The New York herald., 1874-10-04

ago heard read, examined. conai6e7ed and re-
Jected 6ny sucn anecdotes as tie one demolished
always avoid being misled III matters OF detail
and am glad TO be enabled 10 nur- my TEXT OF
an an erroneous statement however uninpo,tana LAM u
per rom whom ! derived tie part oi tne Story
now now shown to DE untrue during my stay az
Princeton conversed with all sorts and c,nai-
tions OF people, rom the President oil the college
70 the porter of the nolel and lound the tae Of
the secretly erected monum mt TO be piece OF
weil-estaoiisheG gossip, winch there seemed ne
reason 10 doubt. and which was not Important
fully yours JAMES PARTON.
We are glad to find that Mr.. Parton SO
promptly repudiates his romantic story, now
that it is proved to be entirely without foun-
dation. But it would be wrong in US not to
recall, in this connection, the sweeping
charges he made few months ago against
newspaper correspondents and reporters, in
one of his brilliant contributions to current
literature. Mr. Parton accused these gentle
men generally of making statements without
due investigation, and sometimes unquestion-
ably they may. But where will he find greater
accuracy than in newspapers? The error which
one makes is very speedily corrected by the
others, and in this age of inquiry and debate,
if Truth ever emerges from the well in which
she is said to abide, it is to clothe herself in
print. At the time we believed that Mr..
Parton had gone too far in disparaging the
accuracy of journalism. We believe it the
more earnestly now that Mr.. Parton finds his
own criticism to resemble those ''bloody in
struchons, which, being taught, return to
plague the inventor" Without malice we
commend to him the study of his own books.
He alludes to his ridiculous story" as some-
thing unimportant. But it was important
enough to be given as truth in his ''Lite OF
Aaron Burr" He says that it was "a piece
of well established gossip" But it is for
printing gossip that he blames the corre-
spondents of newspapers. He says it
''was not important enough to require
much investigation But the neglect
to investigate is the great sin he imputes to
journalists Mr.. Parton should learn by this
to be charitable He did not have to tele-
graph his litc OF Burr from New Orleans or
Japan. lie did not have to write it in a day.
All the time he desired was granted him to
discover the truth, yet ho solemnly printed q
ridiculous story" and says now that it
sswas not important enough to require much
investigation" This excuse is not to be ac-
capted as easily and coolly as it is offered.
MIR. Parton was not justified in publishing this
''gossip' as truth in his biography of Aaron
Burr, and the careful historian must admit
that it is to the newspaper correspondent that
he owes the opportunity of purging of errox
his picturesque and lively page. He has
gracefully admitted the obligation, and we
trust he will improve the moral.
The COLUMBUS (AIisA) Inder makes this
earnest appeal: 1--WE are tired-tired Of war.
tired Of violence, tired of these constant
alarms, tired Of going constantly armed, tired
Of standing always on guard to protect our
selves tired OF being plundered and robbed"
This seems to be the voice OF the South. In
time the North must heed it, especially il
foolish men like those in Louisiana do not
Il. L l. l.