next democratic candidate for the
Presidency instead of Mr.. Polk, and in opposi-
ton to Mr. Clay. The recent visit of John Van
Buren, to this city, with other distinguished poll
ticians of the State, had this object in view; and
that section of the party called barnburners are
now determined to use the party press here, and
in the interior Of the State, to their own advan-
tage and elevation.
This is very natural movement on the part
of Mr.. Van Buren, and his supporters. He be-
longs to that race of statesmen and politicians
who look on the newspaper press as an easy and
convenient vehicle of their own purposes and
their own ambitions; newspaper editors, writers,
and reporters, are considered, in the school of
Mr. Van Buren,, and such men, as the mere SER
vants--the scullions, the boot blacks-of that
class of half educated lawyers who have to
take to politics for preferment, and who have
debased and corrupted public affairs in this
country
But we will do no injustice to Mr.. Van Buren,.
His conceptions Of the newspaper press are
shared by other great men of the day. There
is Henry Clay himself; look at his conduct In
relation to hispublc speech in Kentucky, short
time since. The ignorance, the inhospitality,
and folly, which he exhibited In debarring the
independent reporter of an independent journal,
from giving to the public full and correct ac-
r L. 81, fxl~.n
in Lexington, can find fit parallel in the bru-
tally of those editors in Kentucky who feel
melancholy because they had not opportunity to
create riot and assault the gentleman of the
press in question An enterprise of the most re-
markable character, got up at great expense,
calculated to astonish the world, by transmit
ting the words of Henry Clay, uttered at Lex
inrton on one day, to be read in New York the
next morning, was actually opposed, and at
tempted to be put down by the great statesman
of the age, who is put forth as candidate
of free people of twenty millions. This is
another sample of that narrowness of mind, and
that selfishness of purpose, and that ignorance
of the age, far as regards the character OF the
press, that we find in both Mr.. Van Buren, and
Mr. Clay. Bat we can even 60 farther for paral-
lels Look at the occupant Of the White House
at Washington. Examine the career OF Mr. Polk,
President of the United States, and one of his
present cabinet ministers, Cave Johnson.
More signal instances of the prostitution of the
press on one hand, and of distractions thrown
In the way of independent journalism on the
other, have never been shown than those pre-
scented by Mr.. Polk and Cave Johnson They
seem &c have no conception Of journalsm, unless
ituni:cs in its characteristics, serviliy brutality,
imbecility, and farce they are not without
associates in another branch OF the government
And we are sorry to y,'that Mr.. Benton, Sena-
TOR OF the United States, in the position he
took at the last session OF Congress, hostile
TO the Improvements which have been brought
forward in newspaper reporting, makes himself
fit companion for those men that we have emu
merated, in their narrow conceptions OF the
newspaper press. MIR. Clay, Mr.. Polk, MIR. Ben
ton and Mr Van Buren,. are all of the same
calibre, and are as much behind the age as those
politicians who buy and sell the press as they
do coach horses or dogs-ifthey ever should use
them.
In turning from this group of statesmen OBJ
secured by their want of appreciation Of the great
movcmnte of the age, although they may have
talent and ability in another direction, we are
glad to find that we have race of great men
who appreciate an independent press, and who
encourage its movements in every possible
way. We allude to Mr.. Calhoun, of South
Carolina, Mr.. Webster, of Massachusetts,
General Cass, of Michigan, and many others,
In and out of the Senate, who in addition to
Mr. Buchanan, Mr.. Walker, and even Mr..
Marcy, of the administration, have CHER
conceptions of the press, and nobler opis
Mons of those by whom it'll managed, than
the half-educated lawyers and corrupt politi-
clans on the other side of the question. At this
time there is about to be commenced at Wash
ington system of reporting the debates of the
United States Senate-a system which is the
Legitimate result of those improvements in the
newspaper press, and that advancement Of pro-
fessional reporting, which the Neso York
Herald was the first to introduce into jour-
nalism about ten years ago. We allude to
the Independent system of reporting debates in
the Senate which was established at the close
of the last session of Congress, and which is to
be conducted, for the first time in this country
under the management of Mr.. Houston, gen.
tleman well known to US, and who was for
many years one of the photographers attached
10 this establishment
ms new development Of newspaper reporting
A. ashhgton, Is natural consequence OF the
movements made in the independent press in this
metropolis. Journalism, out of great city, is
nothing but precarious mode of existence given
10 writers, editors, and printers, by a clique of
politicians such is journalism at Washington,
and such is journalism in the capital of every
State. There il no Independence, no character.
no enterprise, no effort, no characteristics of an
independent press. to be found out Of great city,
and In tbia country there is hardly any 10 be
taaaa out Of the oily Of New York, with the az,