New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-08-17
Old Papers,

On the day of its publication there are few
things more interesting or more generally sought
for than the daily newspaper. Few things are
more valueless the day after.
Age has, however, some such effect upon news
papers as upon wine-increasing the value, the
flavor and the Importance. Journals published
century ago are rare; even those issued fifty
years since are far from abundant They COM
mand Immense prices in the literary market,
an old edition of Milton, an ancient copy Of
Shakespeare, or Bible published in the first
years Of printing Time has given renewed in
terest to what was originally of little impor-
tanee, and what was twelve months after
publication wholly valueless Old advertise
ments, old notices, old editorials about matters
and things long since forgotten, are eagerly
read when years have interviewed and given to
them a historical character and consideration.
The learned lucubratons of editors, the reviews,
the criticisms and notices, the rebukes and COM
mendations, which were expected to die within
the week after their birth, come into fresh
life after being for time buried, and are re-
than when they were new and fresh.
Old letters are supposed to have a peculiar
charm recollection of things for
gotten, renewing period long past, and bring
ing back in clear colors pictures which had
faded and died away. Old papers have some
thing of the same charm, though less personal
and direct. Like q magician's mirror, they
recall and vitalize the occurrences of the past
and set clearly before the reader view Of the
daily life of time which he, perhaps, never
saw and only knows of indistinctly.s In then
| columns it is chronicled how some brave ole
ship went forth on her voyage, and his memory
reminds him that she was captured, or lost, o,
on such day a marriage was celebrated, which
the departed editor hoped might be ever pleas
ant; and the reader recollects q gray headed
man walking the streets who was the bride
groom on that occasion, or some descendant o
his, now covered with honors. The old paper
prophesies, perhaps, some war whose tremend
GUS results are new o matter of history; or thu
Inauguration Of come reign which long sine
closed, and has been long since judged; or thu
completion of treaty which is to-day prece
dent in the formation of other treaties.
shows how this and that thing were regarded il
their commencement and homage; what thi
and that man did and said before fame hat
taken hold of their names; what discoverie
were then new, what doctrines were thel
novel. Indeed, an old paper has something 0
freshness in it as well as the one that is jus
wet from the press, and is doubtless far NOR
suggestive than its later rival.
| We were prompted to these reflections an,
remarks by the sight of an old file of cit,
papers. published long before we were born
chronicling occurrences that Bancroft has sine
rewritten; printed and edited by men to whom
Camp and st. Charles streets were unknown
and who have long since been freed from erie
for copy or any of the anxieties of journalism
Their works, however, live after them; and W
pored, not without interest, over old editorial
on forgotten subjects; over notices of matter
and events long since departed into oblivion
and over advertisements of things perishe
years ago. 1t may be that years hence som
some one will rescue from dust to-day's copy
the Crescent, and find in it food for as muc
speculation and reflection as did we in the Of
file of old papers