The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-08-31
LORD PALMERSTON AS AN EDITOR AND PRoPRIE-
TOR OF A NEWSPAPER


1t is announced by the British journals that Lord
PaImerston has become the proprietor of the London
Morning Post. The report may may not be true.
We take the suggestion fit occasion to say some
thing about Statesmen and Newspapers. 1t is not at
all unlikely that his lordship has purchased the
Post. He has been in fact for twenty years what
we may call the newspaper politician OF Eng
land He had the sagacity long ago to see the power
Of the Press, not its power over the moment-not
its power in impending controversy-not its
power to communicate the of the morning
but its paramount and perpetual power over the
public sentiment of the world. Lord Palmerston,
with that quick perception which has ever been
characteristic of his mind saw that opinions are
made precisely models and machines are made
by the exercise in way of superior talent, ge-
MUS taste, and skill. In looking about for the
chief agencies in this work he naturally enough OBJ
served the slow but certain upworkngs of the News
paper Press, which addresses every day in the Uni
ted Kingdom moro than two millions of persons and
in this country more than ten millions. The preacher,
the lecturer the lawyer, the political orator, the
statesman and fanatic are absolutely powerless with
out it's aid There is hardly any commercial, social,
laws, without it. 1t is the record of all courts,
almost, we had said the medium Of all rational
thought, the interpreter of science and art the ex-
FOUNDER of principles and the fountain of nearly all
the reforms of modern society. No man in the
world has clearer appreciation of the great power
Of the Press than Lord Palmerston
About thirty years ago, OF perhaps little later
about the period ofthe difficulty with Russia growing
out OF the partition Of Poland when the growing power
Of the Press beginning to be felt but still re-
NAMED without recognition the permanent organ
OF opinions, Lord Palmerston was sagacious enough
to make overtures to it and invoke it's aid in his
own behalf The Newspaper then the auxiliary
Of the statesman; it is his guide and counsellor
Ho who in these days affects independence of its in
fuence is either shallow empiric or an ignorant
pretender
In this view, we may we'll credit the rumor that
his lordshp has become the actual proprietor Of the
Post. Be this as it may the day is coming and the
gray of the morning is already breaking in the
East--when the arisocracy of England will be COM
PEELED, in order to maintain their power, to become
the proprietors of tho great journals Of the kingdom
The British Press is already greatly the superior of
+
its opinions the opinions of the people What
is said in the Lords or Commons may be treated
and received tho views of the government de acto
what is said by the Press we habitually regard as
the opinions of the people who have tho power to
control both Lords and Commons Nor is this an
extravagant overdrawn picture of the actual state
Of affairs amongst our great cousins on the other
side of the water. 1t is an encouraging truth which
looks forward to the early and full recognition in all
society Of the most energetic and powerful engine of
human thought which has ever been or ever can be
established amongst men, 1t is unquestionably true
that in England the Press has had to contend against
great obstacles in the peculiar construction of the
government and the concentration of nearly all polit
ical authority in the combined hands of the clergy
and the nobility of the country. Slowly but surely
however, the work Of opening the public mind to its
influence and authority has been going on until now
the clergy and the aristocracy, with all their money
and all the prestige of their nobility, hold their
places at the mercy of the Press. And it must not
be forgotten that British journalism has, to some
extent been under the direct influence of the govern
ment, working it's way to wealth and indepen-
denco solely by reason Of the want Of appreciation
country. 1t was natural indeed that the arstocracy
should feel safe in the possession Of their power
and least of all did they anticipate the really hostile
growth Of imperial organ of public opinion out of
the mechanical sphere of life. In this way the News
paper Press has grown up silently surely, and with
out obstruction from that class who have everything
to lose by it's rise and nothing to gain in its matu
rity Had the present proportions Of the Press been
anticipated it scarcely be doubted but that all
the great English journals, like that of the Post
would have fallen into the hands of the aristocracy
In this country we have pervading institution
in the Newspaper Press which has risen up like every
other great enterprise-solely by its own indus
try, talent and energy. 1t has not been esti-
mated for what it is worth nor for what it can do
In the medley of American life it has moved on
steadily increasing in it's scope and authority
penetrating into every neighborhood and family
and exerting all the affairs of life most po-
tent and beneficial influence. We, too, have states
mon Of tho old school who dcrde the Press and
scout Its pretended influence over the public judy
ment, who fppantly denounce it fountain full
ofmora poisons, treacherous gifts, and over-esti-
mated authority. They have seen it advance from
little bulletin sheet published here and there to
daily record of tho afra arc Ill a..