The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-03-21
Visit OF DR.. HsmmcI, the Russian Savant,
90 tho Herald Office.


20 tho Herald Office.
All will remember the visit of the distin
gai,hed Russian savant, Dr. Hammel. to the
United States, 10 the latter part of 1858, on
tour Of inspection, for the benefit Of his govern
ment, of the working of the institutions of this
country, and Of the industrial pursuits of our
people. Owing to the breaking out of the war
ne,W,en the allied Powers and Russia, DIR. Ham.
mel found it impracticable to return to Russia
until the termination of hostilities, and his stay
in this country was necessarily protraoted, and
gave him greater scope for observation Of the
pecn lar genius Of our people,
While in this city he paid us repeated visits,
and seemed extremely anxious to possess
himself of every species of useful informa-
ton in relation to the manner in which
We conducted this journal. He had heard
great deal about the newspaper press Of
America and had read the New York HERALD
in ST. Petersburg. lie seemed much astonished
At the manner in which we conducted our bust
uess aud was very curious to witness the way ia
which extra IlERALDs were got out. He had
h aid OF the astonishing celebrity with which
news was issued from our Office, and could hardly
realize it in his own mind. He wanted to see an
extra HERALD got out himself, aud he begged to
be sent for on the arrival of the next foreign
news. His request was complied with, and on
the receipt Of the news from the telegraph o.lice
he was taken up into our composing room to
witness the despatch with which business was
transacted Here every thing seemed incomprc-
hensible 10 the Doctor, as he surveyed the rapid
movements and business air of the men with
whom he was surrounded. He watched the copy
as it reached the composing room; he saw it was
unprepared, and he looked about for an editor,
but he saw none. His surprise increased as he
saw the compositors taking the copy away to
their cases without asking any questions; aud as
each returned with the matter in type and placed
it properly in the form, his admiration and
amazement were unbounded. During the time
this was going the Doctor was SILENT and it was
not until he forms were lowered to the pressroom
that he gave vent to his feelings His first excla-
nation was, "My God! l see it ali! Here every
man is an editor-every man master-every
man scholar" 1t seemed as il a new light had
burst in upon the Doctor, and that he ct once
comprehended the reason of the progress of
America in all her industrial pursuits. ~ see it
aD,r c.ia che DOCTOR, with emphasis land on
my return to Russia will inform my Emperor
of what have seen. 1t is the intelligence of the
people-the diffusion of knowledge" In the
course of his observations he noticed one of the
men making up form, and inquired what he
was doing. He was told that the man was get
ting out HERALD for Europe. "What! getting
paper out alone, for Europe, and without the
supervision Of the editor? 1t is wonderful" He
said that it then took several days to get out
paper in st. Petersburg, and named the different
mechanical transformations of thought into SUBJ
stantive matter in the shape of newspaper. lie
alluded also, to the strict censorship of the press
in Russia, and stated that every thing published
was rigidly scrutinized previous to publication.
But" said he, ION my return to Russia will
endeavor to introduce the American system of
newspaper printing into that country" Since
his return great and subrtantal reforms have
taken place, and are still progressing. A daily
paper-the 81. Petersburg Gazate-has been esta.
blished, and also ajournal similar to the London
Punch and Paris Chortca1, published in the CAPT.
tai of despotic Russia, satirizing the vices aud
follies Of the day.
Doctor Hammel Informed us in the course of
our conversation that in 1912, when lie went to
London in company with the late Emperor Mich
olas, they paid visit to the Office Of the London
Tines, but at that day he saw nothing worthy of
especial noticc-everything seeming to be mere
ly of routine nature, and that but little infor-
nation was obtained. How different his visit to
the HERALD Office! Here he saw the intellectual
capacity ofthe working man in full developc-
ment, in all the departments of our establish
ment and could not avoid contrasting our sys-
tens Of labor with those which obtain in Europe.
The Doctor appears to have become fully con-
vinced by what he saw while in this country. of
the superiority of the free system of Intellectual
mechanical labor over all industrial systems of
the old world; and no doubt the opinions formed
in this country by the learned Doctor have had
great weight with the Russian government ia the
consideration of the subject OF the abolition of
serfdom. This subject had been previously agi-
tated in Russia on political grounds, but never
on the basis that free intellectual labor was far
'"PciiVi' III every icrPtct; 10 u system OF LDIal
dom Of the mind and body and that the strength
of a nation lay in the intelligence its people.
DR.. Hammel is well known in this country as
one of the most distinguished men in Europe,
and his intimacy with the family of the rcigning
Emperor, and his father before him--having been
the associate Of one and the precsptor of the
other--proves that bis merit as man is equal to
his talents as scholar What has already been
done in Russia since DR.. iIammels return is an
earnest ofwhat we may expect in future In that
great Empire.
THE HEIGHT OF ABsuRDTTY.-We have given
some account of the expulsion Of Two hundred
children of Roman Catholic parents from one of
the public schools of Boston. The children, acting
under parental authority Of course refused 10