New-York tribune., 1868-02-22
PRINCIPLES IN JOURNALISM

A writer in the present number OF PutnGmS
Monhlv, in an article of much merit in other
respects. grayely propOunds the following
theory, less novel than startling, as to the
principles or want Of principle which should
control public journal:
In discussing the editorial functions OF great jour
nal the writer viii probably be constrained TO advance
vows for which the public IS nnprepared ana when may
be criticised At the very start the sverment Is
made that public journal has no business to have views
of It's own. More than that IL it would attain TO the
highest position In Journalism 1t must not accept from
any person OF any party the views which 1t may advance
To co still further II should pay heed TO consistency
Never should It be Influenced by the fear est the views
expressed to-day not those OF last week. or may
not be those OF the week TO come To repeat journal
has no business 20 have opinions OF ITS own It's etOr
columns should present as faithful record OF publc
opinions as is news do of current events The
dlscoyery Of this theory first made by The London
Times II was In the belief OF the writer discovery rs
important In journalism the invention Of the spinning
ienpy n manufacturer Of the sealn-eDglne IN me-
ehanics As has stated already the yane OF the
opinions expressed ina newspaper is In exact proportion
TO the number OF persons whose views they represent
If the writer had extended his observations
he would have seen that as good arguments
could be adduced why the politician, the states
man. the lecturer the preacher the lawyer
the teacher, and even the merchant, should have
no convictions OF consistency, but should aim
to represent somebody elses sentiments rather
than his own. The third rate class in all pro-
fessions adopt, and, as publicly as they deem
| politic, they declare the sentiment put forth in
Putnam. The pettifogger processes to have no
conviction save that his client is right. The
politician of the third-rate asks, "Who am L
"that | should indulge in the luxury of prin-
"cplef / servo my friends and we divide the
"plunder Patriotism! IL is the last refuge
"of scoundreln There is even in tho pulpit
tendency to trim the sails to suit the pews,
none the less patent often where entirely un-
confessed. And thousands of merchants may
be found in every large city who show like
facility in agreeing with their customers.
But We deny that in journalism, more than
| in any other profession, this subserviency can
be attributed to first-class minds, or that such
can ever, under any circumstances, be charged
with it. The best lawyers are not Tombs
"shysters." The best politicians are statesmen,
not demagogues. The only true preachers are
purifiers of the age in which they preach not
panderers to it. SO in journalism. There is a
class of journalists who will write what they
do not believe, because they think there Is q
large class of readers who do believe 1t. But
neither this class, nor the newspapers through
which il speaks, can ever attain the highest
postion in journalism. The writer in Putnam
| ia so superficial as to indicate The NeU- YORK
Herald ms an example of the success OF un-
principled and inconsistent journalism.
The whole country is certainly better test
of the representativeness of journal than the
Citv of New-York And, taking the country
at large, THE TRIBUNE, for instance, lar ex-
ceeds the aggregate circulation of The Herald
or any other journal publishing the usual daily
semi-w weekly, and weekly editions. The TRIB-
uNE has never been accused of want OF conyic-
tions or principles, and it vindicates this policy
by sustaining, perhaps, tho largest circulation
of any newspaper in the county. Nor rs