Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1856-11-27
Early Newspapers in America.

! king, Lords, and Commons, the
whole governing power. To these
have been added another, the Press
which has been dubbed the fourth
estate. The estates Of the realm
have a positive power, while the
press may be called the fashioning
power, inasmuch as intelligence, rea-
son, and public sentiment to a great
extent control the whole machinery
of government-giving it impetus
o: paralyzing its motions, or alto
gether multiplying its operations;' caus-
ing repeal sometimes, and not un-
frequently rendering laws obsolete.
In the United States, when com.
pared with other countries, the press
is pre-emiuently free, Independent,
and powerful. The fourth estate,
may be said to be paramount to all
others-nn encouraging voice, a
wholesome check, and terror to
evil doers--condemning and setting
aside more incompetency and dis
honesty than any other plenary court.
The growth of the newspaper press in
the United States is closely allied
with the spirit and progress that vi
tal:zed and marked our develope-
ment and growth as nation, and
finally gave form to our government
and character to our institutions.
The newspaper in the New World
dates back to an earlier period than
our annalists generally allow. In
the "Dictiopary of Dates" by Put
nam, it is stated, in accordance with
the general belief, that the first A
merican newspaper was the Boston
News Letter, of1704. In the State
Paper Office at London, there is,
however, copy (perhaps the only
oneextanD ola folio newspaper sheet,
printed at Boston, and bearing the
date of September 25th, 1690.--
This little herald of knosledge cre-
ated alarm among the powers that
were, and its publication was inter-
dicted and suspended.
Nearly fourteen years later-upon
the goth of April, 1904, the News
Letter was first published, and the
period of its continuance exceeded |
the respectable age of "three score
and ten.'' If appeared only weekly.
and was first printed upon sheet not
mueh larger than letter page not
folded, with two columns upon each
side. It's subscription price was not
stated, but it was announced that 1t
would be supplied "upon reasonable
terms to persons agreeing with John
Campbell, Postmaster, for the same"
1t is worthy of mention, perhaps,
that the early newspaper publishers
we're nearly all postmasters--a fact
that may be accounted for by the fa-
cilities which their office gave them
for the circulation of their journals.
For fifteen years the News Letter
was
without rival near the throne"
when, all at once, two other journals
sprang up to challenge the favor and
patronage of the reading pu6l;c.
These were the Gazette, at Boston,
and the American Mercury, at Phil
which we're so nearly twins
in birth, that they bear dates of two
days in the year 1719.
In 1721, James franklin com.
nenced the publication Of the !Cou-
.ant, the rivalry between which print
md the News Letter gave an impulse
ind new vitality to the latter, and in
creased the public interest in news
,aper literature. The News was 10y
il to the mother country, to the
lose of his existence, with the ter
nination Of the siege OF Boston, in
L776. The Courant attacked the
government and its officers, and its
ampoons we're frequently severe and t
ven bitter, In less than six months
[ames franklin was forbidden by
be counsel to publish it, an order
nth which be complied, though the {
'aper continued, with the name off
Benjamin Franklin, now SO mepora-
lie in the annals oftypography. 1t
eased altogether in 1927. Il
1t was not until the year 1725, q
wenty-one years after the first date s
{ the News Letter, a. d when Boston
lad three papers, that the first news.l
'aper made it's appearance in New G
FORK, where now the journals ex.