The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1852-01-21
Would not be an Editor.


Would not be an Editor.
The publ shcr Of very respectable journal
ecently applied to young man Of talents TO
AXE chareGc Of the editorial department Of his
,aper He received the following answer,
which contains some curions talk, and although
nc young man has too much sense to engage in
such an enterprise, it seems to be a pity, on
sonic cccun's, that he cannont be pursuaded to
Join the ranks of those who have taken the pen
10 die by the pen.
"DEAR Sir - am exceedingly bIigcd to
YOU for the kind and liberal offer contained in
your letter, now lying before me- should be
most happy IN serve you in cny capacity other
than that of the editor Of newspaper, or to
become connected with you such terms rs
y"u propose in almost any other business. had
formed my opinion Of the editorial profession
some time ago, and upon reviewing the matter
since your application came to hand, find no
reason TO change my views of it. About two
wears since | visited Boston, aud my cousin
F--pcrsuadcd me to take charge Of depart
mint Of his papera few weeks while he was
seriously indisposed. My experience that
occasion, together with my observations before
and since, led me to conclude that the editorial
p .oiession is one Of the most laborous and
thankless ever engaged in BIZ any man. And
! do not say this because am avcrse to literary
hor for, on the contrary, it is my drligh, :; but
who that has modiculn Of brains, would con
sent to cudgc' them up to the requirement of
daily or weekly Journal, Who would dribble
ont his thou! hts for the moncn,ary amusement
! or qualification of set or readers each week,
when by concentrating, polishing and compil-
ing them he might, with the same labor, pro-
duce book which might give him perrna-
nent fame and substantial rewards Who
would place himself in pos ton where he
must write whether thc spirit moves or faints
away at the thought OF a goose quil' Who
would voluntarily coop himself in an editorial
sancfntn, where he must be cnrnercd by the
devil and compelled to honor his DARTS for
copy The newspaper is, without doubt, a
glorious institution. We cannot live without
newspapers They arc the medium through
which an incalculable amount Of information
and amusement are transmitted to the minds
of the people. Through them the politician
stimulates the public mind in regard TO his
favoiite men and schemes. Through them the
merchants and manufacturer operate upon the
markets. Through them the author become.
known to the world By newspapers the
world is laid upon our breakfast tables every
morning.
'The newspaper is, in short fine thing fo
every body except its editor. He, unless he j:
as stupid as the ass or as unfecling as the Rhi
ton Whatever ills of the flesh and the spri
assail him, he is required each week to furnish
just so much matter on various topics, 'fron
grave TO gny, from lively to severe. His hes
thoughts must be thrown into the columns of
paper which is read to-day and to morrow uset
to wrap or ceries in. He must write rapidly
and, when his articles have been given, with
o IT revision, to the printer, he must endure thu
payns of seeing sentences, which were onl,
tolernble as they were written, distorted by ap
prenticcs at the 'art preventative" in such
manner that his readers wonder what he woul
be at
He must toll all the week at scissorng, wri
ting and proof-reading, and, at the end of tn
: wcek-after the weekly parturition is
with horrid sense of the imperftctons of hi
labors imperfcctiens incident to the hurry i
which they were prepared, and horrors agains
which he fought in the proof-sh but whic
have trumphed iynobly at the l,st-with tn
; weight Of all these pressing upon a brain whic
is in condition similar to that of squec re
sponge, his only consolation is the fact that
similar task tor a coming week lies directly be
fore him, to be accomplished in some wa
: which his benumbed and exhausted facultie
can by means discover! And at the end q
a series of years, what has he accomplished ?
He has written over some acres Of manuscripts
the foam of the sea. He may be fortunat
/, enough to possess efle' of his paper, but thi
is the only monument left to remind him {
his labors. Ills br, in is hackneyed, he ha
, grown prcmaturely old, but the world whic
has been fed, instructed, and is now driving it
+, carriage at his expense, knows little of him.
cures nothing for him, and he may conside
! himself peculiarly fortunate If pack of hun
gary creditors are not baying on his track. 1r
:. deed, the poor devil of an editor, if he wi
only sit down and indulge in careful retro
spcctlon, will find that he has been used as a
instrument in carrying on the chief bushes
enterprises of the world-in pushing forwar
: moral, social, and political reforms, in educ;
! ting and amusing the masses Of the people. f'
D very small compensation. lie has perhap
eaten his bread and occupied narrow lodging
as the fruit of his toll ; he has been caressed
: persons whose interested motive were stickin
) out of the brest pockets Of their coats he la
been bored also in the most disinterested maj
ner by impudent men of leisure. He b;
received some dozens of free tickets TO ente
! tainments, for which he was bound to pay twio
= their value in puffs; he has listened to SON
: toasts, praising the press, by orators of who.
speeches good reports we're expected. But b
. Inns fritted away the products Of his intellcc
], and so INDUCED in mental dissipation that he
e unified for anything else but hak writing, ar
, 80 he lives and dies miserable hack.
> "Such are my views of the editorial profe
sion and | must confess that have not Il
!, requisite spirit of selfsacriice to engage in
4 | must therefore, beg permission to leave it
such as may be driven to it b.; the force of eli
cumstanccs, or attracted to it by mistaken ar
exaggerated notions of its pleasure or emol
. mcnts. - Boston .HuseHm.
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