New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-08-02

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attraction which journalism exercises upon every
mtn Of talent. 1t is the arena Of discussion, and
whoever has word to say desires to say it there
in thst keen contest there il always opportunity
| cranew-comer TO strike in, and no well aimed
L ow is Intellectual. man with thoughts to ex
| rre'' and pen capable OF expressing them with
efficiency, issure first Of hearing snd then Of re-
! putAiion and mfuence. Thus French ne wspl pers
have r. more permanent value than others for the
| reason that there is more intellect in them They
are not mere chronicles Of events, bat the records
/ OF the worlds debates on fundamental principles
the adventurous pioneers Of discovery in the vast
region Of explored IDEAS
The organization of the French press is adapted
to this great purpose No other papers are 90 pre-.
pared for discussion as they They are no.like the
journals Of business countries where pecuniary in
terests are dominant and indu,trial aud commercial
onterprite prompts the demand for news and stn.
ulates the press into making the early Publication
Of intelligence its first business In France those
intereits have neverso controlled the public mind,
and never forced the journals TO extraordinary eff
forts In their service. The news is published by
them indeed, but as secondary matter; the costly
arrangements for procuring information Ia which
the papers Of this country and England engage,
they never initiate expresses and telegraphs get
no great patronage from them Indeed, intell.
gent Frenchmen will often prove the most igno-
rant Of men to other countries and events there
going forward, for the reason that they concern
themselves with them only so far as they bear upon
questions prominent at home; the Yankee passion
fer news for the sake Of news, they never expert
al. i IL;
read illustrates or enlorces some idea or princi
pie TO care for fact, merely because it is fact.
is biDgofwhich they conceive in the way fsmuse.
ment or relaxation alone and there is no reason
why the journals which always learn how to meet
the wants Of the public should give themI elves
pense and trouble in order to ascertain events an
hour sooner than they are reported by due course
of mail.
French journals succeed according to the ex-
cele1ce of their writers. Their first requisite
is editorial ability. For this they pay largely,
ard endeavor to have enough of it. For every
department they seek to employ men of spe-
cisl talent, while they employ none out of their
proper sphere. A well established Journal Of Paris
will have in lis editorial corps some tSo dozen diff
ferent writer's, each engaged to treat psrticu.
lar range Of topics alone. BY this means the col
umns Of the paper exhibit striking mental resources
with freshness vigor and thorough study Of the sub
ects discussed. No writes with the fatigue re-
suting from too constant labor bat each brings 10 his
work complete preparation and mind unex.
hausted. Indeed the French as nation are prac.
tcty wiser than the English and Americans in
the greater moderation with which they pursue
so familiar to US they are not guilty Of The EN-
ployment of large number Of writers in the edit
ing of single newspaper is only part ofthe ma
tional habit for any given work Frenchman will
require twice as many men as an American, for
the reason that he will not think Of working them
80 hard Our more industrious spirit may in many
cases be better and more useful than their easier
fashion bat there is no doubt that they have the |
right idea as 10 the organization Of newspapers. |
Nowhere is this carried 10 such perfection as at
Paris; no journals employ so much talent as those
of that metropolis, and none employ talent so
effectively. Nor could it well be otherwise That
city is the brain 10 which the life of the nation is
concentrated. Every man of remarkable ability
goes there to measure himself with his equals and
uauer the place to which he feels conscious OF
light Paris is the focus for the scientific thought
Of the world, and by scientific mean whatever
10 ates to the natural laws OF Humanity as well as
Of the physical uniyerse,-and that thought hnds
expression and passes through controversy in her
ournals. The provincial papers are Of course gen.
orally similar to those of the metropolis though
inferior in merit. And thus, while the French
journals are inferior to the German English AMI
American as mere newspapers, they are no where
equaled in ability, earnestneGs and depth Of
thought.
Talent and power in writing being the main |
thing in French journalism, it follows that it offers
most attractive sphere to personal ambition. The |
genius and energy which formerly carve ed out a ca
reer with the sword, or sought for honors at Court
now resort to the NJ newspapers for the same purpose
Hence Il results that the journalist merges himself
IN bis work much less than in other countries In |
the British Press for instsn nee it the newspaper
whose reputation is cultivated and cared for the wri
.ers who contribute to it being kept out OF the public
SIGHT The French writer more rarely makes such |
surrender Of HIMSELF he generally has the credIo'
his articles and the paper be writes In IS taken Tor
them more than for its independent merits Ihe
diaerence is that while England is influenced by |
her Journals France is influenced BY her Journalists
Which Of there systems is on the whole, Pretera'
ble we do not here inquire. In America the Brit
sb method il generally adopted. But there is no
doub, that the French tends to stimulate heener
activity of the meAts faculties AT the same time
it admits Of all the advantages OF anonym news
writing The editor need not put his name to bis
articles unless he wishes.
Ills remark able that while in France the Liber
~ Of the Press has been enjoyed only at short and
remote intervals the French journals should have
gained their present degree of intellectual develop
90, We can account for this only by the i'm