Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1852-04-16
The Press.

The Richmond Examiner by way of reply 10 a
dissatisfied correspondent, furnishes the following
useful exposition OF the relations between editors
and their volunteer contributors
IA gentleman writes to know why certain arti-
cles signed Fair Play SENT BY him to the Office
have not appeared in the Exan1iner newspaper
There being nothing offensive in his articles, he
cannot conceive the cause of their non-appearsnce
with all due respect we have to inform him that
they not published simply because the editors
did not deem them interesting to the public, and
preferred filling their columns with other matters.
One or two pieces bad been allowed to appear on
both sides of the question involved in those articles
something about magistrates and sheriffs--and
that was quite enough for our purposes
ave have replied to our correspondent publicly,
because we desire the opportunity to correct some
great mistakes about newspapers, which he shares
with many other people.
Zone Of them he thus expresses Il had supposed
the press free to ALL This is common idea,
but it is mistake. The press is only free to its ed
tors, and to those whom its editors believe to have
good ground for addressing the public, and some
thing to say which the public has an interest in
hearing. We would recommend those who labor
under this mistake to consider the following fact
that newspapers made for the large class who
want to read and not for the small class which want
to write.
"Our correspondent continued: A press sustained
| by the citizens ought to be free to Them We do
not think SO. The sentence quoted does not express
the true relation between the press and the citizens
who subscribe to it. We will just state that rela-
ton it is the relation of buyer and seller-no more
nor less When man subscribes to a newspaper,
we simply conceive that he wants to read and pos
sess it. He buys it he buys meal, oats, shoes
candles, or a coat and when he no longer wants it
he ceases to take it, though not until he has paid
for it, unless he be thief and dishonorable scoun
drel, as we are sorry to say we have discovered a
good many individuals to be.
''This is the only relation between the newspaper
and it's subscribers. There is no good ground fol
any demand on the subscribers part, that the
newspaper be good newspaper, and in accordance
with the samples which induced him to take it. Thu
idea that when man subscribes to newspaper III
lays it's proprietors under undefnable obliga
ton, or that he has right TO publish his compost
ton therein with the single proviso that they shall
be inofensve, is popular fancy and most ridcu
lous mistake which ought to be corrected. Not on
ly has he no such right. but the editor who permit
him to put uninteresting matter in his columns, in
fringe upon the rights of four five thousand othe
people to crafty one individual Very few editor
act so absurdly. If newspaper communicable
contains new fact, information interesting t
the public, or is not the utterance of some publ
sentiment, the narrative of private injury whic
ought to be made public, the editor generally throw
it in the fire and this is the fate of nine out Of
nv ten articles written for the Examiner