The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-06-28
.No.51

supporting MIR. Jefferson with much
ability, but sadly lacking in the de-
partment of the daily Congressional
reports.
Seven years past. Joseph Gales,
the younger, had become an accom-
plished man and skillful editor under
his fathers eye, being proficient also
in shorthand. The elder Gales, in
1907, offered his son to the National In.
telligencer as reporter; and when the
offer was accepted. came with the
young man to Washington, to give the
benefit of his own experience at start
ing. The verbatim reports of the
younger Gales astonished the people
of Washington as much as those of
the father had amazed the people of
Philadelphia. The paper was seized
every morning by members and their
friends with the greatest eagerness,
and sent off in ever increasing num-
bers to their constituents. Joseph
Gales, Junior, was the man wanted.
He infused into the paper such vigor
and variety that the proprietor felt
that he was indispensable: and took
him into partnership. Five years la
ter the partnership was formed be-
tween Joseph Gales and William
Seaton, in the conduct of the Intelli-
gencer, which gave it for half CEN
tury so high a position among the
journals of the country.
Few partnerships have been either
so happy or SO fortunate. Colonel
Seaton, one of the handsomest and
most elegant men of his time, a writer
fluent and ornate, was the ornamental
parsonage of the establishment Mr..
Gales, palmer, solid man, furnished
the stamina and the plod. They un-
derstood and appreciated one another
perfectly, each valuing in the other
those qualities in which himself was
wanting. During the forty-eight years
of their partnership, there never was
any settlement OF accounts between
them, nor ever a misunderstanding
which few nom ents conversation did
not reconcile. AS the name of Gales
occurred first in the firm, he was fire.
quently annoyed to discover that the
public attributed to him articles writ
ten by his partner-s'MyL Lord Duke"
as he was accustomed playfully to
style Colonel Seaton.
"Sce this - he exclaimed one day
to friend, pointing out a paragraph
in a newspaper. "This paper, In
praising our late mastery series of
articles, says they vera written by me.
1t is false. Every one of them was
written by MIR. Seaton, and [ never
could write as well as he does"
This was the spirit which united
them so long There was so much
resemblance between them and the
Cheeryble brothers, that many persons
in Washington supposed that Dickens
had them in his mind when he drew
the portraits, particularly as Dickens,
during his first visit to this country,
became warmly attached to them.-
Unfortunately, however, for this con
lecture, the novel in which the broth
ers figure so pleasantly was written
before Mr.. Dickens ever saw Gales
and Seaton.
Joseph Gales was fortunate in the
time of his death. For many years
the position Of the ImtelHgencer, with
the growing estrangement of North
aud South, had become more and
more difficult Both its editors were
men too enlightened and able to sup
port unreservedly the side to which
their early friendships and lifelong
inclined them. AS in the
case of so many thousands of others,
their heads and their hearts were di
vided and their paper strove for
which the best men on
both sides knew to be impossible
he died before the controversy
had issued in conflict. He died in
August, 1860, at a good old age,
while he could still hope for a peace
tul ending to the war of words that
was raging around him. |
He belonged to the Journalism of
he past. A successful daily paper
,an never again be so formal and SO
as the one to which he
What the press needs !
low is to add to its liveliness and
pirit the high principle and sincerity
hat characterized the old LatelhigeaceT.
NJ Y Ledger.