New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-07-02
THE BRITISH PRESS.


A FRENCH COOK NINDICAIED.
lFEoN THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF rUT TRIBUNE.
LONDON. June lair. George Augustus Sala. in
Cover Street, is the Celebrity at Home" in Jto
ord Of this week. He s If mistake not the first
English journalist who has been honored by having
his portrait done in this series Of pen and inl,
sketches; albeit this is No. 43. Nori there anything
surprising IN this. The English journalist is little
heard Of as an individual; he is, for tho most part
content to do his work under mask Of modesty His
personality counts for little his work counts for
much. The man who writes the leading article,
which supplies half London tomorrow morning
with ideas for the day. may not he known by name
sight TO those who live upon his brains. II known
al all he is almost certain not to he known the
author Of that particular article, or of any of the
others which, to the number Of about four week,
he contributes TO his paper. Nh. Sala Is, to some
slight extent. an exception. He however is not
aud never has been in the main political writer.
I" lie has been" says his biographer, " for twenty
years the staff OF one London newspaper and has
written in that same journal many thousands OF
leading articles reviews art and theatrical crlti-
olsnis. paragraphs, and every form OF journalistic
copy and j. to-day proud to regard himself as
newspaper man pure and simple"
So much the better wish the same thing could
BE- said Of more English journalists. The day when
1t is true of them body that they ieei pride III
BENG Known as newspaper men pure anu SilHplt,
journalism in England will take higher rank as a
profession than it has yet taken. 1 believe that
what is said of MIR. Saa is truly said Of him. He
may not be i'm all particulars the whom hs
comrades on the press would choose to represent
them, or 10y whom they would wish TO be JUDGED,
but his loyalty to his prof ssion would cover a
greater multitude Of Sins than need covering in his
case. lie is loyal to it in larger sense than that OF
mere pride in it. They've called me-" he says "a
dashng. g0-ahcad writer, sometimes; man to
whom the art came easily and Is practlced without
difficulty whereas owe my position and usefulness,
and all love IN the world, to inCessant and never
ending toll and to the method follow Of arranging
and codifyiug for reference the Knowledge this toll
has enabled me TO accumulate. Look here, ana
here and here Opening folio after folio, all in Ms,
and illei with quotations and original thoughts
after swift on subjects; look at these and
these notes the political and social history of En-
gland from the beginning of the century down to
today. and you'l readily understand how much
work. unknown and little understood has to be per-
formed before a public writer is qualified Tor bis
profession"
There is a whole sermon in journalism in those
words Here another. of which the doctrine seems
10 me, IN part, less sound:
MIR Saa insists that this is a craft mystery 10
be learnt like any other and that journalist must
be master of the special implements of his trade like
enter these lists he advises to obtain if possible,
file of The EgGminer newspaper. and of The John Bull
from 1905 to 1872, or thereabOuts-a period which
covers vast social aud political strugges-and tie
writings Of Leigh Hunt Albany Fonbanque' and
Theodore Hook. Newspapers like these give the
passions as well The history of their day. and for
downright. outspOken, hard hitting both on tie
Liberal and the Conservative side there Is nothing
better 10 be found. 10 these should be added the
Ifotfi, ,1t elt in
plain nervous English style; and when these
writings are Inastercd-not merely read but ndexed
annotated and to some extent distracted by the
student he is with an ordinary capacity for literary
REPRESENTATIONS which, 1t is presumed, he would
not aim at beng public writor-ready for his
work.
Mr.. Saa says, adds his biopapher that these
formed ms own journalistic education, and that they
furnish the implements necessary for the successful
prosecution of She calling Mir. Sala does himself,
as this same article proves injustice in saying so.
His own education has been far broader, aud the
studies of which ne gives list hardly more than
studcs-by-the-wav. If Mr.. Sala believes these a
sufficient journalistic curriculum, that belief would
Of itself explain part of ms Deficiencies as
writer aud ii u.s. Of course, only the writing journal
list to who lac would prescribe this narrow regimen.
A good many stones have long been in circulation
about Mir. Saa. some of which, unrepeated though
they are in this account of him, would throw light
Oh the causes Of his pecularities will take the
liberty 10 repeat two, not in circulation, which |
happen TO have heard lately. friend Of his showed
me a commonplace book in Mr. Sala's hand-a hand
singularly close and exact. The extracts from
many sources and Mr.. Sala himself had explained
his habit Of copying 81 sit down," he said, and
write out a PAGE from Milton some other quite
first-cdass mau before begin my work for the day
Why do do thati To lay i'll stock of words for
the DAYS consumption" The other story has differ
emf turn to H. and comes from old colleague OF his
"A writer who had speciality but who was unable
one day 10 prepare the article wanted on ms own
sulicct and was asked to give Mr.. Saia to whom IT
had been assigned the necessary facts. The subject
was, let as say Evolution, and a new book by Oar
win had lust appeared. Mr. Salas article duly came
ON next morning Nothing about evolution nor
Darwin IN the first paragraph, nothing IN the second,
nor Vet in the third In the very last of all which
WAS ucrliaps ten lines long, the facts with which its
WRITER had been crammed terseiy stated but
from beginning 10 end there was no mention of the
new book This is an extreme case but Mr.. Sala
has Tong had reputation for being able to approach
q subject from point extremely remote.
He was unpopular for while with us in America,
and there was cause for It, What he wrote about us
in our troubles was not, We thought, friendly. Tie
certainly did IL some harm at a time when we could
not well afford IL, but / don't think " need doubt
that what Mr. Sala wrote was honestly meant. Aud
surely the time has come when we can forgive and
for,cf Mr.. Sala has perhaps never done better
work never written with more raciness, rich hui
NOR ke.ner observation, fuller power Of de-
s,intiou than Oh his tour this year from St. Peters
~. nd I.psa "a 'pf a