American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-09-04
The Earliest Modern Newspapers.

IT seems that to Italy the world is in
debted for the origin of the newspaper.
Centuries before the Christian era, or, to
give the precise date according to the best
authorities, SOL B. c., daily journal
called the ActG Dsu77,G was published at
Rome. 1t was not in the form of the
printed paper sheet that is nowadays left
at every Intelligent mans door in the early
morning; nor was it issued in copious
editions and circulated among the SUBJ
scribers for a stipulated consideration.
The Acta DiurnG was a public enterprise,
supported by Government, and the few
copies struck off in Latin script upon
white wooden tablets were hung at con-
spicuous points in the streets and the fire.
quented places of the city and gave to the
curious passer-by the latest intelligence of
current events. With the downfall of the
Western Empire Journalism persisted, and
for upward Of a thousand dreary years was
one Of the lost and forgotten arts.
By italian genius it was finally revived
again, and Venice was the scene of its
second birth. There are now in the
Magliabechia Library of Florence thirty
volumes of the oldest modern newspaper
of which we have any knowledge. 1t was
entitled GazettG, as some say from the
word Gdzzerd, signifying magpie or chat
terer, and, according to others, from the
name of the small coin for which the pa
per was sold. 1t was published at Venice
once month by order of the Government,
and continued to be written in script, even
after printing had been invented. The
last number is dated in the sixteenth Gen.
tury The earliest French journal, the
Gazette de France, a newspaper still in
existence, we believe, was edited by Rem
audot, physician in Paris. 1t appeared
as IA weekly, the initial number being is
sued in April, 1881: 1t was patronized by
the King, Louis XIII, and contained at
least one article penned by the royal
hand. 1t also enjoyed the support of Car
dinal Richelieu.
The British Museum preserves some
copies of newspaper called the English
Mefcurie, and protesting to have them
printed under the authority of Queen
Elizabeth in 1888. The title of one of the
numbers reads thus: " The English Mer-
curte, published by authoritie, for the pre-
vention of false reports, imprinted by
Christopher Barlur, Her Highnesss print
err, No. So" In it is an account of the
Spanish Armada, under the heading: "A
Journal of what passed since the 21st of
this month, between Her Majesty's fleet
and that of Spayne, transmitted by the
Lorde Highe Admiral to the Lordes of
Council" But the papers were not pub
lished at the date and in the
circumstances pretended. They have
geries executed about 1866. In 1922,
during the reign of James l., paper
appeared under the title of the London
Weekly fourdnt. In 1913, in the time of
the civil war, variety of publications
claiming, unworthily, the office and the
name of newspaper were produced; but,
in fact, the first genuine news journal pub
lished in England was established by Sir
Roger L'Estrange, in 1865. 1t bore the
name of the Public fntetltgencer, and sur
vived until the London Gazette was trans
ferred from Oxford to London, in Fcbru-
airy, 1866.
The first regular newspaper produced in
the United States was the Boston Neaos-
Letter, which appeared April "a, 17O4. In
September, 1903, an enterprising printer
in Boston had undertaken to start a news
paper, but the first edition was suppressed
by the authorities and only one copy is
now known to exist.