The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-09-11


The growing Importance of the newspaper in
Great Britain and she Uoited States, the only
countries where men - tree to write what they
think of political affairs, has called forth CON-
pariseu, made, we believe with eminent fairness,
between the principal journals of both countries
In period OF nearly half q century the London
Times has reached u daily circulation Of fifty
thousand sheets per day, while in the United States
the NLw YORK HERALD in less than a quarter OF
century. has risen nearly to ninety thousand
sheets per day, and is sometimes over that number
The London Tines the leading Journal in Eng
land thus sirculates more than all the other daily
papers added together, while in New York the
HERALD occupies the same position, and Issues
daily impression equal nearly to the aggregate
of all its daily contemporaries. including 7ri-
baAae. Times, Courier, Journal of Commerce, &c. &c
We have already devoted come attention to the
subject, and we continue it today, by transferring
to our columns two well written articles
rom the EScngelia upon the religious press Of
England, and the other from the Scottish American,
Journal upon the general subject. The conduc-
ors Of both these hebdomadab are well acquant.
cd with the matter upon which they have en-
ployed their pens: 1t is one of the most interest
ing Of the day.
In these United States, and we NAV say in
Great Britain, the newspaper press is the domi.
Dant power either for good or evil. Here the
press has taken stand in score Of years which
would have been astounding had it not been
reached by gradual ascents, the fruit Of
earnest well directed, sagacious labor.
Adopting the theory Of one of the arti-
cles we quote to-day, the New York HERALD
was the first real newspaper in the country. If
our younger readers desire to satisfy themselves
upon this point, let them overhaul the files of
any Of the newspapers printed before 1885, and
compare them With the leading metropolitan
journals OF the present day. The newspaper,
twenty-five years ago, was u mild form of the
Wall street blanket sheet. 1t was always con.
trolled by clique, which, in its turn, was owned,
body and soul, by one Of the political parties of
the day. Thus the paper became the lackey OF
that especial party to which the controlling clique
was attached. The news Of the day was but little
attended to. Certain important, indeed indispen.
sable, departments of the HERALD we're altogether
unknown. The single editorial was usually a
puff for partisan or an attack upon an opponent.
The foreign intelligence was meager, and badly
made up. In short, the journalists world WAS
bounded by his pet friends and patrons. Their
affairs received the only attention which he paid
to mundane matters.
About twenty.eix years ago the question of
cheap newspapers was agitated, and some half
dozen were established under various names.
All but one or two were miserable affairs, lived
miserable Life, and went down to early graves.
The fact that this journal was commenced as
penny paper, joined with its proprietor having
been the earliest person to introduce all the i'm
portant improvements in journalism, has induced
prevalent impression that it was the first Of the
cheap papers in the country. Such is not
the fact. Neither was it our idea to print cheap
paper, pure and simple. We believed that by
energy, enterprise and well directed labor, we
could solvo the problem Of the day, aud print a
newspaper which should command success by
being good and cheap at the same time. 1t was
our fixed intention, when we projected the
HERALD, to rely entirely upon the masses of the
people rather than upon the politicians, whom
we had found out previously. We first made
ourselves entirely independent Of the subsidies
which are given to help weak backed journals
out of debt, by adopting the strict cash sys-
tenn, paying as we went along. There never had
been real newspaper in this country, and we
went to work to make one. We originated the
first general system of home and foreign CORES
pondence We were the first to give full and
correct reports of all political and other meet
ings, whether the ideas promulgated by the ora
tors agreed with our own or not. The proprie-
tor of this journal was the first editor who gave
what is called daily money article-an account
Of operations in Wall street in stocks, financial
banking and commercial affairs, with their
ramifcations throughout the world. This de-
partment was occupied with articles from our
own pen for some time after 1t was es-
tablished. No daily journal to-day can be
printed without it, and it is amusing to see some
of our contemporaries Boosting over their achieve
ments upon our idea eliminated when they were
in their cradles. In shipping news and foreign
intelligence we were always ahead of the
Wall street journals, and No underwater
can now do without our marine list. In
the days Of the sailing packets we spent
large sums to secure the latest London pa
pers, and when the Cunard steamers commenced
running to Halifax, we originated the system of
overland expresses, by which the news was re.
ceived here some hours in advance of the mail.
During the war with Mexico, through our ex-
press riders, we were able to furnish the govern
ment with the first account of all important
movements In these enterprises certain kinds
of talent that had rarely appeared in this coun-
try were developed. Before our day there was
little work for shorthand reporters, and it was
difficult to find one even in New York. Since