East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1864-11-16
The Newspaper Press.

tan or a woman. Ine profession OF
one and the sex of the other make re-
taliation impossible. We might say
the same of the newspaper press, for
its duty is not personal but with the
public. A newspaper man is general
ly understood by people of dignity
and consequence-pol politicians, quar-
termasters, clerks, and writers of I'M
printed rhymes-to be a fair subject
of ridicule and contumely. We hear
great deal of glibly spoken cant on
this subject in club-rooms and bar
rooms. 1t is always understood that
every newspaper has its price. 1t is
safe to affirm that newspaper editors
are very common people, without
standing or responsibility. A news
paper reporter should never be admit
ted into respectable house until
proper precautions have been taken
about the spoons. Mr.. Dickens has
pictured these gentleman with frayed
cuffs and well-worn linen, very much
as the old satirists were wont to speak
of Johnson, Savage, Otway, and the
Grub-street writer's. Suddenly rich
men of easy integrity, who have made
money out Of the war and fancy stocks,
speak of owning their newspaper man
as they would speak of owning a yacht
or carriage. They dine and feast their
creature, and pay his way to public
places, and having made him drunk
IN different wine, put him in the near
est railroad car and send him home.
g, III d thing as newspaper man
beinr a gentleman is entirely out OF
the oues. ION; it is not fashionable to
think tan so' IA, RAY be a "hack-wri-
ter" or "scribl' er," or penny.
liner" or q very co. am2n person, ou .
not gentleman. He wie'us VS. s,
mysterious, memorable pow er; no ms
the magic wand that lifts up al u','
down, and, therefore, no is to be fea- rec'
Sensible men respect the man. On5
snobs sheer at him.
We ventured, Ia day or two since,
to speak in behalf of our profession
some words of criticism upon the cir
cular of an army officer, in which a
very harsh attack was made upon the
newspaper profession. Our remarks
have offended some sensitive CORES
pondents, who write us IN detail, and
in one or two cases without that re-
gard to photography and syntax which
we should like TO see in this country
of grammar-schoo,s, their protests
against our arguments. One writer
thinks it shows "ba6 temper and
"an unusual want of judgment" to
say that the gentlemen of the army
at all compare with the gentlemen OF
the press. Another thinks the influ-
once of correspondents, taken alto
gether, is decidedly hurtful." Not
long since, an indignant painter of
pictures in oil wrote card denounc-
ing the Tribune for daring to criticise
the collection Of art in the Sanitary
Fair. We recall poor, wordy, feeb-
ly-written communication, that went
its way at the time to the wastebasket,
and is now doing duty in some store
or rag-mill, which took us to task,
about three weeks ago, for daring to
print an elaborate criticism on a new
opera. The writer was indignant
What presumption What folly
What ignorance! What do newspa-
pers know about painting, music,
color and harmony? As long as they
say that Mr.. espaints like Raphael,
and Mr.. Jones wants people to come
and buy his pictures in oil, and MIR.
Smith wishes them to go into rhapso-
dies over his symphonies and songs;
and as people read what these vulgar
newspaper men write, and actually
believe them, il is absolutely necessary
they should say these things. Money
is no object. Tell Mr.. Smith or Mr..
Jones the price, and he will pay it.
Nav, more; he will write his own
praises in true editorial style, and as
sure the world that his genius is as
tonishing. This is laudable, for it is
called business. But to venture an
opinion, to criticiso or suggest, is vul-
gar and horrible, and should not be
endured.
Our main offense with these CORES
pondents is connected with the army.
Newspaper men went into this wal
with the same disadvantages that were
felt by generals aud soldiers. 1t was
new business, and they were COM
PEELED to learn it. Some have failed,
some have become ridiculous, others
have been base and venal. But we
say this--that, rs a class, newspaper
writer's have written the history OF
this war. They have written it with
a precision, dignity, and an eloquence
that rises in many cases to the level Of
the historian. They have shared the
perils of war. Some have been in
lured, some have spent months in
loathsomo rebel prisons; others have
lost their lives. One of our own mos
brilliant correspondents came HON,
from Fair Oaks to die; the Springfield
Republican mourns the death Of one o
its staff at Spottsylvania, and othe'
contemporaries have likewise suffered
When we reflect that the battle &c
counts Of these campaigns have beef
written at midnight in the saddle, OF
the march, un or tree, and witt
every disadvantage, their accuracy
marvellous. We cannot expect til
precision Of an Adjutant General, o
tho detail Of an official report, but W
have the impression of an Intelligent
shrewd witness, who writes what h
sees, and generally what is correct :
What they have written will be tn
true material for the historian of thi
war; and the historian will find thes
t. hurried narratives as accurate in th
! main as the moro labored and form'
records Of the War Office. Wh'
would Macauley have given for q
Of a journal like tho London zmc