The New York herald., 1868-06-11
The Newspaper Press.


and character Of the American press. Under
the new press law some considerable changes
in Journalism are anticipated in France, and,
in view Of the possibilities of the future, writer's
who have the attention of the reading public
there have lately taken to study the press
as found in its highest state of development
where it is most free, most energetic and
most successful as the great organ Of commu-
nication between the people, and as the com
mon vehicle for all intelligence and discussion.
Hence the attention lately given by Paris jour
nails to the press of this city. No writer has
so successfully caught the true features Of
American journalism as the one whom we
quote. Aside from some misstatements in
matters of fact for which he has trusted rumor,
but which have no necessary relation to his
subject, he presents very happily to his
Partisan readers the picture of that marvel of
marvels, free press
Nothing is more instructive than case in
point; and this the writer in Figaro gives
from his own experience to illustrate one
great difference between the press in Paris and
the press here. 1t would rather stagger the
ordinary and not deeply thinking reader to be
told that one of the results of our own energy
is that we sometimes publish news in this city
of interesting events happening in or near
Paris before the events are published even in
the Paris papers-and this, too, when
the events are not Of political
character-when there is no restric-
ton whatever upon their publication
and they are things of which every one is
eager to hear. Yet this has happened; and
New Yorkers have read in the HERALD the
news of the Paris races of the day before
hours previous to the publication of the Paris
papers containing the same news. 81 recol-
lect purchasing number of the HERALD"
says the writer in Figaro, sat seven in the
morning, fifty miles from New York, on a
Monday, which informed me of the issue of the
races for the Grand Prix de Paris ran for on
the previous afternoon; and / knew the vic
tory of Tervacques after his dead heat with
Patrician, with all the details of the great day,
at fifteen hundred miles from France, before
the Patrie and other papers had distributed
their copies in the suburbs of Paris" Such
an instance puts in striking light the differ
ence between Paris and New York in the press.
1t is difference that is the consequence of
other differences existing in the very consti-
tuition of the social fabric. Newspapers are
great here because there is large demand
for news and the field is absolutely open and
frao foro md opausuo In do hat ho
done to supply that demand at the earliest
moment Our people are like so many cos
mopolitan doctors, who feel the pulse of the
world every morning in the papers. Our mer-
chants, our men Of energy in every pursuit,
act in their daily transactions on the know
ledge thus acquired, and act intelligently with
regard to the whole scene of their operations,
though the scene takes in the seas, islands or
continents of the other hemisphere. Paris
does not live in this way. 1t lives on the
Boulevard and the Champs Elysees; and as to
knowing the news day or week sooner, il
would say, ''What is the use?" We suppose
we know the use here; and we suppose when
the press is absolutely free in France-if the
time ever comes-they will rub their eyes and
wake up there also.
We are glad enough to be teaching Paris
how to make a newspaper against the time
when It may be permitted to have one but we
are still more glad to be teaching our cola
borers here some later lessons in the same sci
ence. 1t Is not more necessary that the press
should be free than that 1t should be indepen-
dent. The words convey the same idea with
an application to different facts. The press
must be free to be worthy It's name. 1t must
not only be free with regard to the govern
ment, but with regard to oil other unduly con-
trolling influences; not only guarded by law
against the invasions of the police and the die
tation of censor, but guarded by loyalty to
Its own destiny against the warping influences
ofparty. If the government dictate what the
press may say and what II may not, II is GER
tainly not free; If party discipline, party spirit
or party intolerance dictate the same thing, IL
Is as little free as In the other case. The whole
body Of the party press here is as much In
slavery and Of % little use TO the people rs the
press In Paris, and we are glad to see by the
excellent article from the Round faNs we
gave yesterday that younger members Of our
great guild ere growing up In this conviction.
Nova SCOTIA AND RRorPRocIrY.-In our
Washington correspondence yesterday we
published some facts which show that Nova
Scotia IL suffering from the misdoings Of
Canada during our late war. Nova Scotia, ~
all the world knows, has coal; 20, too, has
the United States. The United States coal is
received in Canada free Of duty the Nova
Scotia coal is practically prohibited. The
Nova Scotians in consequence complain. Mr..
Thornton has brought the question before Mr..
Seward. Mr.. Seward has brought the whole
thing before Mr.. McCulloch. Mr.. McCulloch
has promised to bring the whole thing before
the attention Of Congress. There the matter