New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-04-27

in tue profession Rave 10 cause TO shed tesrs 81
bis trspslation to another sphere. Nor. indeed.
10 there any absolute reason why q member OF
that prof scion should risidIy refuse to serve he
country in sIy other public capacity. There msy
be occasions when tie f,test msn for specisllegs-
,ve, Administrative, or diploma tic fun -toDs mast
be sought in II ranks Of the Pres; and certsia-
ly, in q great emergency Of the State, every per-
scr, whatever kis tastes or pursuits, should hold
imself ready for the public service. Bat this is
avery different thpg from engaging 10 the low
business Of an of5ce seeker-enNrtsising CON-
nitiees with Champagne AID oysters, intriguing
with lighting men, bargaining with deslers in
votes and influence, saying what you do not be-
lieve, and r, trscipg what you d. writing letters
On this side or on that, and emplo, ing all The base
devices Of the mere politician for the mean plrposs
If getting oneself into Office. This process Is
revolving enough in any man, but much more so
in the care Of journalist.
No doubt that occasional avidity with which
members Of the profession are seen 10 pursue tne
losyes and fishes Of Office 10 fostered By the too
general desire to livs by other means than honest
work. Men easily take up ideas and tendencies
which prevsil around them; and where thousands
Of all svocations engage in the disgusting scram.
Bile, it is not turpri,ips that here and there
jouIp sli,t should be mingled in the crowd. But
more fequsLtly the desire for place is bego!sen
in me NIB, r. Of our profession from that superst-
tious respcct for political position and dignity
u ticb has come do IN from darker times and oo-
soleie forms of society. When there was no
avenue 70 power, distinction and eminent useful.
Das except through preierment 10 Church or
State, generous and ambitious spirit, naturally
became pri, sis polit Clans, and then out Of the
sacIed Office. the holder of political post was
the great man in fact and in the public regard.
But now this is all changed. Government in this
country has sunk TO be subordinate agency, and
statesmen are bat clerks to register and exc
cute the DEGREES of the people. Of that
geople, the Press 10 the instructor, organ and
p'enipo.eDtsIy. WELDING, directing snd insplr-
ing the supreme power of Public Opinion, it
governs Governors, legislates for Legislators,
and judges Courts. Thus, in our view, 1t dis
charges more important and elevated functions
than either Of those branches of the social
bers accordingly. But all Of them do not so IN
deistapd 1t; all are not emancipsted from the
old political traditions; and, besides, IL must be
confessed tia. merely selfish and egOsistical
ambition msy find more conspicuous saisfac-
ticn In a lower sphere. The journalist after all,
discharges a somewhat impersoDal service; bis
newspaper may be known by bis name, but he is
necessarily associated with many other writers;
and Individual vanity never resps a full harvest,
however brilliant or powerful tire newspaper
may be. Accordingly, when we see journslist
doning bis proper duty to chase after an Office,
We may take i. as confession that he does not
feel himself at home in the nobler profession,
ard accordingly resorts to the Inferior one.
We have heard it estimated as profitable for
Journal to have its ejitor or some prominent
member Of its staff elected to any important Of
fee, but the truth Of this is doubtful. Perfect
Independence aud .h- s--.i... uttsrance Of truth,
matter where it may cut, are Indispensable to
high character in the Pres. But when an edi-
tor is candidate for office, or when he has been
elected by the votes Of this or that party or
worse YET, when lie has taken place at the
hands Of .oUe President, or Secretary, or Cover
nor, bis power of telling the truth is quite neu-
trahzed, if not sboli, he'd. He no longer speaks
forth ell independent opinion; he cannot state
facts as they are; be dsre not propose the meas
ures bis convictions dictate; but all must be
trimmed concealed diluted to suit tho exgen-
cies of his party or bis patron, or to secure his
own further Advancement He judges then
about as easily of politics as Laaa,elot Gobbo
judged in bis case Of casualty between his con-
science and the fend-the fend in the end get
ting The better, of course. And when journal
gets to that pass, it's faulty soon becomes pro-
verbal. 1t may have readers, but it has no
friends, al all men whose esteem Is worth hav-
ing regard it with distrust and contempt, Of
which the least that can be said is that they are
well-deseived.
But while there are initaDces Of this sort, we
think cur readers will agree with US that the past
few years have witnessed the growth in this
country of more manly and untrameled Journal
lem than We possessed before. We now have
newspapers which are worthy Of the name; which
are 90 truly the organs Of the beat Public Opinion
that they can deal with parties and party leaders
on terms Of absolute independence; and which
entertain 20 just sense of their real dignity that
they would perish rather than compromise prin-
ciple or prostitute truth for the sake of office or
other personal commodity. In speaking Of this
hind of journalism tie names of The National Era,
The Pittsburgh Gazette, and The Bu6alo Democracy
spontaneously suggest themselves; there are
others worthy to be mentioned, but our object is
simply to illustrate our propositions AMI as no
member of the profession can be In doubt to