The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1855-09-14
BENNETT OF THE N. Y. HERALD.

The autobiography of James Gordon Ben.
nett, has recently been published, and is re-
ceiving no little attention from his breth'
rem Of the press. In Life Illustrated" a
New York paper, we find an article on the
subject, which, while ii sets forth that Ben
nett never had real friend, nor an admirer,
nor even an approver, shows how he has
contrived to attain such wonderful success for
his paper. After speaking of his early strug'
giles and failures, his poverty and want, The
article continues:
But fortune was about to turn. In 1885
he began The publication of the Herald. He
had scarcely any capital, no credit no friends,
no party. but he had learned his trade, and
he knew his public. His object was to have
in every number something which should
make people talk about the Herald-some-
thing outrageously impudent, or silly, or OBJ
seure, or abusive. No subject was sacred,
for he believed nothing; no man was safe, for
be had no friends. He always had the knack
of making his readers laugh, and the floating
population of rich commercial town are
foolish people, and can be m.de to laugh
very easily. The trick succeeded. People
bought the Herald "just to see what the fel-
low had to saw" and the Herald hourished.- -
As his means increased he made extraordina-
ry endeavors to get early and full Intelligence,
and to procure lively reports of local events
By necessarily issuing extras,he associated in
the public mind the idea of neUS with the
name of the Herald, and for long time it
was generally believed that he who would
have the news must necessarily take the Her
aid. The editor kept before his mind one
object to get matter for his paper which peo.
would read with avidity, and be sure to talk
about. He has never advocated any benfcent
measure. He has never published an able
editorial. He has never taken part in any
honorable encounter. He has never origina-
ted suggestion for the public good. His
paper has had the single object of increasing
its own circulation.
Verify, it has had its reward. The editor
has been cowhided, we know not how many
times, but the Herald has continued to pros.
per. He is as iriendless as ever, but the
number ofhis subscribers is great.
We cannot blame this poor man as he is
generally blamed. 1t is law of affairs, that
whatever the public want to buy, some one
will appear who is willing to sell it. We
blame chiefly the public, whose low taste
made the Herald pas able and saleable. True,
it is no longer read by respectable people. 1t
is now merely the recognized organ of the
great bar room interest. But fifteen years
ago it was read by everybody, and it then
obtained that pecuniary strength which, in
the case of newspaper, is so hard to attain
and so difficult TO diminish. The power of
the Herald is chiefly reminiscence. Iii no
longer feared. But it is still the most profit
able newspaper in the Union. That this is
the case, let US take the blame to ourselves,
and bestow some pity upon the lonely, un-
happy man who, wanting the ability to serve
the public, was fain, in order to save him
self from starvation, to prey upon the pub
lie.
He has succeeded in his object. He is
sixty eight years old. His head is white with
age. His name Is known to every human
being il the country, and he has all the means
of enjoyment in his power But is there an
honest self respecting laborer who would
change places with him? "Nature," says
Carlyle, "when her SC orn of slave is dvn-
est, and bazes like the binding lightning
against his slavehoOd, often enough filings
him bag of money, silently saying, THAT!
Away; thy doom is that!'
The reader will admit the picture is well
drawn and life.like. The Herald has a few
weakly imitators, but none likely to attain to
the same degree of success.