The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-09-17
THE DAILY DISPATCH.
4 Rrench yiex al re American prnas.

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A French view OF the Americas Press.
A recent number Of the Reras des Dsax Moades,
a French paper. favors the public with the lueu.
bra,ions Of French journalist On the character Of
Journalism In shis country.
pretacing his remarks with some general views
on the condition Of American civilization, and as
Stunning that the present forms Of European SO
cety are destined to extinction, he calls attention
TO the nature of the bdrbarism which win take
their place. He considers American society
barearism enriched with all the material results of
science and industry, which have been realized in
the progress of civilization. No form Of society
has ever commenced with such elements Of power
a. are now found in the United States. He thinks,
however, that the moral greatness Of the Ameri-
cans Is not on par with their material prosperity
The immense circulation of newspapers in this
country excitcs our Journalists surprise. Accord
Ing to the census of 1885, there were about 2526
periodical publications of all classes with an az.
gresa.e circulation of 4a64o e,e74 copies, while In
England. with a much larger population. the whole
number was only 62s. OF these 9, 500 journals 2o4
only were daily, us triweekiy, Al semi-weekly'
and 902 weekly.
The French disser,ator is of opinion that the
love OF fnforn1loc, 80 cnAIActefStie VI 'Do N-'
ricau, is not the sole cause of the immense circu
lation of American newspapers. 1t Ia due also IN
part. be thinks, to the want Of a true metropolis
of the United States, and the local. provincial cha
rscter Of its press In France and in England
there Is but press for the whole natiou' De-
cause there Is but one government In America,
this Is not the case Each State has Its own gov
eminent, which 1t is perpetuaily modifying; its
srtar yNh
different from those of its neighbors. The New
. York journals, says our critic cannot speak rs
freely of slavery as the Richmond Journals nor
the Boston journals appropriately as those VI
San Francisco of the interests Of California.
The American iournaIs in oar Frenchnan's
eye, has a truly democratic aspect. Paper pad
proof+readng worse, types half worn eVerytnus
shows a cheap article. The tone of the journal is
often In keeping with its appearance Insults
rudeness, personal denunciation, abound II is
never gay or ironical: it occupies itself with sub
jects of a low order it loses sight of great prin
ciples in the advocacy of petty personal interests
ii does not reproduce the most curious features OF
American life but deals only with the most mo
notonous elements of society; it ignores the deli
cate shades and movements of highly cultivated
state Such is the catalogue of offences and short
comings which this vivacious Frenchman lays at
the door of the American press.
The writer proceeds to speak as follows of the
American journalist:
1.-THE position of an American journalist" he
says lis essentially different from that of an Eu-
ropean Journalist. He possesses formidable in
fuence, and welds not a little political power
This Is owing to circumstance that has not often
been noticed. He is almost the only person of in
huence in the United States who is not subjected
to the popular vote and the caprice of election.
ohoro IF nd
vernors Of States, subjected to election, and
acknowledge master; the journalist elects him
SELF and receives hs orders from nobody-he is, in
certain sense, thesonly truly free man in this de-
lnocratic country. The political orator may at
tack anddenounce him. but it is of no consequence;
he has the shield of liberty as well as his antago
mist, and has to render no account OF his conduct
to caprcious assemblies. The American business
man, the wealthy merchant, the minister OF the
church. may affect to despise him; but what If they
dor They are still his tributaries, they purchase
his journal, and thus depend upon him in spite OF
themselves This unique position, in the bosom OF
such a tickle society, gives him security which
he uses and abuses at pleasure. Still another cir
cunstance adds to the influence of the American
journalist. He is not, as in England, an unknown
wheel in great anonymous machine-he Is an IN
dividual Ia other words, the editor is not swal.
lowed up in the journal-on the contrary, the
journal is swallowed up in the editor. In the mind
of an American, the editor and the journal are
one. We read the London Times the Daily
News, the Standard without asking who Is
the editor we know that those journals represent
such such party, and that Is enough; we ex-
anime the opinions of those of group of anony-
writers. 1t is not so in America: and al
though the columns of journal are filed with
anonymous articles, the mind of the reader sup
plies the name of the author, without his sigma
iure This habit of referring the influence of such
an important machine as the press to an Individual
rather than to party, secures to the journalist
quite peculiar personal authority
II is scarcely worth while to point out the errors
and inaccuracies of this self-compacent oracle.