Washington sentinel., 1854-03-03
THE WASHINGTON PRESS.

Washington, the centre OF politics, the seat
and the heads of departments, is naturally
looked to as the great source of political news.
Every paper that can afford it, no matter how
remote from the seat of government, has cor
respondent here, on whom it relies for infor-
nation in regard to all political movements.
Some have several correspondents, between
whom grave political news and small gossip are
divided. This last is pursuit which the politi-
cal press of Washington has never condescended
to engage in. Political journals are supposed
to have some dignity, some moral force, some
standing. They deal with great questions in
volvirg the interests Of the whole country
They do not pretend to be mere tattling, gos-
slipping tell-tale newspapers. They do not pre-
tend to play the caves dropper and find out
what persons visited the President to-day; how
they came to pay their visits, what occurred, how
they were received, and when they purposed call
ing again. They do not condescend to employ
miserable spies commissioned to overhear and
report private conversations in the hotels, and to
invade private circles that they may CLEAN, gar
ner up, and publish petty scandal.
The object, if we understand it, of the regu
lar press here, is to give to the country proper
inform alton nregard to the great political meas
ures of the day and to present such views and
arguments as may enlighten and convince the
people Of the country. 1t does not deal in ma
lcious ISLANDERS it does not retail idle gossip,
nor does it traffic in trhes. 1t takes notice Of
those subjects that fall within the province of
the legitimate press and leaves to other jour
mails, that are so inclined, the petty items, the
small gossip, and the piquant personalities, that
are too often written to wound, and are only
read to be forgotten by the mass of newspaper
readers.
Far be it from US, however, to quarrel with
the taste or to invade the chosen occupations
of others. Let those who prefer it edit gossip
ping newspapers. Let them sprinkle their col
umns with all the inklings of piquant SANDER;
let them food the country with baseless ru-
mors let them coin items of intelligence when
wel-authenticated news fails them, and assert
charges with boldness, or insinuate them by
covert inuendo, against innocent and unoffend-
ing people. Our province is different. There
is room in this great country for every style of
newspaper, as there is room for every variety
of character
We have been induced to make these re-
marks by the unjust attacks that are so fre-
quently made on the Washington press by
many illiberal journals published in other
places. They and some of their correspondents
are accustomed to characterize the papers here
as dull, heavy, and uninteresting. Their high
tone ofbecoming dignity is represented as pre-
tentious pride, and their disregard of light and
frivolous matters as an indication of the want
of enterprise.
AS there are different sorts of men, SO there
are different kinds of journals. A Washington
paper is necessarily different in many respects
from Philadelphia paper a New York paper,
Boston paper, or provincial paper. 1t is
located at the seat Of government. 1t has to
deal almost exclusively with grave political
questions and with high public fun,tionares.
To exert an influence it must divest itself Of
that sportive levity that so well suits other
places and other subjects. 1t must be charac-
terized by gravity and decorum. Nor can it
compete in mere matters of general intelligence
with the newspapers Of our large cities. Jour
nails here are not intended to be of CONNER
cial, agricultural, or literary character. Nor do
they aspire to an active competition in matters
of general intelligence with the neutral press
of the large cities. They are content to full.
fiji their proper destiny, and would not quarrel
with other presses for fulfilling different des
tiny. Their main business is to deal with poll
tics and politicians
We would cultivate kindly feeling towards
our brethren of the press. There is room
enough in the world for them and us. There is
no occasion for envy, jealousy, and ill-will be-
tween them and u.s. We wish them all WELL
and are at a loss to conjecture why any of them
should be so mischievous and iliberal as to
seek to bring into discredit the political press Of
this political city.