New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-12-16
"lnDEPEyDEYr JOURNALISM."

newspaper press IMAM I'd llnu youi u'' n"N"N
Ously asserting that such a thing is Impossible
while at the same time it qualities and equiv
coates, and AYERS that so far from being I'M
possible it is the most common thing III the
world. Here is a sheetin Connecticut which
tells us, to begin with, that it adnires INDIE
"pendence In everything" and which ends by
convincing us that it admTes independence In
nothing. For having boldly made deciara-
ton of this same independence, it hastens to
assure us that it does not mean perverted
" independence" which is simply coDtempti-
"bo :" and then we are treated TO the axiom
that "neutiul ground is mtenable." Every
journal should hold itself amenable to some
" tribunal" and if it does not do so it is
"dangerousn So this unndependent indie
pendent newspaper concludes as follows: " We
recognize healthy public sentiment as our
monitor, and shall shape our course accord
"ingly." OF which we have TO say:
l. Neutral ground being untenable, we adj
wise nobody to try TO occupy it. Independence
and neutrality seem to us very tar from Deing
synonymous. The former implies reserve OF
Judgment, q determination to look at both
sides of a question, Discrimination to take
opinions without examination from admins
trations, or readers from conventions or COM
mittees. The latter implies just no opinions
at all. The independent journalist caring
everything for measures and nothing for party
names, may sustain what appears to 1t to be
wise, and may denonce what appears TO be
otherwise, and, resolutey determined not to
be the mere mouthpiece of men, it escapes
the danger of being misled by personal fealty
which neither statesman nor politician has
right to claim. We agree with our cotempo-
rary. Neutrality is simply contemplate"
III. We have no liking either for perverted
Independence" Especially we dislike the kind
of which, of late years, we have observed al
together too much. We mean, of course, that
independence Of the truth which sometimes
leads newspaper to stand fast by its party
through thick and through thin; which can see
nothing but good in the characters and acts OF
public men upon its side in politics which
suppresses or garbles or eXtenuates whatever
it may think will be injurious to its party;
which does not hesitate to tell little fibs
whenever they may be convenient; which does
not seek to enlghtcn the public. but only to
persuade il that 1t is already sufficiently en-
lightcned; which is sharp of vision in detect
ing the faults of the other side and blind to
the faults of its own and which, having
started with the doctrine that party is king, and
that the king can do no wrong, goes on stumb-
ling preyaricating, equiyocating, garbing, dis
tOrting suppressing, extenuating, ap0lOgizng,
and classifying, and not seldom running the
risk of q suspicion Of venaity and of belief
in candid minds that its patriotism means
proycnder.
III. We cannot say either, though there
may be grain of truth in it, that we much
relish the proposition that "every journal
should hold itself amenable to some tribu-
nal" Journals are just like mel They are
under the same obligation TO speak the truth,
or that which, after due and conscientious in
vestigati0D, seems to them TO be the truth.
But when man has fairly and squarey de-
termned to say what he thinks, he is amen
able to no other tribunal than that of his own
conscience. The journal whose positions we
are criticising recognizes ga healthy public
sentiment az It's MONITOR But suppose the
public sentiment happens to be unhealthy
what then What becomes of 50 the monitor =,
Besides, it Is the business of a newspaper TO
create and not to follow public senti-
ment. From any other point OF view,
journalism seems to us an infinitely de-
grading and undesirable business. No
body pretends to like demagogues. Yet here
is an editor who proposes to convert the whole
body of journalists into demagogues, saying
only things which are pleasant to the popular
ear, and merely recording the shifting phases
of public opinion, if opinion it can be properly
called What would be thought of u clergy
man who should announce that he held him
self amenable to no other tribunal than his
congregation, and should declare the congre-
gatiOnal sentiment to be his only monitor
Of course, we have a high respect generally
for public opinion, but it has not been our
fortune to find it always infallible. We be-
lieve in the people, but we have known the
people to make great mistakes and these we
have usually taken the liberty of pointing out
A journalist oyer anxious to think only as the
people think, or appear to think, will find
often enough occasion to desert the party to
which he processes himself so thoroughly de-
voted, and to put on new coat every time
the majority sees fit to shift from this side to
that. ..f
w. Again we are told that the only issues
cleft to be agitated are Radicalism and Con-
servatism, and upon one side or the other
must every honest journalist take his stand.n
But suppose we should find too much radi-
calism in so called conservatism, or too much
conservatism in SO called radicalism-what !
thenf Are we to be merely the slaves of
names and of phrases Pray, what makes a
party good or bad save its measures. And if
the measures are bad, or seem to MS honestly |
considering them to be bad, are we to support /
B hats. sNE hA
Republican party, or of the Democratic party,