The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-10-21


TINES AND THE New York HERAID-NoRFoIx
AND THE CRMEA.-We do not think that news
paper readers generally give sufficient credit
to newspaper correspondents. Recently, dur
ing the pestilence at Norfolk, the HERALD was
enabled to give reliable letters almost daily,
containing the most important intelligence in
relation to the progress of the fever, the
names Of its victims and the wants of the sur
vivors We employed four or five correspon-
dents at Norfolk, two of whom were removed
by death. In one case the widow of cur cor
respondent took up the pen bravely in his
stead and discharged the duties of her late
husband with the most commendable fidelity.
The thanks of our readers and Of ourselves
are especially due to this heroic woman and to
her coadjutors. Theirs was no holiday task.
They described no gallant actions in the field,
no brave shows, no splendid professions, no
joyous gatherings, no soul-stirring efforts of
oratory. They could not enjoy any of the
poetry Of existence in which even the newspa-
per correspondent may sometimes indulge
they could only recount the terrible story of
disease, suffering and death. Their steps
tended toward crowded hospitals and over.
slowing cemeteries. They saw only misery
and desolation in every home-the grass grow
ing under their feet and the mourners in the
streets. They hourly expected the dread mo-
ment when the plague would claim them for
| it's victims, and when they should be summon
ed to exchange the pen for the shroud. Those
! who fell nobly at their posts are beyond world
ly regard or reward. To those who remain
we can only offer our heartfelt thanks
The heroism displayed by our cerrespon-
dents at Norfolk is not without its parallel.
| Ever since the HERALD was established we
| have had an extensive corps of correspond
ents at home and abroad. In the Mexican
war we had a we'll organized bureau, the
members of which followed our vic
torious army step by step. Some of
| them participated in those actions which
| were prompt, accurate, faithful and truthful in
chronicling the 'battles, sieges, fortunes that
have passed" In many instances the news
papers published accounts of the important
battles before the dispatches of the COM
handkerchief had reached the War Depart
ment, and the Senators of the United States
first read the treaty of peace in the columns of
the HERALD. The rise and progress of the
gold fever in California were duly described
by the same unseen but faithful hands, and
many poor emigrant has been saved from
the clutches of swindlers by a few pithy lines
from HERALD correspondent. At the present
moment we have q correspondent in the camp
of the liberating army in Northern Mexico,
another in Nicaragua, another in Venezuela,
two in Havana, and, in fact, wherever there
is any war, any revolution, either expected or
in progress, any danger, any peril-the &C.
counts of which would be interesting or i'm
portant to the public-there may be found
HERALD correspondent. The files of this jour-
nal will bear us out in the assertion, and it can
be made with truth by no other newspaper ex-
cept the London Tines The movable CORES
pondents of the last named journal have done
the world essential service. They are the true
heroes of the war; Officers, according to eti-
quette, cannot write for the press what tran.
spires in the camp or in the field. How ex-
ceedingly valuable, then, must it be to the
public to have men who will give faithful,
graphic and particular accounts of all that
transpires, and how the historian of the next
century will drink in the contents of the Times
Crimean letters. The reading public enjoy the
letters, but they never think of the perils
and suherings of the writer. They never
think that this correspondent suffered
all the horrors which he describes so
well-that he calmly made notes under the
FIRE Of the enemy-and that he received even
less consideration than the private soldier,
whose wrongs he SO eloquently depicts. Yet
such is the fact One of the Times correspon-
dents fell i'll in that very camp before Sebas-
topol, and the British officers, with q brutality
only equalled by their shameful incapacity as
soldiers, refused to admit him into their hos
pitfalls; he was carried over the hills under
burning sun, and died that night. Such is the
fate newspaper correspondent may expect.
We claim for our Norfolk and Mexican cor
respondents as much credit as is given to the |
Times writer's in the Crimea, and the public !
will freely accord it.
Newspaper correspondents, both sedentary |
and movable, have great influence and equally |
great responsibilities. They should be able, |
careful and discreet. They should institute |
earnest inquiry after facts, and then make |
them as agreeable in relation and description |
as the subject will bear. Our correspondence |
in Europe and Asia is extensive, interesting |
and valuable. On this continent we have |
resident writers at every important point, and |
they are reinforced by special commissioners |
upon emergent occasions. Many of our letters |
are sent by telegraph, and We frequently re-
ceive column or more of important intellj- |
gence from Washington, Albany, Philadelphia
Boston and other places, over the wires This
news is gathered by our special correspondents,
and is published in New York before the Jour
nails in the city from whence it comes have |
heard Of it. This feature in great journal is
exceedingly expensive, but we think it paws. |
We shall hereafter make IL still mora c1xa.,la4a