The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-07-06
The Herald's Influence Upon Travel
and Recent Rhetorical Events.

to spend"
The Herald's influence Upon Travel
and Recent Historical Events.
In oil ages books of travel have held high
place in literature Herodotus, the father OF
history, was great traveller, and had he lived
in our day he would have been distinguished
journalist. xenophon was as great as war
correspondent as he was active and skilful In
conducting the retreat of the ten thousand
julius Caesar proved by his Commentaries
that he was as efficient at the front as would be
required by the most exacting newspaper. These
are perhaps the best examples in the ancient
world OF men possessing the true journalistic
instinct. Had there been newspapers in their
day their letters would have first appeared in
the newspapers or else the correspondents
would have anticipated them, both in the daily
journals and in book narratives. Now
adays soldiers seldom write the stories
of their campaigns because the army
correspondent does it SO much bet
ter. Indeed, there is no overestimating the
influence of the modern newspaper upon the
literature of travel and events. This is we'll
illustrated by three books, which have just
appeared from the press in England and this
country, by three correspondents of the
HERALD. These are the works of Mr.. Stanley
on the campaigns of the English in Abyssinia
and Ashantee, Mr.. MacGahan's Campaign
ing on the Oxus" and Mr.. O Kelly's "Mambie
Land" Three more interesting or valuable
books have not been published this season,
and each of them represents q different quar-
ter of the globe. What Mr.. MacGahan says
in his preface ~ travelled through strange
country under strange circumstances" is true
of both the others. King Theodorus and
King Kofee gave Mr.. Stanley themes
that were unique in interest, and their
efforts at resisting the English will
long continue among the episodes of his
tory. MIR. O'Kelly penetrated what for
number ofyears had been terra incognita,
and in revealing the condition OF the Cuban
insurgents gave the world a story of
one of those determined struggles for in
dependence which form the most brilliant
pages in the history of civilization. These
narratives are necessarily an account, to some
extent, of the personal adventures Of each Of
the correspondents, for the missions upon
which the HERALD sent them required in
trepid courage as well as acute observation
and graphic descriptive powers. And each Of
them has supplemented his journalistic labors
with book, which is even a more striking
testimonial to the greatness of modern jour-
nalism than to his literary ability. These
books are typical of recent progress, Herodo-
tus and Xenophon and Caesar being turned
from the traveller and warrior into journalists
and war correspondents; the news necessities
of the hour affording the opportunities for
works that will last long enough to celebrate
the necessities which brought them into
existence.
Let US glance for moment at the work ac-
comphshed by these young writers. The
English resolved to make war upon the
King of Abyssinia, and Mr.. Stanley was di-
rected to represent the HERALD throughout
the struggle. So thoroughly was this service
performed that We had full accounts of every
thing that happened in DR.. Johnson's 'Happy
Valley" from the landing of the English till
the fall of Magdala. But the influence OF
journalism upon the important events of the
century was not yet sufficiently recognized to
call for tM reproduction of Mr.. SANKEY'S ac-
count of the Abyssinian war. The strides of
the HERALD were 50 rapid, however, that when
he was intrusted with second mission-the
discovery Of Livingstone-a book became q
necessity, and after his third expedition-that
with Sir Garnet Wolseley-there was literary
| ~ fx.t orr ~ ~lo1o
of Ashantee. Mr.. MacGahan made the jour-
ney into Central Asia with the Russian forces,
and was the only correspondent present
at the fall of Khiva All this the readers
of the HERALD well know, for they had the
pleasure of perusing his letters detailing his
adventures and the progress of the Russian
army as they came to us full of interest and
fresh with intelligence. He indeed travelled
through strange country under strange cir
cumstances, and his descriptions Of the man.
ners, customs and feelings of the almost I'M
known people among whom his journalistic
duties sent him are among the highest
contributions ever made to the American
press. 1t is well known that MIR. OKelly
took his life in his hand when he undertook
to bring us news of the Cuban instruction.
But he proved himself brave man and an
able correspondent, and we find the press OF
the country speaking in kindly terms of the
value Of the information his book contains.
These three books represent only three of the
more striking feats Of the HERALD, and
they are only part Of the work of single year.
But at the same time they represent the vast
field OF journalistic enterprise and show what
vast power the press has become, both in the
gathering of news and the writing of history
In all the history of literature there is nothing
more marked than the fact that the news
necessities and news facilities of one news
H.