The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-10-15
English Correspondents Upon American
Affairs.

nhSAAsm OorrospOnuents upon American
Affairs.
The letters of the English war correspondents
here upon our American affairs are, by long
odds, the best specimens of silly twaddle and
laundering ignorance which have recently
come under our notice. For some time past
they have ceased to be reprinted or read in this
country, except when Munchausenism huger
than usual attracted attention and laughter;
and we imagine that they are becoming equally
unnoticed and uncared for in England. Their
absurdities are SO apparent that certainly no in
telligent Englshman could be brought to pc
ruse them under any circumstances. Their
news is only rehash of that of the New York
papers, and is therefore anticipated, even in
London, by the telegraph and by our files.
They are altogether too dull and too badly
written to be read for amusement They contain
no instruction, and so we can really see no
earthly reason either for their composition here
or their publication there The ways Of the
English press, however, are not our ways, and
perhaps the London editors imagine they are
doing great thing with their special cores
pondence. On this side of the Atlantic we can
not see it.
Take, for instance, the letters of the hero
Of Bull run and the gallant sportsman
Of Illinois, LII d. Russell, to the London
Times. Each batch grows duller and duller
and all Of the New York journals have long
ceased to republish the Times epistles; for the
American public cannot be induced to read
them, even with the incentive of wishing to
know what other people say of U.S. When Rus
sell was impertinent, malicious, inventive and
slanderous, he was at least readable. The
general public likes lie well told, and Russell
pleased them. Now, however, that he attempts
to deal with facts, he is nothing. He cannot
even get the news, and scissorizes the New York
papers like country editor His letters are q
patchwork of stale newspaper items, and are
only recognizable as his from the bits of egot-
ism with which he introduces and connects his
scraps. Apopular caricature represents LII. D.
Russell in state of beer, scribbling capital rs
over sheet of foolscap. One has only to look
at his letters to the Times to see how apropos
this sarcasm is. The capital rs seem to have
been sprinkled over the long, tedious columns
from pepper box. 1t is az this and II" that
from beginning to end. II do not attach any
Importance whatever" II have reason to be-
lieve;" II speak, Of course, metaphorically;',
~ hear" Scarcely, think" II rode
OUT" II staid at home," and SO on ad nou-
seam, and with frillings concerning "my
personal knowledge" and tiny personal
movements" If the English public like
that sort of thing they have enough of it for
their money. Our readers demand more news
and less egotism, and they get It, The fact of
the case seems to be that Russell is now pretty
generally snubbed, and that he has either to
write such trash or not write at all. For the
sake of the reputation he managed to achieves
few years ago, he ought to take the dilemma by
the latter horn, and subside.
From the Times correspondent you may Judge
those Of the other English papers, as Satan is
known by his tail. They are oil of the same
sort, and more SO. The correspondent of the
Daily Ne,os rehashes our editorials and tele-
graphic dispatches, and gives as special pieces
of reliable intelligence the news that General
McClellans horse has learned the way to the
camps" and that Fremont's proclamation "is
hailed by the farmers of the Northwest with
shouts Of approval" OF these two original
ITEMS that in regard to the horse may be the
more uninteresting, but it certainly has the ad-
vantage of being true. The Globe contents
Itself with copying the stale letters of the
Times-thus making bad worse, and dulncss
duller. The Morning Post has a "special0
here, but has no special news. The last epistle
which has reached us contains the exclu-
sive information that President Lincoln
asked the Prince Napoleon how many
brothers the Emperor had! This is certainly
important; and not less so is the anecdote about
Mrs. Lincoln's locking Mr.. Lincoln out one
night, about year ago, at Springfield, and Mr..
Lincoln's kicking at the door. No doubt the
English people will be greatly edited and in
structed as to the progress Of the civil war by
this correspondent. Manhattan " writes for
the London Morning Herald, and is the fellow
who announced that President Lincoln was in
sane. But even that intelligence was not orr
ginal or new, for the rebel journals gave it pub
licity months ago. In Manhattan's" last epis-
tie we are informed that General Fremont has
exchanged all his prisoners, thus recognizing
the rebellion" and that "a regiment of Union
troops revolted at Flushing, Long Island"
Also that recruiting in this city (New York;
is at o standstill." Also that Secretary Seward
"snubbed" the Emperor Of Russia. Also that
We object to the Russians coming over here to
fight, as they would kill the Southerners, and
that we do not want to fight in earnest. We
are also told september 24) that " the rebel
lion is the topic Of conversation everywhere"(D
and that " the people have been annoyed at a
Presidents lady stepping out from her proper
place, mending her husbands stockings and
playing first lady, From the style of this
letter, and from its hints Of superseding
Lincoln, we will wager that it ema-
mated from the Office Of the New York
Times 1t is pitiable to see so much excellent
material for the columns of comic paper
thrown away upon a London daily. The Eng
lish folks cannot appreciate its rare and exqui-
site humor and enormous lies The Morning
Star has an American correspondents, also, bu.
~