The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-01-07
Tho Herald AZ the Representative News
pnper-J0urnulism Past and Future.


pnpcr-JournaIism Past and Future.
The establishment shown by the newspaper
press of the country over the success of the
HERALD in its expedition in search of DIR.
| Livingstone suggests some reflections upon
| journalism as living, present, growing power,
and its probable future as connected with the
| future of America. Before entering upon this
one word may be spared to the Cheap Jacks
of the press, who have been decrying this
enterprise to the rabble around their carts
that they call customers" or readers
| intermitting their abuse Of one another by
disparagement Of the HERALD. We do not
| quarrel with them for their rhetoric. The
Cheap Jack is a good, honest creature in his
way. And, although his English has the
| Cockney dialect so often heard among the
"'eads" and cOstermOngers at Chelsea and
Bethnal Green, he is poor devil, who
only kept ont Of the Amshouse in
his own country by accepting public
charity in the form of steerage ticket
and throwing himself upon the hospitality
of the country, and deserves encourage
ment. We do not interfere with his calling
One has his Collector of the Port and his
Custom House victims, which, with a fine
Dublin frenzy, he calls vampires" Another
has his vouchers. which are really an old stock
of attractions and have lost their novelty.
And while not calling their wares, these
Jacks call each other liars and villains and
decry the HERALD in sort of supplementary
chorus.
II the people will not crowd around their
carts we are not to blame. When the Punch
and Judy people have bad times in London,
and Toby's receipts are only handful of
halfpennies, the showmen drown themselves in
beer and ''organize" against the monarchy.
OF this fashion is the Cheap Jack fuss
about the HERALD. But the people know
that the HERALD is the HERALD, Just as they
know that the throne Is the throne. 1t is an
institution Of the country. 1t has grown with
its growth and strengthened with its strength
Every acre of land reclaimed from the wilder
ness, every bushel Of wheat brought to the
seaboard. every ship that goes from our ports
or brings to us the products Of other lands,
every road or boulevard that adds to the at
fractions of the city, every mile Of telegraph
wire that encircles the earth, like the nerves
in the human body instinct with life and
strength; every building that lifts its stone
and iron front on Broadway, every foot of
land that Is enclosed for public uses with
bronzes and marble and greenery, every rail
road that unites State to State and town to
town, is only so much advantage to the
HERALD With these material improvements |
there are moral and mental advantages. Every
schoohouse with its swarm of eager and
stndiOus children, every published book that |
adds to our sum Of knowledge, every church |
that lifts its spire to the honor and glory of
God, every academy Of art and science and
literature, is only contribution to the rush
and influence of the HERALD. We are in
sympathy with these phases of a nations
thought and progress What are kings
and emperors and presidents and parties
and administrations in comparison? The
HERALD sees them, writes their life,
their death, their epitsph. Like the magical
mirror looking out upon many-towered Came
let-before which the Lady of Shalott sat from
day to day, weaving into her tapestry the
visions of life that it re1ected-the abbot on
his amblng pad the troop of damsels the
lovers creeping to their tryst the gallant
knights riding two by two the bold Sir Laun-
celot-so the HERALD reflects the world from
day to day, and when one vision passes
another comes, and we feel something of the
| meaning of that eternal movement Of the
| init fbo 1at1y rioip md If kha
| sun.
| Administrations, Tor instance. Look out on
| the world, and harken to the voice Of hysteri-
| cal politicians, and one would believe that the
| nations peace rested with the success or
failure of the administration. Why should the
HERALD descend from its throne and join in
the mad cutlery? Twelve administrations have
passed in review before this throne. and a
hundred more are coming like the line Of
phantom kings that Macbeth saw in the vision.
What is Grant to the HERALD? 1t has seen
Jackson, Van Buren,, Harrison, Tyler, Polk,
Taylor, Fillmore, Pierce. Buchanan, Lincoln,
Johnson, each with the crowd of hungry
troopers and champions. What are these
''great statesmen" now in wordy conflict at
Washington, that the HERALD should descend
from its throne and carry their pennons9
Why, ii has seen hundred statesmen, all
.'saviours of their country" '1eaders of their
party" the Adams, Websters, Clays, Calhouns,
wrghts-giants in their day, idols now
in the mouldy inches of party temples,
all gone into silence and dust. The HERALD
did its duty by them in . royal, just, candid
manner, and when they passed away it admin
istered reward and censure to those who came,
as it will to all who may come in the future.
The future! Well, it would be curious to
consider what 1t will bring to the press In