The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1849-07-20
Satellites,

lctcd 10 Editors Of public journals. A man :
wishes to force himself iu,o public nsiice
as a literary man with a view, some day,
not far distant, to cut quite a inquire !"
belle .iet,ers-he hopes to be fa'or'te CON
tributor 10 "rhe Caskst," "The Ladies'
Book" "Grabam's Magazine &c.-he !
accordingly forces him,sN into an EDITORS
Sdncium with a scrap Of poetry, short
fancy sketch, a story, or few conundrum'
Or wi,hcisms, with a smiling request that
it may appear in print. 4 politician be-
gus to dream about being high sheriff a
member Of the legislature. or who knows
but h. eyes are fixed upon the halls Of CON
err,s or even the gubernatcrial chair: his
first rescri is to the editor Of his party paper
with long, flaming article upon the policy
that should be pursued BY the party at THIS
particular crisis. The man Of science dis
cuvers nsw principle in philosophy, an .
unknown element in matter, or a new star
in the heavens: he, too, must appear in the .
public prints with long communication.
And thu. scarcely day passes in which
an editor does not receive a call from one
Of these fame seeking authors; and, as he
commits his production into the hands Of
the editor, he invariably requests him 10
"correct, alter, or amend-to sdd TO or
sbri1ge, just as he may deem proper" The
edtor aecordiasly SITS down and BY scoring
ont, interlinihg, correcting grammatical
blundsfs, and puncluatinc it, and with the
aitl Of an intelligent composition, /; becomes
me,amorphossd into il,e respectable En-
glish. Soon the paper is calculated, tie
communication is read by all. "Why,'
one will say, 'who ever thought Mr.. A.
was so much of literary characters" or
"Mr. 3. so well acquainted with the affairs
ofgovernment; or "Air. {. so scien,ihc;'
and he at once becomes a lion, whilst, had
his communication appeared in print as il
calnc from his pm all would have joined in
ridiculing it. He thus is allowed to erjoys
high character a. writer, which, in fact,
strictly belongs TO the printer.
The following anecdote which we once
beard related, illustrates this fact most ad-
nirably:
A genlleman--o one Of The bloods-sent a
communication 10 the editor Of public
journal some herein this state, a'vuca iing
Fourriersrn, and in a post SCRIPT requested
the editor TO "alter whatever he found
wrong In it.n On locking over il he found
il to be inexcusabie nonsense but having
promised to print il, he concluded to give
the writer hint Of hi' inability, and acting
in accordance with his request, he wrote
an article upon the same subject but using
entirely different language and Arguments
After the paper was circulated and It's re ad
.ers had fully perused Mr.. D.'s communities
ton, (fcr his name appeared i'll it, every
body ras foil ofprsise Of Nr.D.'s coinrnuni
caticH on Fouriiriisin; md many who be
fefe had passed him by as p nunbskuiln no"
shook him cordially by the baud, remarkin.
at the same time that, "though they differed
with him, vet they gould not help admitting
the mastery mann,rin which he advocated
his cause" Had Mr.. d. stepped here Ii
might have passed Off as man of talents
but so tlatCd with the success Of this fir,
effort. he forgot that the article in prii
was different from the one he had written
and wishing to gain still NOR celebrity. h
wrote another article, much longer and s'i
more nonsensical; and trusting TO the ed
tor to "fx it up risht' accompanied it wit
similar y. S.
The Editor, not quite as anxious to adr'
cate Fosrri.rism as his contributors nppo'
ed, took advantage Of the p. 5. and ~rot
another article in which he scored and rid
cu,sd il with great severity. After II AZ
reared in print, onrFonrrieritr, in at werin
passion. went to the printing Office and thu
accos'ed the Editor:
"Whst the ID did yon mean by a!li'
ing my name TO that ar'icl"?"
"You requested il. sir" said the edlto
sffecting great surprise.
"I,is false, air, false never saw u
article in my HE Why, air, it's diame,l
cailv opposed to my convictions
az cannot help that; Won handed 1t
here in person hut a few DAYS since, and
is still here in ycur own hand writing"
al deny H. That communication nd,
Gated Fourrierism. this one abuses IT,"
"Ah. yes, quite lik elv-hut lalt'
ed ii.",he editor cc"'v r-rl'"d.
"The b., you did What business h
Won 10 alter the sensp-thp whole object
my article, when accompanied it with
namep
"You requested me TO do so in your Fl
eommnnication-I altered II, md you we
delighted with it. IN this one you repeal
yonr request, and I altered this"
otis n base perversion; authorized
man TO alter my communications. IftN
do no, meet the publishers appreciation
can refuse to print them hut he must
alter thin so ., 10 place me in awrong IL
before the public. Sir, you have villaino
" abused mi"
The editor greatly amused at the sue
of his Joke. calmly rose from his chair, W
to his file Of communications. took down
original and read from the Post Script
following to the enIased author:
"Sho,id you discover anything wRoSt
the ADORE article. ] shall deem it as a ia
from you TO RIGHT il"
"Now, sir" he continued, al deem
both or your commune ations not only Ia
upon trrong principles, bnt as decidedly
diculous; and being ALWAYS ready 10 C
fer favor on friend, I endeavored
Tiohi them"
This was a stumper; and our FOUR
tie sprang TO his feet-stuifed his hands
n his pockets-an with a cold "good d