The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-03-06
THE NATIONAL ERA.


notices in our exchanges, aud the Star finally
shares the same fate Wherefore Simply be-
cause we do not find it convenient to insert its
long Prospectus of lin our paper between one
and two columns length, which, at the usual
rates of advertising, would amount to from twelve
to fifteen dollars! This we call erGcimg.
The Era, with circulation of ten or fifteen
thousand, could certainly well afford to exchange
with all the Free Soil papers Of the country with
out making unreasonable exactions upon them
and especially, as it is the experience of every
Free Soil country Publisher, that the Era trench
es upon his own circulation There will be men,
who do not appreciate the duty which they owe
TO the local press, and who will unhesitatingly
depress its spirit, and dampen its energies, by
discontinuing, that they may the more convent
emily take distant paper. We have long known
the fact that the Era has displaced many of our
subscribers yet we have never hestated to be just
and generous to the Era. We have often spoken
of it in terms of commentator, and have never
spoken Of those things wherein we deemed it de-
fectlve.
Last autumn we inserted its short prospectus,
which We saw in our exchanges, and marked il
and sent it to the Era, thinking we had thereby
entitled ourself to a continuance Of exchange. We
were not little surprised subsequently, to see a
long prospectus put forth, the insertion of which
was made condition Of exchange. We at once
resolved, having in our Judgment done the fair
thing, to submit to no such unreasonable exac-
tion-the result is, the Era ceases to visit us.
Though we regard the Era as an able and val
liable paper, we do not regard it at all indispensa
BILE to our existence. We cannot, therefore, say,
as does our friend of the ChQrdOa Dtmocrat, that
ne must hare Il, epsn II ne send on IN cash he price
Of sybseriptionl We intend to do no such thing
II 4. L. kknt nd fhor
country publishers, are too prone to yield to the
unreasonable eIac3obs 81 fhe merr6Ssoii,fn' press
II is time, we think for the country press to
assert their rights and their true dignity In this
day Of railroad speed and telegraphic communi-
cation, a very extensive metropolitan exchange is
not necessary for the country press. The city
press has too long given tone 10 the country press
ID is time for the latter to exhibit true independ-
ence
Conceding great ability and value to the Ma
tional Era-conceding great Importance to its
local MISUNDERSTANDING any desire to diminish
its legitimate circulation or lessen its prosperity
we shall venture the following criticisms:
/. The National Era fails iu true sympathy for
the country local press, else it would freely offer
an exchange to the few Free Soil papers in ex-
istence, leaving il to their generosity to make a
suitable return
=. IL 10 SECURE 10 parry VI EeeuOm
the benefits Of a central organ, inasmuch as it
overlooks and undertakes the Importance of the
local press, and hence fails to discern, gather up,
concentrate, and reflect the local sentiment of
the country.
3, 1t is stiff, stately, and painfully dignifed,
unfortunately initiating in this the aristocrstic
austerty Of the National Iaelgencer Its articles,
though many Of them able, are too much In the
style Of stilted numbering essays, adapted rather
to Monthly Review than to the columns of q
weekly newspaper-aud this renders most Of them
unfit to be transferred into the columns Of the
local press.
H. 1t is an individual enterprse-one which is
probably building up fortune for its edtor-but
it disclaims being party organ, and refuses to
insert, as such, our national nominations. 1t is
merely the organ Of the personal views of the
editor-which views are at all times sufficiently
conservative.
A. 1t falls short of q true reformer, in that it
opposes some of the needed reforms of the day.
ES fsu sssssmPs II sees not come square up e the
Of postage reform Like nearly all of the rest of
the selfish metropolitan press, the Era is opposed
to having newspapers carried free in the mails to
distance of thirty miles from the Office of publ
cation, lest, thereby, its own circulation may be
diminished and the preponderance be In favor OF
poorly patronized country press.
With all these drawbacks, its excellences are
not few and its numerous readers can appreci-
ate them. We bear the Era no i'll will We
envy not its excellent editor his prosperity. He
has had his days of darkness and of trial. and we
rejoice that he has outlived them. The Era is
now, and we are rejoiced at it, on a firm founda.
tion and there is no justice in eriching it, at the
expense of many Of the local newspapers Let
each receive due support.
We beg of the Era no exchange. Let it do
that which seems to itself right-we shall be
likely to do the same-and shall try to take care
Of ourself
II the country press would think more of each
other, and appreciate each others excellences,
and common trials and struggles and difficulties
more, and yield less to the overshadowing, CON-
bined selfish influence of the metropolitan press,
far better would it be for them.
We hope TO live to see the day, when the local
press, universally shall he in the hands of men
Of true independence Of spirit, and of intellectual
aud moral power sufficient for successful main
tenance of that independenoe-the it will not
have to beg city exchange, but its reciprocity will
be courted.-Ohio Star.
With the exception of the Ohio Star, and one
other paper, no Free Soil journal has manifested
other than friendly feelings towards the National
Era We do not believe that the editor of the
Star is really unfriendly, but he is disturbed by a
momentary resentment.
Towards the Local Press we have never felt or
acted unkindly. Its importance we do not under
value, nor have we ever attempted to trench upon
its circulation. Among the considerations that
have made us turn deaf ear to innumerable so
licitaticns to reduce the price Of the Era to one
dollar year, determination rot to underbid
the local newspapers, has been prominent one.
BY no act or word, have we directly or Indirectly
disparaged their merits or betrayed want Of
true sympathy with them. As to the exemption
Of newspapers from postage, within range of
thirty miles from the places of publication, we
withdrew long since our opposition to the policy,
not because we thought it sound in principle, or
beneficial Ia its tendency upon the local papers, but
because they, being the parties chiefly concerned,
insisted that II Important TO their interests,
aud we did not wish to stand in attitude Of an
tagonism to them. Lately, being urged for some
ex Expression Of opinion on the subject, we frankly
stated our views, but forbore to urge them. We
would not lift q finger to prevent the wishes Of
the local press, on this subject, from being car
ried into effect.
The National Era, it is true, is prosperous, but
Il has burdens TO bear from which the Local Press
Is exempt. 1t costs us, this year, on the single
item Of composition for our paper, $3.50 more than
1t did the first year of it's existence. The wages
of journeymen printers in Washington are higher
than in any part Of the Union. At the beginning
Of this year they raised their prices, and, as we
have never yet contended with the claims of labor
we cheerfully paid the advances that it now
costs us 6fty.two cents thousand for our compo
siton probably twice as much as our friend Of the
S,,,, MAYA for nj. In other words should he aet