, 1870-05-08

NOBEL JOURNALISM.

SUNDAY. MAY 8. 1870.
MODEL 1oURNAL1sM+ -
AZ Journalists, We are, Of course, expect
ed to stand by our order. and os American
citizens-thoughw We should have mentioned
that first-ve are naturally and necessarily
proud of everything that belongs to, and
happens IN, the great metropolis, New
York. liz municipal government is our
boast; We hug ourselves every day of our
lives IN seH-g1atuladon that We belong to
the same order of beings as her irreproach-
able politicians; though we are not lawyers,
we nre inerpressibly proud Of bar that is
an honor to the country and the age; and, as
: to the er1nine Of her Judges, We know Of
no comparison that Will do justice to
Is whitenesa. These are generaGhes, and
our feelings in regard to them are common
to all who belong to the Great Republic,
which stretches from the rising 10 the SET
ting sun, and from the hyperborean region
OF Alnska's ice-bound coast to the orange
groves and summer seas of St Domingo
or very. near it But, when we come down
to newspapers, sour foot is on our native
heath" and. We have that fellow-fee1ing
which makes all journalism kin In the
New York editorial college, We recognize
our teacher1 and our masters. There sre
editors here, and editions there; but the
real article is not to be found, in al its full
proportions, off Manhattan Island What
Ito be born IN the purple" WIS in the
Roman Empire, 30 to be New York jour
nalist is to the journalism Of all the world
beside. That noble creature hss no peer
He is wise, he Is virtuous, he is strong,
he is famous in himself, and the
cause Of fame in others, aud he
is altogether lovely. Society could not
exist without him; government would 60
to pieces without him; civilization would
come to an immediate and disastrous end
should he cease to exist, and even creation
would probably have to be begun over
again. Great as New York is, its editor is
it's pivot It r1ses in the morning 10 1ead
the morning journal; it reyolves around it
ali day; and it goes to sleep at night to re-
new its strength to read it again the ne1t
morning. Shoald there be no New York
journal, there would be no New York It
cares for nothing and thinks Of nothing
but its editor. In him it lives, moves, and
has its being. His loves and his bates, his
incomings and outgoings, his thoughts and
his fancies, what he does and what he says
are the only things that concern the great
metropolis, and be Is ve-y careful that it
has enough OF them. It is always WATCH
ing for the arrival Of the new one
that comes into town with his
worldly possessions tied up in cotton
handkerchief hung upon a stick over his
shoulder; OF the old one going ont with
the Mayor and corporation for his pail
bearers. Men in the rural districts who
1un newspapers have only to watch the
great e1emplar md, ut such humble dis
ta1ce as he can, copy his manners and his
morals, Try to seize something Of his I'M
portance, to achieve something of his in
Guence, and to share the Light of his pro-
fessional greatness.
At any rate, such is the New York edi-
tors estimate Of himself, of his own place,
and of his own importance. There Is no
news that is not in his paper; there is moth
ing in the paper that is of any consequence
but his own personality; and everything
:else beside sinks into utter insigniicance
in comparison with his quarrels and what
each thinks of the other When A. says, "1
will sEn those damned sknuks alive, he
expects an eager public will rush eagerly
next morning for his journal to witness the
skinning. B. searches through the files of
some forgotten newspaper, Issued quarter
OF q century ago, to find zehaction of a
libel, made nobody knows under what cir
cumstances, to prove that G. is to-day a
malicious ibeller and deserving OF the Pen
itentav,an he believes thepnblic is intense
II interested in this statement C.1ephes TINT
he shall kick B. On sight for his insolence,
sud he has no doubt that the streets are
througed and alive With expectation at that
expected sight. D. declares that E. is
thief, and E. 1etorts that D. is pirate, that
he is the keeper Of house of prostitution,
and that he is also chamber-pot- And
both believe that men hold their bteaths,
and wonder what Will come Of it all F.
denounces G. as hJpocrite and free-
lover, and G. replies TINT F. is a
liar, a wicked, malicious, and wiful
liar, and villain OF the darkest. deepest,
most da,unable hue: One inevitably recalls
the story Of the brother Ia the psayer~neet-
ing, who, when called upon
to relate his experience, de-
clared that he had nothing to say,
except TO add his testimony to the truth Of
TINT Of the brother who had just taken his
seat. and who had confessed himself to be
tie vilest of sinners He had known that
brother al1 his life, and he always knew he
WIS thief q cheat, and q liar and he was
clad to hear his frank confession But we
haye not the same faith IN the acknowledge
merts or the accusations Of our New York
brethren. We be1ieve-we might say We
know-that they are not, collectively, SO
wise, or so good, or SO powerful as they mp
near to themselves to be; OF that they are.
Individually, so bad as they paint each other.
There are among them upstarts and pre-
tenders, who stick at nothing for place or
noto1iety; and there are among them older
men who are by no means saints OF sages.
On the whole, they are abont Of the aEer~
BG4 Q1 kI4CA AE44QN~k+%A@CA4St tA-A sAA3 --N|
take they make is in putting false estimate
upon themselves end their position. The
editor is, On the whole, qnite respectable
man aud usefu1 member Of society, if he
conducts himself properly, and does not
unnecessarily make an ass of himself. But
he certainly does the last, and con'mits an
1npardonable b1under, when he so exalteth
himself as to suppose the public care SIX
pence about his personal Importance, OF
are. Il the least, interested in his personal
,squabb1es. The personality with which
the New York Journals are Just now full Is
no part of true journalism, and these men,
however much the public may be amused,
are bringing themselves and their profes-
sion into deserved contempt among think
ing people by this indulgence OF their bad
temper. and this airing Of their 1nofdlnate
vanity. They make the great mistake OF
supposing notoaaety to be fsme, and pno-
,;city to be inauenee-of supposing, De-
cause they can print any day what they
thiuk and feel, and b7ing it before the eyes
of the public, that. therefore, it must
necessarily be important in itself, and OF
immense public interest. They may be
~ +ha ,u1,lic in the long run, esti-