The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-11-11
NEW YORK HERALD MONDAY NOVEMBER Ii, 1851.

tne provinces OF an immense number OF small
journals, which, like lie Pere Duchesne and
LAnsi du Pe,sple, reflected the violence and ia
naticism of the different factions into which the
community was split. All, it is true, like our
own journals, professed to support the govern
ment but they supported 1t after fashion
which weakened instead of strengthening it.
Even the Moniteur, that sober organ Of au-
thority, was at this time balancing unsteadily
between opinions, as the following witty cpl
gram, published by rival, will show
Je sers plus dun empoi
De mavoir on nest jamas dupe
Cetts feuio lest point 10 vain jouet du vent
Ayec trois Monitsurs on fait paravent.
When Napoleon became First Consul he per-
ceived at once the danger arising to the gov
eminent from this state of things, and he pro-
ceeded to regulate the press in the same way as
be had infused order into the army and the civil
| administration. M. Jourdan, the chief editor Of
| the Moaiteur, was induced to resign, and M
Sauvo was appointed in his place. From this
time dated a new era in the history of the
newspaper press in France. The Bfon1e,tr was
divided into two parts. the one official under the
title of "Actes din Government" which emana-
! ted directly from the Consular Cabinet, and the
other rejecting more or less the outside world
! Of facts. This put an end at once to all misre-
presentations and forced constructions of the
conduct and policy of the government, and it
had the further effect Of imparting more Sc
rions and matter-of-fact tone to the other jour
| nails. The system worked so well that it has
been continued by every vernment-monarch-
| ical, republican or despotical-that has since
| held the reins of power in France.
The events Of the last few months have de-
monstrated forcibIy the necessity of Introducing
similar order into our system of journalism.
! We have seen the many disasters to which the
absence of it has led; and they have made plain
! the fact that unless reform of some kind be
effected there never can be that harmony Of &C
ton between the government and the press
which, in great crises like the present, is essen
tial to the safety of the country. The plan of
an official organ, like the Nonitesr, is Of course
out Of the question here. The principles laid
! down by Congress, in connection with the public
printing, render it impracticable; and, besides,
the very idea of a government organ has be-
come obnoxious to public sentiment The only
| plan which, in our opinion, would meet the
| difficulties Of the case and exclude all
| grounds for jealousy among the different
! newspaper interests would be this: Let the
government establish an official bureau at Wash
ington, to which the several departments should
be instructed to send daily. by two O'Clock in
the afternoon, all the documents or other news
connected with their different administrations
which it would be proper to communicate to
the public. To this bureau the representatives
of the press, without distinction Of party, shorld
have access at the hour named, with all ne
cessary facilities to copy and make use of the
documents and facts thus furnished The pri-
GRITTY and fulness Of the news transmitted here
would then depend entirely on the capital and
enterprise Of the different newspapers. and not
on the favoritism of particular officials.
It is obvious that, if the war is to be prose-
cuted to a prompt and successful conclusion,
some plan of this kind will have to be imme-
| diately adopted. The embarrassments to which
the government is exposed by the premature
disclosure Of its intended operations against the
| enemy have the effect of paralysing its action
and quadrupling the expenditure that would
otherwise be incurred. This is o childish way
for great people to conduct their affairs. It
would be moro becoming in us to profit By the
experience Of other nations, and to place such
restraints Spon our tongues and our pens as
the general interests demand.
ARMSTRONG ARTIILERY.-It il alleged by
scientific men in England that the Armstrong
gun is practically failure The cause Of this
Is said to be chiefly owing to the defects Of the
vent piece, which, If made Of steel, breaks, and
if Of wrought iron bends. 1t is further stated
that the lead coated projectiles, which are ia
essential part Of the Armstrong system, are
liable to strip, and Sc throw shower Of
missiles, which. where the artillery was
! covering infantry, would be more fatal
to friends than foes. The result is
that some of the London journals and the Ad-
miralty have taken its inventor to task about it,
and Sir William Armstrong has written letter
! to the London Times, In which be admits much
| of what is stated by his assaiIants Hereupon
tho newspapers are deploring that the old
cannon, which. within their own limited range,
were liable to none of these arrangements
that are attributed to the Armstrong gun.
should have been so hastily displaced by the
latter. But they themselves are probably in
over haste. There never was new invention
yet which did not require some notifications
of more or less Importance. The first steam
ship, the first locomotive and the first tele-
graphic apparatus were very different and
much less perfect than those of the present
day. Yet the march Of improvement
has been beset with many difficult
ties, and the newest invention was Of
ten found the most troublesome Of all,
till succession Of trials suggested the neces-
sary alterations, and at the same time demon
strated it, superiority. We are therefore per-
fectly sanguine that even if the defects men
toned exist in the Armstrong gun they can be
easily remedied, and we quite believe that 1t is
the best weapon for either sea or land service
yet introduced into the system Of modern war
fare.