The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1872-08-03

| 1890 Ss~SS oOpetetlttOus ORC Cuteuy prevoleu
among the peasantry, and in the towns are col
hned to the lowest classes,
Single copies for sale and subscriptions +,
ceived by Osman & Hspeman, Ottaws, Ill.
Harper's Monthly Magazine.
Dear old HARPER presents itself for Angus
with unending attractions. First comes an il
Illustrated article on far away and remote Moun
Desert, place of which few have heard an,
fewer seen. To be seen, as We have seen, witt
the storm-lashed sea dashing against its precipi
tous and uninviting shores, is never to forget i.
Notwithstanding its forbidding aspect at Ger
tain seasons, the interior of the island is full
beauty, and those western people who cannot
visit it in person can do so in spirit by readin.
Harper for August The fourth instsllment Of
The Mountains is presented with it's quantity
humorous sketches Anthony Trolloppe and
Miss Thackeray continue their novels, which
deepen in interest, and that veteran novelist,
Charles Reade gives US the opening of his new
effort A Simpleton, A Story of the Day, in
which he plunges in med,as res at once, by hav.
ing pair of distressed lovers at the start.
Emile CASTELAR, contributes the third of his ex.
haustive articles in The Republican Movement
in Europe. J. Augustus johnson gives US
more than pleasant sketch of portion of Syria
in On the Orontes The Massacre near Mara.
thon succinctly reCounts the act of brigandaye
OF April 1870, which rendered Greece sppro.
probrious. Justice Mccarthy writes pleasant
little sketch. The Widows Mite. The first of
the Recollectious of an Old stsgsr appears, in
which are recounted some "reminiscences of Hen.
ry Clay heretofore unpublished. These papers
will be notices of conspicuous public men, with
characteristic anecdotes illustrating their pecu.
a'ities, and will form chapters of great interest
to the student of our history and to the general
reader. Soda Water comes in for share of
attention in short article explaining its manu-.
facture, &c. The other contributions, practical
and otherwise, together with the editorial pages,
make Harper's for August as thoroughly snjoya.
BILE and instructive as any of its predecessors,
and that is eucomium enough.
Speaking of the New York Herald and the
cause Of the late Mr.. Benefits success in estab.
fishing it, The Editors Easy Chair says:
1t was not the boasting, but the performance
OF the Herald, which gave its prominence. It's
news were fresher and fuller than that Of its
rivals, and the public discovered it. But the
discovery WAS duo to the fact, not the Growing
overlt. The paper might have crowec its CAPT
tai away, but 1t would have been useless No.
body ever bought the Herald or advertised in it
because it constantly said that it was the great.
EST vehicle of news in the country, but because
It made itself such.
The newspaper which daily declares itself TO
De the leading newspaper OF the world is believed
ust as much rs the tailor who announces himself
10 be the first tailor, or III. bellows-meuder who
advertises that all bel!ow,-mending but his i.
ridiculous. II you buy umbrella which lets
the water through you go to another shop for
your next umbrella. Aud it is true OF newspa-
pers as OF umbrellas. II they give the ne W.. aud
it the news is what the public wants, 1t buy,
them. If their comments are wise and witty,
and that is the object sought, again the papers
are sold. But 1t Is never because the paper calls
itself a miracle OF enterprise, nor because the
editor declares that he Is the only real maste. Of
bis profession.
We speak merely Of the secret of the kind Of
success which the Herald has achieved. To
suppose that it was mere charlat.nism is to mis-.
Take the fact entirely. The other papers stack.
ed 1t as Satanic, as outrssng all law OF NOR -liy
and decency. 1t was forbidden to the families
Of many who themselves read IT Il their uftices
and there was time when it was almost dis.
reputable TO be known reader Of the kraid
This, LOT course, n1. in consequences Of its uews
but in spite Of it. The other papers assumed 10
depise rival of whom they were jealous, and
whose influences upon them WAS perceptible.
They said great many severe things of it which
were true, but the whole truth they, Of course,
call A,l BAD 81
idea OF really great newspaper, of which the
news ia the smallest part, it might almost have
superseded its contemporaries Its editorial thee.
ry was that journal should merely echo public
opinion, and that the true editorial faculty lay
in an instructive perception OF its changes. 1t
was thus mirror instead Of n magnet; it rehec.
ted the position, but did not draw the reader on
to higher. 1t sympathized with maiorities,
and enjoyed victories, bat not battles. 1t had no
theories and supported no causes except a. they
seemed to be popular and successful. Every
body, therefore, read it, and nobody cared for it,
Ii you read the Ue,u'd you saw the present aver.
age opinion. This gave it great power, because
there is always nm immense multitude who wish
to agree with everybody else, and when they
read the Ues"'d they believed that it knew the
sentiments OF the majority. 1t was therefore
always very foolish TO deny its influence, merely
because that influence was of u certain kind. 1t
was independent, because il asked no favor and
laughed ut patronage. Yet it made great mis-.
takes, even in its own way. Thus it mstook
public opinion at the beginning Of the war, and
changed almost too late for the safety of its office
But when abe country settled down to the great
fight its support was considered to be so impor.
tant that the mission to France was offered 10
its editor, who declined it, He lived one OF the
most solitary Of men, aud died very rich. But
the foundation of his fortune was not his boast.
ing, but his performance.
Single copies for sale and subscriptions receiv.