National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1873-03-14
An Old Newspaper-InterestIng Remin.
lseences.

<Au WV ANNVoPSFSs
lscences.
What is more entertaining than M
old newspaper Yesterdays is stale
and dull but to take up one that was
printed hundred years ago, and scan
its dingy columns, its news, its gossip,
and still more its advertisements, is like
receiving direct communication from
another world. Such paper lies be.
fore me ut this moment. II is copy OF
the New Jersey Ga-ette, printed by
Isaac Collins, mt Trenton, New Jersey,
on tho oath of March, 1879. The con-
trast it presents with tho papers of to-
day represents the growth Of more than
n century. 1t is yellow and dingy with
age, of insignificant proportions, and
is printed Oh coarse paper in large
but not inelegant type. Although pub
lished in stirring times, it contains but
little news, and that is packed away in
odd corners, without any of the head
ings or display now in vogue to call at
tention to important intelligence. The
whole of the first page is taken up with
a communication in defense of Cont
mental currency against the attacks of
some sordid individual who preferred
"hard money" to the greenbacks of the
period 1t is very spicily written, and
shows that newspaper vituperation is
not altogether vice Of modern
growth. The writer accuses his antago-
MIST of being British spy"-the old
story of british gold!"-calls him Fan
awkward braggadocio" who has "the eff
frontery to talk big Of his birth, educa-
ton, figure and breeding" whereas
'this Hard Money, amidst all his
straining at high figure to cover real
fact, and pretending to derive his gene
alogy from the sun6ean,s, is well known
to be descended of rs low, obscure,
mongrel, and motley mixture rs any
to be met with. The old man of the
family is mufatto; the mother an
Indian" ETC., etc. 1t is easy to i'm
agine "Hard- Moneys" feelings on taxi
ing up this number Of the Gazette.
We have no copy of the paper contain
ing his reply; but who can doubt that
it was pitched in the same lofty strain
of scorn in which editors, Congressman,
and belligerent correspondents OF our
own day are accustomed to "hurl back
injurious accusations?
Turning to the other pages, we find
the latest news from London to be
under date of December 9. Among its
items is one to the effect that II, 900
British troops are to be sent to New
York in the spring. Another announces
that call the bishops but four, to their
immortal honor, declined voting for
that diabolical engine of cruelty, the
American proclamation, and avoided
countenancing the vindictive shedding
of Christian blood" We also learn that
"the vacancies in the Hessian troops
alone, now ut New York, it is said, re-
quire upwar1 of 1000 to fill them up
A correspondent "from campat Fazzel's
place in Georgia" under date of jan
uary ~, gives spirited account of the
repulse of British attack upon the
camp. A "personal" states that MA
jor-General Arnold hath obtained leave
to retire while from the duties of his
station to take charge OF his domestic
affair.""
Some of the advertisements are very
curious. Here is an amusing sample:
Mas found the day Of the battle ct Monmouth, the
w 2s of July, ITS, by one Of the company of mil
litia under Capt. Parker, of Col. Frelinghuysen's
battalion, and put into Capt. Parker's baggage wag
gon, good Shirt marked l. L., and a pair of trow-
sers or drawers, Enclosed in knapsack. Whoever
gives the further particulars and proves property
shall have them by applying TO me ut Basknrldge.
HENRY DALGLIs.
Shirts and trousers were evidently
scarce and precious in those days; and
the honesty of Mr.. Henry Dalglis in adj
vertising them, at an expense of two
dollars chat being the rate for "adver-
tisements of moderate length in the
Gazette, deserves to be put on per-
manent record.
Several other advertisements carry us
back to phase of society which has
long passed away in the Northern States,
and from which the whole Union is now
happily free. Mr. Samuel Henry, of
Trenton, offers twenty dollars reward
for the return of ga negro man named
Tom" who is described as ga well-set
fellow, about 5 feet or inches high"
Tom did not leave his masters house
he had on short bear
skin coat, white vest, buckskin breaches,
and a round hat; he likewise took with |
him brown coat lined with brown
one striped Damascus vest,
and sundry other clothes" A post
script to the advertisement states that |
he was supposed to have taken "the
York road, with the intention of get
ting "to the enemy" Most OF the ad-
vertisers of goods, lands, ETC., state that
the Continental " emissions (of paper
of May 20, 1777, and April II,
1778, will be received in payment"
No history could give so graphic and
living a picture of the time as this
dingy, insignificant sheet affords. 1t is
the time itself And if newspaper not
quite hundred years old is SO precious
a memorial of manners, customs, and
events, what would we give if we could
have as faithful o record of the olden
lays of Greece and Rome? An eminent
scholar has said that copy of the
athens Times chad such a paper ever
.xisted) of tie days of Pericles would
,ut weigh in historical value all the re-
searches and discoveries of the most
earned of antiquarians. The old Ro-
mans had something of the kind, but no
'opies have come down to u.s. The
Jhinese, who seem to have anticipated
~ ages many of the most important in
entloHS VI tne European natlonS, clalIn
lso to have been the first to establish
newspaper; and if it be true that the
lies of the Pekin Gazette, preserved in .
he imperial library at the celestial
apital, run back in unbroken success
ion three or four thousand years, ac- !,
ording to the rather extravaganza asser. ,
ions of Chinese historians, it may be /,
nat they contain much that is curious d, /,
nd valuable, which the researches of I