Washington telegraph., 1851-03-05
TnE FIRsr NEwsrArrR.--t IS somewhat re.

markable that the newspaper press, powerful ee-
ment it in modern civilization, is scarcely two
centuries old. 1t is equally remarkable that
means of instruction and amusement so apparent
should not have been established until nearly two
hundred years after the discovery of printing!
The common belief that the first English news
paper was published in 1888. to announce the de-
ieat of the Spanish Armada. is now known to be
popular error, the printed sheet in the British
Museum, called the English Mercurie, and dated
in that year, having been proved forgery of a
century later date. The originator Of the mistake
was Mr.. Chalmers, who, in his life Of Rudiman
entered into the history of newspapers. He had
seen the broad sheet in the Museum, and, accepted
it for what it pretended 10 be, had announced it
as the first English newspaper. Nichols D'Israeli
and other writers, followed Chalmers, without in
quiry, and from these authors the error crept nt'
the Encyclopedias, and all the books of the day in
which newspapers were discussed. Few asser-
tons are now, perhaps, so generally believed as
that the English Mercurie the first English
newspaper The detection of the owe to
the photographer, Mr.. Watts, of the British Mu
scum, who, having occasion to examine the Mer-
curie, saw at once that the type and paper were
OF compare rstively modern orgin--an opinion which
has been confirmed by every subsequent exami-
nation, and it has been freely scrutinized by capa-
bic Judges since.
The first newspaper was issued towards the
lished in London by man named Butter. This
| individual had been hired letter writer, in the
pay of numerous country gentlemen--his business
being TO pick up the Of London and send u
written sheet Of it weekly to his employers. The
thought finally struck him that he might serve his
customers more quickly and enlarge his business
indefinitely by printing instead of writing his
sheets. At first, however. the enterprise met
with little encouragement. The English not
a people fond of innovations, and the old manu-
script letter sheets were generally preferred
Buffers paper was lauy he'd at by the wits, and i'll
supported by the public. Ben Johnson in his
comedy 'Tbe Staple of News, made the new
journal the butt of his ridicue. Finally, however
the invention became better appreciated, and
newspapers increased in size, merit and NUMBER;
yet so late as the beginning Of the last century
the written news letter still in existence. the
delight of antiquated country gentlemen, who
worshpped it as a relic of 'tle old times" In
1909 the first morning paper appeared in London,
and now discussion combined with news, for
heretofore the journals had confined themselves
entirely TO the mere narration of events and those
chiefly foreign. Indeed more than one editor h ad
been severely punished for printing news about
the Governments; and late ITO a lad of
nineteen hung for publishing an article
against hereditary right.
Prior to the issue of Buffers journal. there had
been various gaz ties, they called, pub
IiSDe0 III 0tBereOL IN iIuTOpe anu there
is popular impression that these were newspapers.
But such is not the fact The gazettes were
merely occasional broad sheets, or pamphlets, pub
lishea after some important event, as proclama-
ton is published They not at all per-
manent, much less periodical in their nature. two
important qualities requisite for the real newspaper.
Nor it until the age of Addison, Steele, and
Swift--as we said--that journals began to assume
their present influential position. When these
great writers, however entered the lists regular
contributors to the newspapers, and were followed
by Bo!ingbroke, and in later age by Junius, the
public press at once took lofty postlon and one
which it has since maintained, and even increased.
In England, however, TO this day, the newspaper
has less influence than in either France The
United States. In this free country it is really the
great parliament OF the natien, where all important
subjects discussed, and virtually decided
Congress is, in fact but the formal mouth piece Of
the press, speak definitely, of the people
controlled by the press. The day will come when
to be member of this fraternity will be higher
honor than to be legislator, and il is even now a
| more influential position. Long live the press.
Phild. Bal