The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1863-11-03
The Editor.

p The Editor 10 the dupe Of Destiny. His lot
was knocked down to him bargain, and it
turns out TO be take in. His land Of promise
is a moving bog. His bed Of roses is high
backed chair stuffed with thorns. His laurel.
wreath is garland Of fnettles, His honon re-
solve themselves into capital hoax; his pleas
ure are heavy penalties; his pride is the snuff
of candle; his power, but volumes of smoke.
The Editor is the most il.stared man alive,
He and he alone-the ten thousand pretenders
Notwithstanding indeed the identical mar
tyr commonly talked of as the Most Iii used
Individual. He seems to govern opinion, and
is in reality victim TO the opinions Of others.
He ircurs moro than nine tenths Of the risk
and responsibility, and reaps less than one
tenth Of the reward aud reputation. The de,
feats of bis work are literally assigned to him
the merits Of it are magnanimously imp u,ed
to bis correspondents. If bad art;cal appear,
the Editor is unsparingly con emed, if bril-
liant one be inserted, Anonymous carries off
the eulogium, the editorial function is suppose
to consist Tin the substitution of If he be for
if IL is, and the insertion Of tho word however
here and there, to impede the march Of fine
style.V Commas and colons are the points he
is reputed to make-his niche of fame is mere
ly a Iarepthesis-he is but a note of sdmi.
ration to genius! His life is spent in usher
ing Clever People into deserved celebrity; he
sits, as charioteer, outside the vehicle, in which
Prodigious Talents are driven to immortality.
1t is bis fortune 10 insert all his Contributors
in the temple Of glory and to exclude himself
"for want Of space" He is always to ego in"
but expires unpublished at last. He bestows
present popularity on thousands, securing
posthumous renown as his own share. His Ca
reer in this life is tale Of mystery-"to be
continued in the next" He is only thought Of
when things 90 wrong in the journal. Curios.
itv then looks out at the corners Of ts eyss,
and with brows and lips pursed up, querulons
ly calculates, "Who IS hep If, by any chance
praise instead Of censure should be meditated,
the wrong man is Immediately mentioned.
People are only certain Of their editor when
they design 10 horsewhp him. Is there a
bright passage or two in an indifferent article,
you may be sure they are not indebted for
there polish to the editorial pen. Is there a
dull phrase or harsh period in some faviorite
contribution? OIL the Editor has altered il,
or neglected to revise the press! But if the
Editor is abused for what he inserts, he j.
twice abused for what he rejects. 1t is Gu,
Gus feature Of his destiny, that if he strikes out
but single line of an article, whether in verse
or prose, that line is infallibly tho crowning
beauty CT the production. 1t is not little odd,
that when be declines paper, thst paper il
sure to be by far the best thing its author eyer
wrote. Accepted articles may be bad; rejected
ones are invariably good. 1t is admited that
judgement is the first essential for an Editor
ship, and it is at the same time insisted on.
that judgement is excatly the quality which
the Editor has not. Au author is praised in a
review-he is grateful to an individual writer,
whose name be has industriously requires for; ;
an author is condemned in reviw--he is un
speakably disguised with the Editor. Week
after week, month after month, the said Edi-
tor succors the oppressed, raises up the weak,
applauds virtue, exalts talent; be pens or
promulgates the praises Of friends; of their
books, pictures, acting safetylamps, and steam
paddles; but from toe catalogue Of golden
names his own is an eternal absentee. ~. .a.