The New York herald., 1849-06-28

great centres of civilization and intelligence, constl
,utes one of the most interesting features of mo-
dern society. There is nothing in ancient times
which can at all compare with this element of
thought-ths potent lnstrumentality in the great
work ofprogress, revolution, and public liberty. 1t
has itself undergone great changes within the brief
period we have named. Its tone and character
It's general managenent--irs circulation, have all
experienced remarkable changes.
Let US first advert the circulation of the lead
| ing journals in London, Paris. and New York
We have the best data for believing that, during
the last five years, the aggregate circulation OF the
daily and weekly newspapers issued in those cities
| has been more than doubled In Paris, especially,
the increase has been most marked 1t is su,i. osed-
| and we can ourselves speak with some intelligence
! on the subect-that the circulation of the popular
| journals has been trebled since the year 1876 !;
while the number of newspapers has been ncreas-
| ed two fold. In London, the increase IN the cir
| cuaton Of newspapers has also been immense,
but not to the same extent as in Paris, the cost
being greater, and any of the journals being ad-
| dressed almost exclusively TO what are regarded
as the intelligent and respectable classes. But
| the great masses of the people in the British me-
uopolis, and throughout the British empire, are
not without their organs. Several papers-some
of them sarcastic and others, partly literary, and
| arty POLITICAL published at cheap rate-circu
| late extensively and have been performing q
| mighty part IN that grand revolution in the minds
Of men which is now, despite of all lets and hin.
| drances, proceeding slowly but certainly in the
realm ofVictona.
| In New York the increase in the circulation O
newspapers has been at the rate of sixty, seventy
piuh he last fe
The improvements and progress in machinery, in
enterprise of all kinds connected with this bus-
ness, have been IN a spending ratio. Some
years ago the amount of capital necessary to
establish daily journal was comparatively trlding
Now it requires vast outlay Of pecuniary means,
great experience, diversified and practical! talent
in al departments. The cost of publication has
been augmented enormously but of course the
ultimate profits and value of newspaper property
| have also increased, and by and bye will he very
large, equalllng, or more likely surprising, the
most lucrative establishments of that kind in the
British metropolis.
We have said that the tone and character of
journalism in the great capitals Of the civilized
world, have experienced great changes. So it ls
Look at the leading Loudon newspapers of To-
day, and contrast them with what they were some
| five, six, or ten years ago You do not now find,
or you rarely find, those solemn, graudiloqueat
| seaders," filled with all sorts of stale, common
| place, and sounding boubast. A nervous con-
dcnsed, practical style, dashed with wit and satire,
and telling illusions to the HISTORY of the day, 10
becoming more and more characteristic of British
| journalism in the metropolis We believe that
with this style of newspaper writing, our readers
have been familiar Tor years and we some-
what inclined to believe, that our example
has not been without some effect in introducing
this innovation in the old, orthodox, antiquated
mode and manner Of newspaper literature. In
this day, the great popular newspaper is at once
The review, the magazine. the history, the
scientific Instructor, and the journal Of the
day. We have been greatly insterested in
tracing the influence of that journalism which
handles all topics and questions that concern
society, with boldness, freedom, moderation, and
justice. BY this agency mighty revolutions have
been effected in public opinion, ancient preudices
have been extrpated and habits of sound and accu-
rate thinking have been established. Slowly, to the
eye of many altogether unseen, this influence has
been at work, like the operations of nature herself
| just that, for instance, by which the oak attains
| its grand proportions
First Seeding hid in grass
Their twg. then sspng aud as century rolls
slow after century giant bulk,
OF girth enormous"
Thus, too, grows the opinion of great communl-
ties and that press best ulfls Its mission, which
steadily initiates the process of nature, and mouds
and directs the thoughts of men, not by fits and
starts one day years in advance and another years
behind but by uniform and patient adherence to
fixed and predetermined d plan.
Ruta n pew we hoa haa tlu ,ntro
into journalism, which is destined to effect revo-
luton which we can hardly yet imagine. We
allude to the electric telegraph. This agency will
concentrate, enlarge, amplify, and revoutonize
the journalism of the great centres of thought and
civilization, beyond anything that we have yet
seen. We are as yet only In the infancy of that
wonderful invention in this country; but that infancy
has advanced much more rapidly toward manhood
here than on the other side of the Atlantic. Every
DAY, the leading journals of New York give from
one to three, four, or five columns of important in
lclgence, up to the latest hour of the day previous
from the most distant parts of the country, thus ex-
hibitng in sheet the whole history of the entire
continent for the preceding four and twenty hours
including all the important points, from fifty to
fifteen hundred miles distant. Thus, the most re-
| mote portions of the country are united in few
moments of time; and thus, New Orleans, ST. LOUIS,
Buffalo, Boston, Montreal, Washington, are made
but the suburbs of the great metropolis of the
Union.
Already the progress Of telegraphing, in connec.
t~n with the newspaper press, is very great suf-
ficien,ly 80 to shadow FORTH with distinctness, the
grandeur Of its influence hereafter. The next ses-
sion of Congressman most important and event.
iu se .sion il will bewili afford an opportunity to
the enterprisingjoun exhibit the value Of this
new and powerful auxiliary of journalism. Impor-
tan, debates and proceedings, IN both houses Of
Congress, may be reported, during next morning,
in the New York journals, up to the latest hour
before going to press. The effect of this piece of
enterprise will be remarkable. Washington will
becomc suburb Of this city We will rean all the