The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-11-09

The Partisan Press = Public Nuisance.
The partisan press in this country ID fast
becoming ono Of the most intolerable Of public
nuisaAces It Il lowering the standard OF
journalism ct home, and so far ~ Its linitsd
influence extends, 1t Is injuring the national
reputation abroad. A strictly party paper oan
NO longer be regarded % . newspaper; for
truth--the first element in . newspaper-s
stranger to its columns. To subserve party
purpose II IL ready at any moment to mis-
represent tho principles and actions Of IT. OPP
ponens or Its friends. II sports with the most
dangerous passions Of . people q child
would play with IRE In powder magazine.
II would fan the flames Of sectional hate to the
destruction Of the country, Il It could feel
assured that its political friends would rise to
power ON the ruins It would fiddle while
Rome was burning, II It could make the voters
of the city dance to party tune.
The riots in New Orleans and the threat
ened trouble in Baltimore afforded evidence
of the length to which partisan organs will
suffer their zeal or their prejudice to lead
them. A radical paper could see nothing to
condemn In the action Of radical Police Com
missioners who deied the law and implied their
willingness 10 accept the assistance Of bands
OF armed men to aid them In resisting the
authority Of the Governor Of their State.
A copperhead paper had nothing but
approval for copperhead rioters who
| announced their determination to shoot down
any officers who might attempt to enforce .
law Objectionable to them. In every instance
| the true issue was concealed or distorted
to meet the views of the interested party, and
the feelings of the people all over the country
were excited by falsely colored statements or
direct untruths.
The coarse personal abuse in which the par
tisan journals indulge cannot fail to have de-
moralizing effect upon the community. During
! every election this evil exists in greater or
| less degree, and 1t has recently taken more
| offensive character than usual by making the
highest officer in the nation the subject of the
most scurrilous and vulgar attacks. Journals
assuming to be respectable have time and
again denounced the President and some Of his
| Cabinet as drunkards, and have talked about
the "infamous orgies the White House" as il
they had any existence except in their own
depraved imaginations. A radical organ
laying claim to be regarded as family
paper" recently declared that Mr. Hoffman, the
copperhead rump candidate for Governor, was
shoulder and glove with all the lobby thieves,
gutter vagabonds and blear-cyed scoundrels Of
New York oity.' A copperhead rump organ in
iii kLa 9TH oot,w tod
first as religious paper and subsequently
as "neutral," was equally scurrilous
In its assaults upon the republican candidate
for Governor. Indeed, II we are to credit one
half that appears in the partisan prsss on
either side, we must set down all our public
men as among the basest and lowest of the
human race.
1t is this RIGHTEOUSNESS Of the public press
that unloosens the tongues of the stump orators
and incites them to emulate the indecent
language of their Journalists. They nnd their
rantings published with zest by their party
organs and welcomed the more heartily in
proportion to their extravaganza and violence.
One orator recently declared that the govern
ment at Washington was now carried on by
two drunkards and lewd woman" and
equally indecent language has marked the
speeches Of Ben Butler, Jack Hamilton, Carl
Schurz, Wise, of Virginia, and politicians Of
similar stamp all over the country. If such
men found that their vulgarity and violence
offended their audiences and met general re-
buke from the press they would soon change
their tone and either use the language of gen.
tlemen or cease talking altogether, which would
be great public blessing.
The evil of which we complain seems to be
contagious. Nearly every party journal starts
out with an avowed determination to behave
itself in respectable manner and not to offend
public decency. But, like new hotels that are
resolved to be superior to any that have ever
been kept before, and new perfumes that are
bent upon surprising all the scents that have
hitherto been discovered, they soon find their
level and sink down to the grade Of ordinary
partisan organs. The evil, however, is bring
ing On its own punishment Political party
journals are fast losing oil reputation as news
papers, and are never referred to for facts.
Their circulation Is becoming limited to those
who hold similar political views and polti-
clans of the opposite side who desire to ascer-
tain what falsehoods their opponents are telling.
The people are beginning to understand that
to the independent press alone they can look
for facts and for fair and dispsssionate dis
cussion OF the great issues that are before the
country
An OPPOSITION CoNGREss-THE SCHEME
SouELcHED.-Some two months ago there ap-
peared foolish editorial in the principal New
York organ Of Mr.. Seward, limiting very broadly