The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-05-27

NEWSPAPER SUSPENSIONS The Au-
gusta Chronicle and Santinel publishes the
following sensible article on the death of
its old competitor, the Constitutioqalist:
From a notice published in the Consti-
nationalist. yesterday morning, by the
proprietors-Messrs. Stockton 4 Co.
and republished in this paper, it will be
seen that the ConstitutiondliSt hus sus-
pended pnblication-that its last issue
has been given to tho public. paper
which for quarter of century was
recognized organ of Georgia and of tho
South-whicb at one time wielde-: great
power and inf1uence-has ceased to exist.
Like the Mercury and the Courier, OF
Charleston; the Tribune, of Mobile; the
Mail, OF Montgomery; the Journal and
Messenger, OF Macon; the InteAigencer, Of
Atlanta, and many other Southern jour
nails; it has been obliged to succumb to
causes which its proprietors were power
less to control. While it was necessarily
rivalry was honorable, and the oompeti-
ton open aud manly, and we can gym
pathize with it's friends who mourn its
decease. It battled we'll for the right; it
strnek many brave blows for, tho South
and her people, and none are reader
than ourselves to accord full recognition
of its zealoua service and successful To-
bor. u4
The tendency Of Southern journalism
is towards consolidation. The weak are
falling or else are being swallowed up by
the strong. And the result has been mu.
taaiiy beneficial to both press and people.
We have fewer papers and better papers.
Ihe quality has increased in inverse ra-
ito to the quantity. Instead OF small
sheets run exclusively in the interest of
politics and politicians, the Southern
press is making bold and rapid strides
towards wider field, to more elevated
position. In point Of fact, most South
ern cities are not able to support but
ono good paper, and when two or three
occupy the ground, the struggle is too
sharp and severe to justify the expense
OF a first class daily. and journalism has
grieyously suffered by being overorowd-
ed. But by thinning them out. the
publishers, the subscribers and the ad-
vertisers- are all benefited. The in
creased revenue justifies the publication
of more and better matter, and tho pa
irons of the paper get superior article
for less money. Instead of merchant
or citizen paying twenty dollars per an-
mum for two dailies, az most Of them
did, they will pay half the money for q
better paper than both of the old Jour
nails combined. The advertiser, instead
of placing bis notices in two papers at
double rates, obtains for them wider
circulation and for himself double the
benefits which he would otherwise have
received for about half the expense.
There are people who think that news
papers coin money. This is grievous
mistake. Few papers in the South havo
made money since the war. The e1-
pense Of conducting newspaper now in
ou. Southern cities is 100 per cent. more
than before the war. The average out
lay then was about $500. Now it runs
up to $500 and $1,000 per week for any.
thing;like q good paper. With increas-
ing'expensea, and moro limited field of
subscription and advertising. there are
but few cities in the South which can
afford to sustain more than one paper Of
even average respeotabiIity. Mobile,
with O population Of 80. 900, and Charles
ton, with population OF $4,000, huye
but one paper each-th Register in the
former, and the Ns,os and Courier in the
latter. Competition is said to be the
life Of trade, bot in the newspaper busi
ness in small cities it is extremely ha-
zardous. and ultimately leads to serious
Inconvenience and embarrassment.
Just as we conclude this article we
learn Of two other suspensions of able
and influential journals. proceeding, we
believe, from the same cause. viz: over
crowding. The Uniom, OF Colu mbia,
has been consolidated with the Herald,
and the Republican, Of Savannah, will,
in few days, we hear, be merged with
the Adcertiser. a few may suffer by
this change in journalism, but the public
will be great gamer by tho policy Of
consolidation. Fewer and better news.
papers are what we need.
DEATH OF zMASzoS1.-A despatch,
dated Friday, from Rome, announces
the death. Mt the ripe ago of eighty nine,
OF the grent Italian novelist and poet,
Count Alessandro Mauzoni.
The work by which Mapzoni is best
known is his famous historical novel.
II Promessi Sposi," n tale of NIilap, in
the seventeenth century, which Henry
1. Tuckerman. in fBtCharacteristics Of
Literature" pronounced one OF the
noblest works, il not the very noblest
work, Of fiction ever written. BY The
publication OF this book Manzoni created