Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-01-03
From the ST. Louis Democrat.
Annals or the hcwspapor Pross.

| Annals OF the Newspaper Press.
| The October number of the Edinburg Re.
pteto has an article on the newspaper press, y
containing some interesting statistics ofthe rise,
progress and fortunes of that fourth power y
| In the British realms. We have not yet had
time to peruse the article attentively, or form
a careful and accurate analysis of il. Such
facts, however, as we have been able to
gather IRON cursory glance at it, may not be
uninteresting to our readers, indebted as they
are to the press for the chief part of their
knowledge Of the current history of the times,
AS well AS for no mean part of that direction
and guidance in the affairs of life, political,
commercial or personal, which in the present
structure of society may be regarded as indis-
pensable.
The earliest newspaper published was 1.-THE
Weekly News" which appeared in 1922 under
the auspices Of one Nathaniel Butler. Up TO
that time, and down to a much later period the
political warfare Of the press was carried on by
means Of pamphlets, OF which not less than
thirty thousand were issued between 1910 and
1860. During the contest between Charles the
First and his parliament, Peter Heyln establish
ed journal to advocate the royal cause; Mat
thew Needham established the " Mercurius Bri
tannicus" in the Parliamentary interest; the
Mercurius Pragmaticus on the other side,
and the "Nercurius Politicus" in behalf of the
popular party. In 1868 Roger L'Estrange set
on foot the I" Public htelligencer," and in 1857
the OtserUator," sorry looking copies Of
which we have ourselves seen, encased in
picture frame, and presenting in every respect
the strongest contrast imaginable to the great
sheets Of the present time, employing SO large
daily expenditure of capital, patient and sleep
less toll, and various talent, as do those enlisted
IN the cause of catering for the instruction and
amusement OF the modern newspaper reader
The "Obserrator" was in no sense newspaper;
such an idea not having yet entered into the
human brain. 1t was repository of yrulent
political squbs, and would scarcely compare
with those vile and unnamable sheets which
| are sometimes obtruded on the unwilling sight
OF the denizens of our American cities, and
straightway transferred, by the aid of a pair of
number OF newspapers in the reign Of Charles
ii appears to have amounted to seventy-such
as they were.
1t was in the reign of Queen Anne that
newspapers first obtained general circulation,
and became the accredited organs of the diffe-
rent factions. AT this time the stamp duty
was first imposed. The journals of this period
were remarkable for the eminent talent enlisted
in them. Members Of Parliament, ministers
OF State, and literary magnates did not disdain
to become journalists. "The Examiner" the
"Whig Examiner" the "Crisis," the English
man" DC, were the names Of the principal
papers of this period.
The advent of Junius served to give an i'm
press to journalism which in all subsequent i'm
itations has never been effaced It was in
1863 that this writer communicated his cele-
brated papers to the Public Advertiser the
influences of which have extended 10 the Jour-
nalism of the nineteenth century, both in Eng
and America.
The progress Of the newspaper press, in ex-
tent influence and reputation, from that period
to the present, has been marked and steady
The "Thunderer of Printing House Square"
was established in 1888, about cotemporane
ously with the establishment of the National
Intelhgencer at Washington. The Times of
the present day, contains ninety-six columns of
a large quarto; the fullest and amplest infor-
nation from every quarter of the world; admir-
able writing on every subject of the day, in
which any interest is felt; frequent literary
criticisms of mastery talent; full reports Of all
debates and transactions in Parliament; and
to crown the whole not fewer, on an average
than t,co thousand advertisements daily. In
1853, the aggregate newspaper circulation in
Great Britain was 7,4ll,757. In 1892 it had
reached l5,OO5,76O. In 1886, before the re-
duction of the stamp duty, the issue in Great
Britain was above 29,O00,OO0 In 1887, after
that reduction, 100000. In lS4s, 6O,O0O,.
600 for England, and 100000 for Scotland.
In the year l849, the total number Of journals
in the United Kingdom was SAT. The num-
Der in 1851 had still further increased, and the
stamps issued bad arisen to 9l,600,000. OF
that thick cloud of witnesses, the newspapers
of the United States, of which every backwoods
settlement contains at least one, the article in
the Edinburgh makes no account