The New York herald., 1875-10-17
Modern JournaIIsm-The Herald Ii
Africa and the Arctic.

| adventures IA Equatorlal africa, ana now We
have by cable an equally interesting report
Of the voyaging and adventures Of the Pan.
dora in the ice fields of the North. In both
cases the valuable intelligence we have been
enabled to convey to the public was due
to that spirit Of modern journalism which
leaves none Of the sources Of knowledge
unexplored, and no fair-minded person
will deny to the HERALD any part of the
credit to which it is entitled for its part in
these magnificent undertakings The result
in each case, however, was not equally fortu-
nate We are able this morning not only to
print the story Of the voyage and return of
the Pandora in these columns, but to COM
municate this important intelligence to the
entire London press simultaneously with
its publication here, as was the case
with our famous Magdala dispatches.
BY following this generous policy our victory
affords us q double satisfaction at the same
time that it enforces the lesson we learned
from the misuse of the Stanley letters by our
ally in the African expedition. In that case
the terms of our alliance prevented us from
following our usual course when we had
news Of vast and profound Importance,
and we even found ourselves anticipated
in the publication of Mr. Stanley's story
If this had been a journalistic achieve
ment Of our English or American rivals we
should have been the first to acknowledge
that we were beaten on our own field, and to
recognize and honor success in others. AS
it was we were anticipated only by the jour
nal associated with us in the expedition, and
we cannot characterize the singular course
Of our ally in this matter as anything short
of breach of faith In printing the
substance of Mr. Stanleys letters in it's
issue of the Goth ult the London
Telegraph forgot both the courtesy it had ex-
perienced at our hands and the sacredness
due to compact solemnly and earnestly
agreed upon. We speak Of this matter neither
in the spirit of complaint nor of chiding, but
merely to point out the fact that the axiom
of American statecraft, 'Avoid all entangling
alliances" is equally potent and impor-
tant when applied to journalism. In the
future We shall pursue the policy we followed
in the past--the policy of independent effort
we found so successful during the Abyssinian
war, in the expedition in search of Living
stone, and now again in the voyage of the
Pandora. BY this course we shall best
serve ourselves and our readers and at the
same time be able to serve our contempora-
ries with the ripest fruits of our endeavors.
The success which thus far has attended
the expedition of Mr.. Stanley into Africa
and the not less hazardous enterprise Of
the Pandora in the seas Of the frozen
North show, among other things, the
progress which modern journalism is making
in free countries. The wisdom of the
gifted men who made the freedom of the
press cardinal principle of republican insti-
tutions never received better illustration
than in the achievements Of journals in Eng
land and America Journalism, like religion,
does not prosper under a monarchy. A sub
sidized press, like a subsidized church, lacks
independence and growth and true vigor.
Thus we have always contended in discuss
ing the relations between the Holy See and
the great Powers Of Europe that the Pope is
only strong in countries where his Church is
independent; that when he leaned upon
kings and standing armies and established
classes he leaned upon supports which would
only be true to him so long as he served
them. AS is the consequence the only coun-
tries in the world where the Holy Father can
view with qualification the progress Of the
Catholic faith are countries where the Church
is not only minority, but is thoroughly
4 eo1f IL -,
tries where he is in relation to the governing
power by concordat, by treaty or by the
subvention Of his priests, he is constantly in
trouble with the civil authorities. The same
may be said Of the press. In Germany and
Russia and Spain, and to great extent in
temper Of the ruling powers for its very life.
AS a consequence journalism does not be-
come anything more than brilliant essay
writing. The best results Of Paris journal
ism, in itself school well worth study, are
found in the writings Of John Lemoinne,
Edmund About and Louis Veuillot, who are
accomplished writer's and would be as
famous outside the press as they are inside.
Journalism, therefore, in France is only
another name for politics in literature. The
greatest names in French literature in
this century have, with scarcely an ex-
ception, been closely identified with
journalism. We cross the channel and we
find the reverse to be the truth. We have
no doubt that the great men Of England have
been, if the truth were known, as closely
v connected with the expression Of opinion
and tho writing Of articles in the London
press as their contemporaries in France
But the policy Of secrecy, Of anonymous
contributions to the press, has thrown cur
tain over the personal between the writers
and the journals, and at the same time given
the press great absolute, mysterious, indie
pendent power. We hear, for instance, in d