The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1872-06-28
JAMES GORDON BENNETT.

JAMES GORDON BENNETT.
AT the advanced age of seventy:
five died James Gordon Bennett
whose life was the most remark
able success and the most utter
failure in. the history of journal
| ism.
He was Frenchman by extrac.
tion, a Scotchman by birth. In It's
outer aspects, Mr.. Benefits life
was remarkable battle against
odds, and a wonderful triumph.
In May, 1919, he landed in Hall
fax with twenty-five dollars in his
pocket, and, with characteristic
energy, went to teaching book
keeping. Next he turns up sales
man, and after awhile proof-reader
for firm of Boston booksellers.
He spent two years in Boston and
saved a little money. Then he
came to New York, hired himself
to the publisher of the Charleston
Is. c. ! Courier, and began jour
nalism at the South. A year later
he was back in the metropolis, and,
having failed to get on a paper, he
advertised for pupils in all the Eng
fish branches, the sciences, and the
French and Spanish languages,
but no pupils ever came. Then he
advertised a course of lectures on
Political Economy in the old Dutch
Church in Ann street, but people
did not want to hear about the
"dismal science" any more then
than now. Having failed at teach
ing and lecturiRg, he secured a
place on the National Advocate as
reporter and factotum. In that
day he had principles, for he gave
up his situation because the Advo-
cate changed its politics. Then
he became a Washington CORES
pondent of the New York Enquir
err, and was the first writer of thor
oughly sensational gossipy letters
from the capital, and set the bad
example of describing infinitely
the dress, manners, and private af-
fairs of eminent people. After
years of success as gossipy, sen
sational, and piquant writer, he
his post again on &C
count of change of politics in the
paper. He started the Globe,
which failed. He went to Phila-
delphia and started the Pennsyl-
and failed again. Then
he came back to New York, start
ed the Herald as a penny paper in
a cellar, worked, piHched, starved,
drove, and at last, by fair means
and foul, by energy and unscrupH-
he made his paper sue
cessful, outstripped all contempor-
aries in England and America in
gathering news, beat his rivals in
every battle, amassed a fortune,
and lived rich, powerful, feared,
and despised.
Pecuniarly he succeeded. But
James Gordon Bennett the boy in
Scotland was an enthusiast, with q
taste for poetry, sincere love of
a high ambition. James
Gordon Bennett the young man
was bright and sparkling writer,
who knew how chivalrously to sac
rifice his place for his attachment
to his convictions. But when twice
he had: failed to get the support of
the party for which he had labor
cd, he seems to have determined |
to gain.success at any price. 'Any |
man can.be rich if he will pay the |
price," says Miss Barbauld. Ben
nett paid. the price, putting all his !
noble aspirations, all his tastes, all |
his conscience, and all his own fair
name into the bargain. The Mid
die Age was full Of myths of men
who sold themselves to the devil |
for money, and the present age is
full of historical parallels to the
myths. The real test of a mans |
is at that time of trial
when he finds that the world does
not appreciate his nobleness, and
when the kingdoms of the earth
and the glory of them are offered
him if he will PROSTATE himself to
Mammon. Mr.. Bennett was the
first journalist who threw away
even an appearance of honesty, |
and recklessly debased his profes-
sion bv making a paper without
principles, and by showing the
road to wealth through journals
tic prostitution.
For his magnificent business
enterprise let US give him credit. |
But a man deserves less credit for
when he violates every
rule of the game; and we must dis
count even Mr.. Benefits pecun- |
iary success when We remember |
that it was the success of a jour
nalist without law. lie left the |
Herald a great and successful dis
seminator of news, sought after for |
but trusted neither for
statement of fact nor for sincere
OF opinion, and he died |
an old man whose money could |
never purchase from society obliv-
ion for the disgracefnl facts of his |
early career.-Health and Home. |