The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-11-09
subsidixing the Press-The Recklessness ef
Paltixan HditHfs.

SOWSH0AAsh0 ssAo 1AVsS-s $40 AsS~AASs~s.S~ - i
Pastixan Edit8fs.
The influence Of Newspaper is in exact proper |
tion to the faith which is reposed in its Judgment
and honesty. Journal whose sources Of informI
ton are circumscribed. or whose perceptions are
dull, seldom exercises much sway oser the commu-
nifty 1t is denied the right of conce ang it's weak
ness in the prudent which, in private life, 80
often wells obtuseness; and, from being compelled
to express opinions all subjects, is driven to pa
rade its own incapacity, and becomes the laughing
stock instead Of the monitor Of the public. It is i'm
possible that such periodical can obtain healthy
popularity Norris dishonesty LEES fatal the aodern
newspaper We shun the man whose disregard for
truth has become notorious; oar aversion warns
into scathrg contempt, if have reason to believe
that he Is actuated by base desire for private gain
The same motives operate still more powerfully
against the journalist whose chara,ter is tainted
with the breath Of suspicion He, if he misrepresent
facts, nisleads not single individual only, or .
circle of acquaintance, but tho whole country-hs
lies to the world. The baneful effect Of his want of
principle is felt wherever his paper circalates It is
rainous to the merchant, whose financial operations
have been based its false statementsto the poll
tican, who has shaped his the faith of its
groundless assertons-to every citizen whose daily
on the doings of his neghbors Sknfully rs he may
attempt to conceal his moral deformty it soon bursts
into view; his victims are OILY too ready to expose
him, and he is fairly started in his career Of
Misrepresentation, his character is blasted and his
power Of doing mischief destroyed If no has been
only reckless and ignorant mere indifference and
obscurity are sufficient punishment; if he has
misled the public from corrupt mo,ives-if he
has kha al
hoods with view to personal gain-he becomes an
object Of just detestation. Not Of his fellow
citizens but makes point of duty labor for his
downfall; to support him would be to become his
accompBce. Each feels personal interest in arrest
ing the progress Of pest whose injuries are equally
felt by the public and individuals There ia, Of
course, small class in every community who,
having nothing to lose receive with equal
truth and fasehood and but little, SO they be
amused, whether the public be cheated or no But
the pecuniary assistance which these are able to
afford is proportionate to their stake in the public
veal. They are, in all cvilize ed countries. unit
which may safely be overlooked in general calcu-
lations.
The broad principle that dishonesty and corrup,
tion in a newspaper cannot be concealed, and must
Inevitably work its ruin, we take to be uuqaes-
tionable. We do not think the world ever offered
an example of prosperous journal, afording men.
tai food to thousands, against which charge Of
venality could be sub.tantiated As readily should
We believe that a rumseer who was known to adul-
erate his liquors had large and respectable class
of customers; or that a butcher, who was in the
habit Of exposing carrion at his STALL stood at the
top Of his guild The very superstition argues an
utter laxy of principle, and unparalleled degree
of stupidity in the public.
That such charges will be make by jealous rivals,
and unsuccessful competitors, know but too we'll.
Something must be forgiven to tn, bitter pangs of
disappointment The maligni.y which prompts the
owner of dropping newspaper to accuse his more
prosperous contemporaries of corruption is, strictly
speaking, an offence against society, which it may
be imprndent to suffer to pass unpunished; but,
after all, it carries with it its own refu.ation and
the feelings of the calumnator are perhaps his Sc
veres. chastisement. He cannot delude the public
into sympathy for his misfortunes He may herald tho
charge Of venality against the London Times through
every thoroughfare in that city-mention the exact
sum paid down, with time, place. and circumstance
clothe his tale with all the incidental semblauce of
veracity, and pledge his fortune his honor to make
good the Indictment; but were his voice ten times
as loud, he would not make a single proselyte The
Times will smile disdainfuy at his harmless lice
and continue to pursue its course regardless of such
imbecile foes. Had the imputation been founded on
ashadow of truth the public would not have needed
his spectacles to detect the Fraud long ere he as
sumed the functions of public accuser, the criminal
would have been tried, condemned and executed
In numberless instances that no present to our
memory, it has been currently reported in certain
circles in London that the Times had been bought
its fearless exposure of Kossuth was we believe,
the last We knew that the Times could not afford
to sell its columns; and the revulsion which has
taken place in public opinion since the departure of
that adventurer from Great Britain has shown that
the public was of our mind.
We have been favored with similar complim ents |
still more frequently than British contemporary.
If we praise an author actor, his rivals will
tell you exactly what the fortunate man paid for
our favor, where the money was handed over, and |
into what pocket we put it. If we gibbst trashy
book, the enemies of the publisher have feed US
handsomely. If We support . candidate for Con-
grsss the bills Of the party are to be found in our
strong box. There are q class of ingenious
people who actually believe that we could
60 on selling our good will and censurs,
at so much line, from year to year, and still MAIN
tain our enormous circulation and character, as no
slender authority on matters political, commercial
and literary, in this country. As matter of course
all the whig papers asserted that we were sold to
General Pierce during the late Presidential canvass
some limited it midly, others averred it kno xingy
and net few carried the joke far to assure their
readers that We had admitted it. writer in the
Buffalo Adratiser after burst ofvirtuous indigaa-
ton at what he calls the "hpocracy of the Journal
# Commerce, Acknowledges that he "prefsrs' our
tunblushing rascslty" as We have "avove that
We have been purchased by the democratic party
This Buffalo editor is vast improvement on bis whig
friends Of this city. 1t is not given to every man
to see, tina. as nobody believes what he says,
whether he speak truth falsehood, the latter is
by far the pleasantest and surest card There il q