The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-06-13
Extreme Journalism In tho south.

For many years preceding the war, and during
its continuance, the extreme character OF
opinions expressed by the Southern papers
fomented the bitterest feelings of that section
against the North. The newspaper medium
was perhaps the most fertile in propagating
sentiments which, by skilfully disappearing
both sections, led to hostilities between them.
Unhappily there is very little disposition to
abandon this mischievous influence noticeable
in the present tone of these journals; nor are
the fruits Of such preachings difficult to dis
cover. The extremes OF party discussion are
now to be found in two classes of papers, each
of which is battling for mastery in the South
the secession and the radical journals. To the
irritating effects of their articles upon the pub
lie mind can be traced, in great measure, the
present condition Of Tennessee, as illustrated
by the petition of portion Of Its citizens
to the President, published in our columns
yesterday praying for the interposition of
regular troops to protect them from the out
RACES of "Brownlow's militia" To the same
cause we may attribute in great degree the
conflicts between our military commanders in
of the leading cities of those States. We had
reason to suppose that the controversy which
was ended by the cannon and the bayonet was
finally concluded as between the North and
South; and so it was, in so far as the COM
mon sense of the fighting elements on both
sides was concerned. But the party journals
seem disposed to keep the wounds open to
crafty their own very small desires; and hence
we find new barriers to the reconstruction of
the South raised from day to day, by appeals
to the passions of the people, in the columns of
newspapers which are not wholly contempt
BILE only because they are conspicuous for
mischief We observe, however, that this evil
is correcting ITSELF The press Of the South is
evidently fast losing hold upon popular
opinion. The violence Of its partisanship is
becoming offensive to the sober second thought
of the Southern mind which is now moulding
itself to the new condition Of things; and it
argues well for the intelligent Southern people
that they are ceasing to be guided by the
puerilties of the secession organs, which keep
barking when they cannot bite, and Kissing
when they can no longer sting. Some of these
journals are already learning lesson and are
changing their tone, while others, like the
Richmond Times, are giving up the ghost.
The spasmodic effort to establish radical
press in the South does not appear to be
crowned with much success. In almost all the
leading towns and cities of the Southern States
radical newspapers have been started; but
they have met with SO little support that they
can hardly exc out an existence. The reason
Of this is apparent. There are not enough rad
icals in the Southern cities to support party
journal decently. This class Of newspapers is
therefore dependent for its existence upon aims
from the radical party in the North,
and that is SO parsimoniously distributed
that the radical newspapers fare very
badly. Demands of an exorbitant character
have been made by sundry Southern editors
and republican politicians upon the Congress
slonal Republican Committee at Washington
for means to maintain or start newspapers in
the South. But the financial condition of the
Committee, 1t appears, does not warrant the
lavish expenditure, and we understand that
they have been compelled to refuse the appli-
cations All their funds are employed in
circulating documents throughout the South,
and paying the expenses of propagandists Of
varied compilations to preach the doctrine of
radical republicanism in the cities and on the
plantations of the South. Hence we imagine
that newspaper enterprise in that section, as
elsewhere, will have to stand upon its own
bottom. Ii radical journalism is popular there
it will be sustained if not, it cannot be boil
stored up by contributions from any quarter.
A press which Is not in harmony with the honest
and intelligent sentiment of the community
among which it circulates, and is not based
upon q soundcr foundation than foreign aid, is
no better than an excrescence. 1t has no vital
ity and can exercise no substantial influence.
From these facts we argue that the effort to
sustain a class Of newspapers in the South upon
charitable principles is unhealthy, and will not
amount to anything At the same time it is
desirable that the stupid, fire-eating, secession
press, which is struggling for life in Richmond,
Mobile, Montgomery and other cities, should be
supplanted by new class Of newspaper liter
atufe, as it inevitably will be before long, by
the force Of circumstances; for there is whole
some public opinion in favor Of reconstruction
growing up in the South that will not be likely
to tolerate the hostile spirit assumed by non
combatant journalists.