New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-03-28


But The Times is grossly misinformed-
unpardonably so-with regard to the Amer
lean reports of speeches in Congress being
tinged by " a strong party bias" and Amer
lean reports of meetings being uniformly
'spiced' with slang for the amusement of
the reader" &c. So far is this from the
truth that we are sure no singh American
paper is addicted to this shameful 'spicing,'
though a single paper in this City is noto-
rious for its exploits in that line. That,
however, is not an American paper, any
more than the British sheet printed on Chi
nese soil is a Chinese paper. Its owner,
controller and master-spilitis Scotchman,
and very bad specimen al that, while his
notions, ideas and tendencies are all un-
American. To call his an American press
is unjust; but to hold up its vices as char
acteristics of the ichole press of this coun-
Try is outrageous.
Then as to "the strong party bias" OF
our usual Congressional reports-a simple,
conclusive refutation of this charge is found
in the fact that the same reports are used
,eiilout alteration BY journals Of the most
hostile political tendencies. All the reports
sin brief" are transmitted from Washing
ton by Telegraph, and all are published in
Discriminatory by journals of each party
and no party. We shall say no more on
that point, save that reporter detected in
giving a party bias to his dispatches
would inevitably be in want of employment
before the week expired.
AS to the value of the Political and
Literary dispositions of the leading British
and American journals respectively, we
will initiate the silence while avoiding the
insolence of The Times; but we may new
ertheless say that, if the American journals
contain no articles of merit, it must be
purely because no Americans can be found
capable of writing them. The ablest and
most cultivated minds in our country are
accustomed to address the public through
the medium of the Newspaper Press, and
there are few vocations among US in which
talent commands fairer reward or more de-
cided consideration. Of the Congress just
adjourned at least four Members achieved
distinction as Editors, and, considering the
relative numbers in the two bodies, four In
Congress is equivalent to twelve ia Parlla-
ment. How often have there been twelve
Editors, or even cx- Editors, in Parliament!
The Governor of at least one of our States
is an Editor, and has achieved an enviable
position by Editorial labor alone. Several
Editors are among the Representatives oil
the Union at Foreign Courts; one has just
resigned chargeship to return to his jour
nal. The Speaker of our State Assembly
is an Editor, who has made his position by
his pen. The President of our Oldest Col
lege is a newspaper Editor. Would such
facts abound if the American Press were
stch as The Times represents it! And,
while we shall carefully abstain from insti-
tutiDg any general comparison, we must
say that we know no European journal
which treats public questions with greater
candor, dignity or lucidity than-to name
a single instance-the National lntelli-
gencer.
But The Times has convenient cor
respondent, who comes to its aid with o
tissue of assertions like the following:
"Having twice visited the United States, and
having travelled through nearly all the Northern
States have had opportunities of witnessing the
utter Indifference with which newspaper state
ments are treated, and the powerlessness OF the
press as an organ of opinion. 1t
would be as hopeless to attempt to redress
grievance or advocate reform, or vindicate
principle, by appealing to the American public
through the columns of The Ness- York Tribune,
az it would for me to set the speakers at st. Mar
tin hall right by addressing this note to one OF
the weekly retailers of penny blasPhemy in Holy
welst."
If this gentleman mean only that he
would make a poor fist of attempting to
"adyocate q reform or vindicate q princi-
plsp Through the columns Of the Net0-
York Tribune" we very heartily confirm
his statement. That others have been or
need be equally unsuccessful, does not
seem so self-evident. Most certainly, the
leading journals of Great Britain appear to
have recently entered upon course of in
vestigation and of discussion with respect
TO the condition and rewards of Labor, the
wrongs of the Poor and their remedies,
the Social causes of Crime, &c. of which
The Tribune set them the example from
eight to ten years ago. We cannot say
- 10 4-an.unnn4 nf these nnestinns NAV