Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-04-05
Eewspa per Controversies


There are So many i'll injured p"u,.. A.,
the world who are ncyer happy unless ,...,
are in a bad humor, or unlc., they can -.
some one else in bad humor, that ,;r,arr.t
ling seems Ia be included among the ur....
sary evils with which humanity is n.a;.,.l
Pandoras box yielded spite, envy. mali.
and hatred, and these bauetul qua.it.c>r.n,.
| bine in the character uf the quarrrl,.r..
man. The most charming and attractive.
ment of enjoyment in the hOpci-tor Nlun.
mum, is the promised peace which sha!l s.r.
wade the Universe but until the NI..cn'.r,
arrives. people will squabble about an,rh.r.
| or nothing. The meane>t Of quarrel, 49,,
political controversies. Those who ,Iry.,,
themselves TO this enobling pursuit. ,ea,
each others eyes out-on paper-hcar Al
manner of opprobrious epithets upon each
other, and all very frequently about merca.
stractions which neither party UNDERSTAND, :
cares about, the ever present concrete REALM
being the securing Of the spoils ..,,
less debased and debasing are new>par..
sauabbles which are getting 10 be very en-.
mon nuisanccs, but which are alwar, gg.
profitable, and we suppose very tirc>ymr e.,
! those who read them We have plenty
! invitations 10 engage III this amuscmcat-
! Quantities. fall clashing around Us, or d.,
! cartel comes to Us in Il ncatly-toucl para
| graph; sometimes We are rudely assaulted
with uncourteOus phrases, and sometimes
! the invitation u retort is addressed u u "a,
''our respected contemporary. But We de-
cline to pick up the glove; We ignore III.
challenge, and consequently our sIumjcr,
are not disturbed by visItationS from the
ghosts of those we might have demoIshr.
Our objections TO newspaper controversies
are 80 numerous, that the only trouble j. 90
select examples. We profess 10 write FIR
the entertainment and possible eiitcatou I
people of intelligence, and to these notnIr.
could be more unnterestlng than petty d.
putes between rival editors. IL requires more
arrogance than has fallen to cur lot. To >ui.
pose the public would be amused orln>tur.
ed by the exhibition ofour private spite>. even
if we had any to exhibit. Moreover our Inn.
agination is not active enough 10 create II
valrv where none exists. There are always
subjects inviting discussion in which sensible
people are interested; and the investigate
necessary to speak to The purpose on these t.
pics requires much time and labor. Therr u
nothing easier than 10 write hippant AZ
tack upon something or somebody, but in our
Judgment the space allowed for edltoria,
matter can be more worthily occupied.
Although we have no experiences to r..
record, our observation has taught u, thai
newspaper contests never pay. lhcy al.
WAYS remind us of the Kilkenny eat story.
The victor in these encounters Is Ike cu"
who has gained case III the chancery ,uIt
in which the costs have swallowed the pr
ceeds. Besides, victory does not often perch
upon the banner of the decenteSt contestant.
because he cannot get his own consent To-
use the most effectual weapons in this kni
of warfare. To ensure success, one must
not be too delicate about the use of means.
1t is necessary to distort the enemy'S deliver.
ances, to misquote, u give garbIcd eXtrl"i,,
and to force a meaning into his expression
which did not originally belong to them. T.
a lady gets into dispute with Il vaIago, The
lady will undoubtedly come of second best,
because she has not an unlimited supply %
Bllingsgatc to draw upon, and would boz
troubled with innate ideas of propriety II
she had While We wear white pantaIooH-
and polished boots, it If not polite to kick "a
pig out of the way, especially if he has iu,,
got up from his siesta in the ditch.
If newspaper is to be useful in the world.
it must exert more than merely personal III
huence, and in order to be influential tmU,t
be always dignifed in its tone and conduct.
There are plenty of people who enjoy these
foolish controversies, but these are not ID"
wiscst Or best i'll the community. 1t !, ~
small matter to have daily audience OF Ten
or fifteen thousand people, and no man IN hrs
senses can remember his responsibility, lithr
have such an audience, and make Il moun'r.
bank Of himself In his quiet sanrtuuI b."
prepares an article which may be read b. :
countless multitude Ii he has spoken wise
ly and well, his thoughts will be copied mtr
other Journals, and he has thus an oppur.u-
nifty to disseminate the eternal principles 4
truth and right far and wide. So far as be-
inculcates these principles he will be- Il benz.
factor to his race, and If he should cou.".
scend to notice the lmpertlneht open attack
and the half hIdden nuendUes which viii p"
inevitably launched against him, he wouddo
at the sacrifice OF his dignity, and cOnsequer,
" at the sacrifice of his usefulness. His Is
nobler vocation, and he has no time or tat.
for pitiful controversies.
III h'i'H'I va ill.,
papers that do furnish this sort Of men'a
food to their readers. 1t is easier to MAJ"
personal attacks than to write on abstrart
subjects. Dignity seems to be an old focy
institution aud out of place in this aye.
Young America il fond Of spice and pickle.
and is not fond Of anything conservative
slow. 1t seems manly and hearty to cutami
slash even if the blade falls not on yuln"'.
bic crests," or if the party assaulted will OF
cut back 1t ~ safer to dcriIc that whrn
one has not wit enough to comprehend, tLau''
attempt reply, and infinitely morc h"nam,.
bic than to repeat sensible propoSr,i''.
All these considerations influence jourra.t,''
sometimes, and only age and cXprlI"n.'
and large circulation will furnish lrr'r
motives. The abiding Consciousness Ia'
he is not writing in van-that h- "'-
terances will find an echo in honest heart.
and perchance exert wholesome in''n.n'
upon men, when the brain that gay" blr'n ''
the thoughts, and the hand that traced rh.'
will have ceased to labOr-this Is -u."
safeguard against the folly and tn" Iiti"n.''
OF newspaper controycr>y.-B"'i""
InerirdH.
ItREATLY REDUCED PRICES OF II ~.
" TURE DRY GOODS.-ln toU.cIu"n..
the dust and annoyance Ocra-ioH"d - H. b.. '
tearing down of IN. Old building HrN' p.