The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-06-17

SAG = NoWuRaReh
The recent debates in the Legislative Assembly
of France and the editorial comments Of the French
newspaper press, have a character widely different.
The former have practical pungeney that may
lead to emees-the latter theoretical in the ex-
IRENE, and Of no value to society at large. The
mere editorials Of useful public journal are only
part of grand whole. and should always have di-
rect purpose with regard to the necessities and wants
Of the public They should not be formal senti-
mental essays, in which facts to be deduced from
Arguments, but they should be statements of facts,
accompanied by foresight into consequences.
Whatever pride the French journalists may take in
their editorial encyclopedia essays-which have
neither beginning, middle, nor end, but may be cut
into separate and distinct articles ut every para
graph-t is quite clear to even ordinary OBJ
servation, that they are without value to the
peaeeable movement of the great public mind in
France. They may be good food for exalted poll
ticians and statesmen in the cafes of the Palace
Royal, but their entire influence is crcumscrbed to
this small fragment Of the people. The editorials
of well conducted American journals are far better
in their practical usefulness. In fact they the
clearly expressed opinions of the people, and form
in the aggreg ate the entire power ofthe government
They are far above state papers Of any kind in af
fecting the body of the people. because they are
the workings of the popular thought above all the
theories Of men who placed at the head public
affairs. Guizot, Lamartine, Girardin, and the like
may be very good essayists, but they have skill
or tact as newspaper writers, any more than our
Webster, Clay, Foote or Cass. Not one Of these
effect anything journalist. How could
they work out editorial article except speech!
We would not give penny for their best efforts in
this way, because it is impossible for these men to
know how to use the press successfully. 1t
requires long practice to gain any efficiency in
the business; and nine tenths OF those who a.
tempt to write editorials fail, and invariably
show their hands while at the work We can de-
tect them at glance, just we can see every
movement made by Barnums bureau of writers,
who now do half the editorials of the weaker por-
ton of our own metropolitan press, in the musical
and humbug line
genuine editorial is more like an ode Of Horace
than an essay on anything else-bref, pointed cpl
grammatic, philosophic, and stingng-all in
Every Of them is brilliant editorial-has a
beginning, middle and end, and forms a complete
whole tiomer's llad is great editorial turned
into poetry. Virgns -Enead is an attemp. at the
thing, but is failure. The patriarch Job
or the author Of that book wrote admirable edito-
rials and Moses was the father of them among the
Hebrews. Solomon excellent journalist
Willis has adopted his style, while Webb initiates
jeremiah, who also wrote we'll. st. Paul and some
Of the apostles wrote editorials, which are perfect
models in style and matter-particularly StPauls.
They also good in correspondence, as their
epistles abundantly testify. Among the Greeks,
Xenophon good editorial writer. His Ana
basis was the model Of the news column Of news
paper Pindar surpassed him in brilliant editorials,
always dividing his work into nine parts, which
tanned really only three parts, the strope, anti
/ stroIe, and the epode-the beginning, middle, and
| end lsocrates promised TO make good editorials.
but he failed at last. Demosthenes better at
| edi .oIial than Webster is in our day and coun
/ try. Sarpho, we think a kind Of editress.
She was the high original Of the Swisshelms an
Boomers, Of our day, and got beyond her depth,
they have. she wore, too, the oriental costume,
she was in the habit Of climbing precpices where
che always harped on one string, in the Swisshelm
and Bloomer fashion.
We throw out these classical references for the
benefit Of the French editors, to whom nothing is
brilliant without such allusions-thry understanding
ancient government among the gods and men much
better than the practical poty Of modern republics
or the valuable earnestness Of purpose and popular
enterprise which mark the Times and other journals
Of London, and the HeruM and one or two Of its
associates in New York. These newspapers are
not the organs Of clques. They do not sacri
fee their own usefulness and the public good
70 carry club, circle, party through thick
and thin-they do not oppose the govern.
ment, because they have any fantastical
theory oftheir own to set up. They DO not belong
\ TO any statesman. Their editors are above all
statesmen, and every porer-except that Of public
opinion, which they precede only by day Iwo at
farhest, which is quite enough to be ahead Of the
\ age, acting pilots in all weathers, and with no
other desire than TO keep the chip Of state right on
her course. II is not so with the French journals.
\ They merely the organs Of few theorists,
whose power consists more in supprcssng facts and
truths than In publishing them-who narrow even
the narrow limits permitted by the government, to
suit their own iancies, and hopes, and ambition
What newspaper Paris. for instance, publishes
everything on both sides Of a discussion, like the
.N,u York HGaR, and al the same time gives it
own opinion for the good Of society There / none
on the scntrary, the French newspapers are con
tracted il their views. They have ne comprehen-
siyeness Of design CT Of thought: aud though they
may elevate their editors az men II talent or tie
political hour, they shamefllly, basely, sclfshy,
me anly, permit the dearest utcrcs.s IL the state
ard the people TO be overturned IL the strugges,
through which they. themselves, are only seeking
heir own personal aggrandzcmcrt, all, perhaps,
political power il the state. Thus i has always
beer and .Lus Il i that the Frc-ch republic i cx-
posed, like lit q bread among go q elf
barn dCcr fowls. (, We pulled t. pieces, = like
Tiece e cheese among a. army y voracious rats.
The histories fthc French revolutions since 1872,
ard ofther consequences, prove tia: the hea-tless
negligence, ignorance, and cgotsm II the Newspaper
Iress b. t,cn principal cause q the failure t.
c.tatlish republic il Fran, e. The height Il the
first revolution. Couthon's decree struck at
the freedom Fl debate and tins the only
hope If hberty-Tubliety of though.-w5s