, 1855-05-12
The Position and Character Of
the public Press.

the London times takes occasion to speak
of the character of the public press The
Times affects to disbclievc the documents
and statements of Wikon7s book respect
ing the engagement of the Chcyalcr's
services by Lord PalmCston But upon
the assumption that there may be some
truth in them, the Times thus cloquently
and truthrully vindicatcs the character Of
the press:
We should not have thought this occur
renee worthy of any serious remark, but
that it has been accepted as a kind of text
| for a discussion upon the relations between
/ the Government and the English press
/ We confess We are sensitive for the dignity
Of our order, and proud Of our vocation.
We should no more. dream Of confounling
the limits of public duty and private cour-
/ teSy in our own case or in our present pur-
suits, than we should if employed in State
Office, or charged with the responsibilities
of judicial decision. What can it signify
to any man who deyotes his time and abi-
ty to journalism, as it is called, whether
the door of this or that grandec be opened
to him or shut against him? The mistake
lies in exaggerated notions Of individual
dignity. We know no reason why the
Marquis of Carrabus should give himself
any trouble to secure the private frindShip
of political writer more than lie would in
the case IF an author who has written a
successful comedy, or of an advocate who
had made good appearance at the bar.
The best advice We can give to the
more irritable among our brethren is to
have loCtier notion of themselves and
their yocatASn Let them feel assured that
in this countNY-the home of untiring and
well-dircctcd energy-thcre is nomorc hon
orable calling followed, NO honcster bread
eaten, than that of the man who, without
one thought of the pleasure or dispIeasure
of living man, undetcrrcd by apprehension
aud unallured by greed Or ambition, in all
truth and concieuce devotes his mind to
the daily discussion of public affairs in thG
columns of the leading journals in these
islands. We may venture to say that we
know as well us most men the advantage.
and drawbacks of such n career We can
fell as little sympathy with those who are
ready to PROSTATE the dignity Of their
calling and their own sclfrespect at the
feet Of great men as VIC do with the super
oiliousness and ignorence of the enlightened
members Of the upper classes. In those
classes, as in all others, will be found every
variety of intellect and character, but we
should be much surprised if any public
writer who was drawn naturally into their
.fsoccty, who had received the education
and conducted himself with the simple and
unassuming manners Of an English gentle.
man, neither carrying favor nor churliShly
repelling welLintended courtesy, did not
meet with such reception as is commonly
presumed.
On the other hand, it is not to be denied
that the very worst specimens Of the upper
classes in their relations with the press are
generally those men from whom higher
degree Of intelligence, greater experience
of mandkind, and sounder knowledge oil
the social position Of the country, might
have been expected. Among the upper
classes of England, as it has appeared to
us from many ridiculous stories which have
come to our knowledge, men who have
= borne ministerial Office ore precisely those
/, who have most mistaken the character Of
their "agents in the press" We may be
permitted to say word upon this subject,
for certainly for one adventurer whokuockS
at the door of the Foreign Office, or ol
any other Office of State, with an offer Of
! his precious services, ten address them
| selves-we groan over our recollections-
to the Office of the Times. In point Of
fact, according to our experience, the gen
, eral rule is to endeavour, in the first in
stance, to secure a lucrative engagement
here. When that little scheme fails aud
some wandering Greek or Russian or a
young lrishman just commencing life, has
failed to convince us that he carries the
; Cabinet of Europe in his coat-pocket, the
next move is to try his smooth tongue in
Downing street.
A general rule, We should strongly re-
commend Ministers of State and other
mighsinesses to look with the very gravest
suspicion upon any gentleman who tells
} him that for given sum he can open to
hun the columns Of any newspaper. If in
their immensity they can conceive no higher
motive in an untitled gentleman, let them
look at the question in commercial light,
and consider whether if it be worth the
while Of literary chapmen--regarding the
question from its lowest point Of Yiew-to
: spoil their own market, which would be the
intalliblc and speedy result Of dishonesty
Men talk about q newspaper being bought
and sold," but they know they are uttering
falsehood even while they say it. Nc
man out of Bedlam seriously believes thai
the leading journals in this county art
bought and sold. We will add, of oul
own knowledge, that any man who brought
such an ACQUISITION against the magnates o.
the French press would simply be block
head undeserving of serious reply. Mr.
Wilkoff would have had as much chance
of writing in the Debats or the Constitu
tional as in the Queens Album
The low, grovelling spirit thus rebuket