The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-06-10
NEW YORK HERALD MONDAY JUNE H. lo72-TRIPLE SHEET.

a s. u aer NEW 7
but il was all that he needed then, and, guided
by the hight of history, no ans en- doubt that
success would have followed he venture II his,
application had met WITH Q favorable response
Il :. psrhaps, fortunate that il did NOT for
the strong respect for honorable obligations
that pervaded his nature might have temporarily
cramped and hampered his great enterprise.
It was essential that man 60 self-reliant as
the pioneer in Independent journalism in the
New World should lean upon himself alone;
that he should be free from all ties and alli-
ances, with nothing but his own genius to
prompt him and his own strong will
to guide him. These in the end would
have carried him successfully through
under any circumstances !; bat money
obligation to o politician might for
time have held him back in the race he was
destined to run. Aside from the pecuniary
embarrassments at the commencement Of Mr..
Bemett's enterprise there were then no facili-
ties, as there now are for obtaining news even
if the means necessary for their use had been
at his command The Journalists Of forty
years ago troubled themselves but little about
such tife as the collection Of early and re-
liable intelligence Of the occurrences Of the
day. Political discussions monopolized their
abilities; political intrigues claimed all their
energies. and they were satisfied to publish
news as It came tardily along in due course Of
time. There were no railroads rushing across
the Continent no steamships plouehing the
seas no lines of telegraphio wire running like
veins through all the States, and carrying the
life-blood Of thought at the rlpae instant into
every portion Of the Union Il no cable stssteh-
ing beneath the ocean, and bringing the lips Of
one world to the ears Of another through
three thousand miles Of space The difficult
ties TO be encountered in the establishment Of
live, independent Newspaper IN those days
were hundredfold greater than now; for,
while capital is now the main requirement. to
secure the earliest and best intelligence, IL
was then necessary to bring genius and skill
into service to devise those methods Of obtain
ing news which energy, perseverance,, courage
and money were afterwards needed to carry to
only obstacle to be overcome. The whole in
fluence of the existing papers was opposed to
what was then an encroachment upon recog-
nized journalism. The politicians, who
welded q power now undreamed Of,
stood in arms against press that
would be beyond their control. The
idea was novel to the people; the
result IVES at least problematical. Such were
the difficulties that beset the path upon which
the founder of the HERA1D was prepared to
enter; q country disturbed politically and
financially business enterprise dead-the
weight Of journalists, politicians and fnanciers
thrown into the scale against him-a painless
Wilderness before him without single beaten
track to guide him through its mazes-an
untried constituency at his back, and only
sufficient means at his command to call into
existence the barest skeleton Of his great idea.
Bearing these facts in mind we shall more
clearly understand the strong win and fxed
purpose which remained undaunted and con-
slant in the midst Of such heavy discourage
| ments OBS
| Mr., Be'-iett's actual connection with Ameri-
can journalism dates back to 1821-22, when he
| became connected with the Charleston Courier.
He had then been three years in the United
States, and was in the twenty seventh year OF
his age His special duty in that establish
ment consisted of translatng the Spanish
news received through the Cuban journals;
but he made himself useful in other ways, and
thus accomplished the double purpose of salts
flying his employer and obtaining q wider
knowledge of the profession it had long been
his ambition to adopt. This was the begin
ming of his journalistic career-the first step
In the path he was destined to follow to 80 sue
cessful ON end. His education and tastes had
led him to desire q literary life, and his prac-
tical sense pointed out the daily newspaper as
the most promising medium for the fulfilment
of his wishes. Nature had supplied
him with energy, self-reliance and strength
Of will in no ordinary degree, and,
foreseeing that in the young republic
Of the New World he should find a wider field
for his genius than he could hope to meet with
at home he crossed the Atlantic in search Of
future without hesitation or fear Of the re-
suit He had studied the European journals,
and had found even the London Tines below
the standard Of his idea of what daily news
paper ought to be. On arriving in the United
States he plodded carefully on, gathering in
formation Of the country and the people, and
studying republican institutions with that
steady application for which he was dis
tinguished throughout life. Necessity drove
him to temporary pursuits but he never for a
moment abandoned his original design, and
only waited for that experience in the new
land needful to enable him to carry it
| out. There are few who read correctly
this Introductory chapter Of Mr.. Benefits life
His profession is generally regarded as having
been selected by accident or thrust upon him
by the force of circumstances, while in fact it
was chosen with deliberation and sought after
with unAagging perseverance, He became q