The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-04-10
for all papers circulating in the country, the
readers of anti-slavery newspapers would do well
to heed the suggestions of the Essez Freeman.
THE SOUTHERN PRESS.

The Southern Press few days since contained
a long editorial on matters personal and pecuni-
ary. 1t denies that fund was ever raised for
its maintenance, or that it has ever had any other
support than the legitimate income from its sub
scribers 1t asserts that it has advanced spon-
taneously to a circulation Of about $780," in
Guiding we suppose, all its issues daily, tri-week-
ly, and weekly; and it claims to have larger
Southern circulation than any paper in this
city, The rumor that the "Press" was going
DOWN. it contradicts and it announces that it is
going on--its subscription is increasing, and has
never for day declinedn The present number
of subscribers is not large enough to sustain IT.
but, it says, it ais almost great enough to sup
port it, and there is no probability that the in
crease will not be quite sufficient" The follow
ing paragraph shows that the "Press" did get
into tight place, but got out of it by donation
from South Carolina:
awe received sundry assurances, on commenc-
ing the paper, that whenever funds might be
wanting as was probable before its subscriptions
were complete, they could be obtained without
difficulty Well some time ago, in consequence
of the hardness of some of the subscribers we
suggested to few Of our friends that the paper
must either stop, or 90 on for time at our ex-
pense exclusively or with some of their aid. 1t
was Immediately promsed-but, as the negotia-
tions were rather uncomfortably tedious, Mr. DE
Leon insisted on going to Columbia, his former
place of residence, to make call on his friends,
and those of the paper. After some reluctance
and delay it was agreed to. He went. IL was
only necessary for him TO name the amount then
reuuired-S2 500 Ii was furnished And that
is about twice as much as any others and all
other persons or places, have contributed. Such
is the amount of aid this paper has received"
Our neighbors have very decided opinion Of
their own ability which must be great consola-
ton to them when their receipts run low. They
say
GAS for the ability of the metropolitan papers, if
il can be determined by the verdict of correspond
ents, we will abide the decision, and give large
odds But we take this occasion to say that the
contributors of articles to our paper are beyond
all question superior to those of our rivals"
We do not pretend to exult in any produc
ton Of ours-but rather to apologize. The rea-
son we have not done better is, that we have had
80 little ability to encounter. The Compromise
has been the greatest question of the day. We
assert that no argument in its support has yet
appeared that is even respectable-either from
the Union or Iatelligencer or from MIR. Clay or
Mr. Webster
As we happened to be on the same side with
our neighbors in relation to the Compromise, of
course we are not included in the category of fee
BILE antagonists; but we fear, if Mr.. Clay and Mr..
energies Of the Southern Press, the world is DOOM
ed to remain forever in ignorance of them.
The Press" in the same editorial, states,
that desperate enthusiast as the editor of the
Era is, he was cool enough to stipulate for net
compensation of three thousand year, for
weekly paper" and has since been furnished
with fifteen thousand subscribers, all paying in
ADVANCE When we speak of the " domestic in
sttutions" Of our neighbors, we pay them the
compliment Of taking their ewn statements for
authority. Had the Press followed our exam
pie, it would at least have kept "within hail " of
the truth. desperate enthusiast" as we may
have been, We have never been desperate"
enough to imagine that We could make money or
reputation, do good to ourselves or others, by
advocating Slavery as the source of the greatest
wealth, power, intelligence and refinement, and
the surest safeguard Of the peace, purity, and
happiness of society AS to /" the three thousand
a year, there is little mistake. When the Era
was started we stipulated with its propretors for
fifteen hundred a year. This sum we received
the first year, with the addition of three hundred
and fifty dollars AT tbf beginning of the second
year, we bought the whole concern, paid for it in
full with interest, at the close of that year, and
have been the sole owner ever since Fifteen
thousand subscribers, paying in adcance," have not
been /" furnished rs but, to adopt the phrase
ology of our neighbors, our circulation, from the
time we became proprietor of the paper, has " adj
vanced spontaneously" from eight thousand five
hundred to fifteen thousand