The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-07-18

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Failures In journalism.
There is no enterprise in which men embark, |
more precarious in its beginning than journalism
The infant newspaper Ia exposed to almost as many
diseAses ~ the infant child The shores of the
restless wave Of adventure are thickly strewn with
wrecks OF newspapers. They start from port with
high hopes, with hearts elate, with a determine
non to right ell the wrongs Of society, and with
tne broad nag OF an admiral at their mast head.
bearing In magnificent letters, the august "wE.n
Down the stream they 60 for awhile merriIy, dis
ooarsng about the power OF the press and the tolls
ana trials OF an editorial life, and presently
xenus--they come up against ssnag, the broad pom
haht tumeles overheard, the power Of the press
cannot pump the ship dry the tolls and trials Of the
poor editor are all over and sinks heavier
than his loaded columns, to the bottom Of David
Jones locker.
That which brings to an untimely end so many
hopeful Journals Is simply the want of cash, vui
gar and internal thing, doubt, and often great
curse, but st essential in the publication of news
papers. There may be talent, tact, energy and
ambition, on board journal, but there must be
cash in the magazine, IL can fire nothing but
blank cartridges, and will soon have to hush its
batteries altogether During the last twenty wears
upwards Of two hundred newspapers and maya.
ZINES have been started in London and after i'm
volving their proprietors in immense losses have
passed away into the land Of oblivion There was
genius, learning and newspaper talent enough in
these papers to have graced the London Times but
the propretors had not sufficient capital to hold
on during the years Of probation, until the money
they had sown could spring up and bear fruit II
Is said that there are no more newspapers and
magazines published In London now than there
were twenty years ago, and that only one periodi-
cal in hundred that is begun, is ultimately sue
cessful Indeed, the Londan Critic saws though
we hardly know how to credit the statement that
the active newspaper press of London with the ex-
ception OF the Times does not pay its own expenses
We have no such newspapers in America as the
Times, though we have many presumptuous imi-
tators whose attempts to rival the independence
and power Of the great thundsrer bring forcibly
to mind the fable of the frog endeavoring to emu
late the dimensions of the OK. The New York
Time has the same name, the New York Herald an
equal circulation, the New York Courier as great
arrogance, the New York Tribune and New York
Post as much unscrupuloussness and recklsssness
of consistency, but the Ave combined did not indi-
cate and could not control the public sentiment of
their own city in the last Presidential election
The 1--WE combined have not 1.-THE Of the power,
or the purse of the great Jupiter Tonans Of news,
paperdom. The paper and Typography of the
Times are things unappToached in this country, to
say nothing of the craftsmanship, brains and know
ledge, that, from that intellectual throne give law
to the public sentiment of Great Britain Indeed as
an exponent Of public sentiment and national
character, 1t isimpossible that, in largest cities
We should have journal resembling the Times
The press of Boston reflects n different atmos
phers from that Of New York, and could scarcely
be expected to embody public sentiment in the
Southern States. Nor could the journals Of Charles
ton exert much influence in Boston.
We took up pen, however, TO speak of I'M
successful, not successful newspapers. About five
hundred thousand dollars, 1t is said have been sunk
in the London "Daily News" which, tho connected
with the great name Of Dickens il only beginning,
after many years to have a prospect of fortune
Investment after investment has been sunk in the
london Morning Chronicle" Mr. Murray, a cele-
brated publisher in London, started a daily paper
with the aid OF all the genius of the day. lost two
hundred and fifty thousand dollars in few months.
and then II died. The London Critic. to which we
indebted for these facts, says there is scarcely
newspaper in London In which three or four for
tunes have not been sunk and by which as many
persons have been ruined The Critic itself was
eight years in being established, and upwards of
twenty five thousand dollars were sunk In it be-
lore IL pdlu ltb bA peDSob. line usual Dl5tOFT-Of
journal" says the Clipper " is this: A., thinking
to make a fortune, starts journal; he spends a
thousand pounds upon it and finds it still exhibit.
ing loss. Money goes very fast in a newspaper,
for the drain is a steady one, week by week with
out pause; process that will soon empty the
wealthiest pocket. Having spent much he does
not like to stop there. He proceeds, and another
II 600 vanishes. He stakes his last $500, and that
goes, too. Then he ID obliged to sell at any price.
He perhaps gets f100 for that which has cost him
f2,500 and he is ruined. Then the buyer expends
another f20O0, in like manner, and he is ruined and
sells to third for $1,000 perhaps The process may
be continued even for fourth fifth, until even
hope dies, and the enterprise is abandoned. But
sometimes 1t happens that the fourth or fifth for
tune has succeeded by mere force Of living on and
the journal is made to pay. But even then, what
Ia that profit commercially consderedt True II
Is fair profit for him who bought it for f2OO and
expended $4,000. But the actual cost of establish
ing 1t was the three previous fortunes of f75OO
add these, and the expenses Of establishing the
journal in fact 100000; and the profits do
not pay any other occupation would do for such
a capital that. Try it thus. What annuity could
be bought for $4,000 and would not that annuity
be greater than the profits Of tho journal, success
full though it may appear to BEL"
The history Of newspapers in this country we
presume, would exhibit similar results There are
few which make fortunes, and with these capital
and energy, tact and talent, in every department,
must be put forth with liberal hand. Under such
conditions, success is sometimes won, and, after
years Of struggle, the golden prize is grasped,
though grasped, like victories in war upon field
covered with the fallen bodies of comrades and foe
men, and with gsudy banners trampled in the dust
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