Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-08-21

1
The Absurd Gossip Of Newspaper Core.
spOndents-Thhckeray Justly Indignant
i Thereat
1t appears that some time lately London
correspondent Of the New York Tvmes made
some statements about the C6rnhiN Magazine,
its publisher and its editor which were
quoted and commented on in the London
Saturday Repiew. Thackeray grew indig-
nant, and in Roundabout Paper in the
last Co1mhiA after some prelimiRaries, pro.
ceeds as follows;
And, suppose, Mr. Saturday Reviewer
you censor .moricn, you who pique yourself
| land justly and honorably in the maiR) upon
| your character Of gentleman, as well a.
| Of writer-suppose, mot that YOU yonrseli II
invent and indite absurd twaddle about gen.
tlemen's private meeting and hold it up for
your readers amusement-don't you think,
my friend, that you might have been better
employed2 Here, in my Saturday Reviev,
and in the American paper subsequently
sent to me, light astonished on an account
Of, the dinners Of my friend and publisher,
which are described as /" tremendously
heavy" of the conversation (which does not
take place. and Of the guests assembled at
I am informed that the proprietor of the
C0rnhiH and the host ON these occasions, Is
a very good man, but totally unread and
that on my asking him whether DR.. johnson
was dining behind the screen, he said God
bless my soul, my dear sir, there's no person
by the name Of johnson here, nor any one
behind the screen, and that roar of laugh
ter. cut him short. | am informed by the
same New York correspondentthat l have
touched up a contributors article; that /
once said to literary gentleman, who was
proudly pointing to an anonymous article as
his writing, 'Ahl thought | recognized your
hoQf in it, am told by the same authority
that the CornhiD Magazine shows symptoms
of being on the wane, and having sold nearly
a 100000 copies, he (the correspondent
should think 10000 was now the mark
Then the graceful writer passes on to the
dinners, at which 1t appears the editor of the
Magazine is the great gun, and comes out
with all the geniality in his power
Now, supposed this charming intelligence
is untrue2 Suppose the publisher Ito recall
the words of my friend the Dublin actor of
last month) is gentleman to the full as well
informed as those whom he invites to his
table2 Suppose he never made the remark,
beginning, God bless my soul, my dear
sir" &c, nor anything resembling it'll Sup
pose nobody roared with laughing7 Sup
pose the editor of the C0rnhiH Magazine
never "touched up" oae single line Of the
contribution which bears "marks of his
handsf"" Suppose he never said to any lit
erary gentleman, 81 recognized your hoof'' in
any periodical whatever2 Suppose the
10000 subscribers, which the writer TO New
York considered to be about the mark,
should be between 10000 and 100000 land as
he will have figures, here they are). Suppose
this this baek-dooT gossip should be utterly
laundering and untrue, would any one won
der2 Ali if we had only enjoyed the hap
piness to number this writer among the con-
tributors of our magazine, what a cheerful
ness and easy confidence his presence would
impart to our meetings. He would find that
"poor Mr.. Smith" had heard that recondite
anecdote of DR.. johnson behind the screen;
and as for the great gun of those banquets,
with what geniality should not "come OUT
dotting down my conversation for the New
York Times.
Attack our books, Mr.. Correspondent, and
welcome. They are fair subjects for Just
censure or praise. But woe be to you. If you
allow private rancors or animosities to in
fiuence you in the discharge of your public
duty. In the little court where you are paid
to sit as judge, as critic, you owe IL to your
employers, to your conscience, to the honor
of your calling, to deliver just sentences and
you shall have to answer to heaven for your
dealings, as surely as my Lord Chief Justice
on the Bench. The dignity of letters, the
honor of the literary calling, the Sights put
by naughty and .unthinking people upon
literary men-don't we hear outcries upon
these subjects raised daily2 AS dear Sam.
johnson sits behind the screen, too proud to
show his threadbare coat and patches among
the more prosperous breathren of his trade,
there is no want of dignity in him, in that
homely image of labor ill-rewarded, genius
as yet unrecognized, independence sturdy
and uncomplaining. But Mr.. Nameless, be-
hind the publishers screen uninvited, peering
at the company and the meal, catching up
scraps of the jokes, and noting down the
figure his is! Allons, Mr.. Nameless Put up
your notebook; walk out of the hall; and
leave gentlemen alone who would be private,
and wish you no harm.