The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-20


no more lnauenoe-he was gone. Let us drop
q tear Tor his vices. as we let him rest In the
grave. Probably most readers VIII dispute my
claim for Srr Roger as the First Eotor, and
point 70 The Epgsh Mro SSsa 1855 gvns
that he trode In other mems steps, and that /
steal other and worthier mems Iaurels to deck
bis brow think no gever t6si Close S,IS IN vesti-
Of the Restoration of the stusrts,
hS Bis Pubic E,teligencer, he was
really the 6rst who established newspaper as
o vehicle of general Information. Besides the
Nerc1nie which has been proved an Invention
OF a later date-there bad been, before the
Conn onwealth, DiurndS and IntebtgenceTs,
and Complaints, and Gdseaes so called; but theJ
were ali 80 unworthy the name of newspaper,
chat we are forced give the honorable place oi
First EDITOR TO the vulgar wlseman OF the court court
for the post. His intimacy with his soveregns
ADDED 70 his advantages His captivity and
runaway travels augmented his quahhcatlons,
and his vulgsrity enabled him to stoop to the
dirty work his lord demanded OF the
paper he should. delight to honor. As
| have sat here this rainy day, l
attending TO the duties of his office. ] can see
his thin face, overshadoWed by the luxuriant
curls of his great powdered wig and FROM each
side Of his sharp Roman nose bis brilliant eyes
look down upon a piece OF proof, such as the
attendant devil would be supposed to have
| brought from the pressroom, when the compo-
sitoT lacked the experience two centuries have
given him since. His sword bangles with the
laced edges Of his gaudy coat over the
| arms OF the editorial chair. The ends
of bis generous white cravat reach down
! upon the proof, and his shoes with their
huge buckles Of silver, and his black silk
| stockings, cover the editorial Understandings,
| which are stretched under the editorial table,
| The apartment is In one OF those ancient build.
| ines which generations Of smoke have rendered
| almost black externally, and which the sooty
| London mist makes daDk aud dingy within. I
| imagine it Is slip from the Obsero0tor he Is
| correcting, and that the type is trying to tell
| how good and lovely is Old Ro wiley, and how
| the wicked Papists ought to delight to have him
ruin their families and kill them OF, or, upon
| mere suspicion, con6ne them weary years in far.
of prisons. Or was 1t exhortstion to the obst.
nate, rebellioUs CovensDters TO give up their
opposition to the Liturgy, and worship God
alter the dictates of their licentious sovereign
1t may not have been either, but a chapter
| from the Sermon on the Mount; for editors In
| those days often printed extracts from the Bible
! when news was scarce. Whatever 1t was, we
may be sure 1t was not calculated to make the
multitude too familiar with the acts and
counsels of their superiors;' for Sir Roger
| thought it his duty as journalist to give them
no color of license TO be meddling with the
government and be thought that newspaper,
'prudently" managed, might contribute to this
end in very high degree. When the Dutch
worsted the kings navy in four days fight
prudent and not let the people know ito
make them believe the court was very joyful.
Pepys wrote the truth in his diary; but even
there he felt 1t safest to put 1t in cipher when
he said, The court is very melancholy under
the thoughts of the last overthrow; for so it
is,' he adds, instead of victory, so much and
so unreasonably expected But as look out
of the library window now, the face of the
landscade is changed. All nature smiles;
for the black clouds and thick-falling
Iain.drops are. gone. The sun again shines
forth with genial warmth and our rainy day
retrospect must end. The First Editor was,
singularly enough, the first writer who sCld his
services in defense of any measure good or bad
and Goldsmith says he fought through right
and wrong for upwards of forty literary cam.
paigns. Let us hope the good he fought for
was more than the bad. From the birthday of
the First Editors first paper until now, the
| labor of the editor has grown in Importance,
deicacy and, we may safely say, in honor.
Who can say when it will cease to grow? There
are venal editors now, who take Sir Roger as
| their type; but far greater is the number of
those who initiate his better traits, and who,
unseen of the world. are putting forth an inhu-
| eLCe upon men which the community can never
| fully aDDreCiate.n