New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-12-27
LONDON SOCIETY.
JOURNALISM AND THE SOCIAL CODE.

sPONsIBLE FOR ITS OWN NEGLECT
IFRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE !
LONDON. Dec. IA writer in a weekly paper Oh
no great authority remarks that while the dinner to
Mr. Forbes was undoubtedly saccess he should
have liked for the honor of the London press to see
a greater number of gentlemen belonging to the
staff of the daily papers present. He thinks 1t would
have been an act of courtesy toward rival If PRINT
ing House Square and Peterborough Court had sent
some Of their leading men to represent them at the
dinner. All the world knows Printing House
SQUARE but it may be needful to explain
that Peterborough Court contains the ONCE OF
The Daily Telegraph journal which believe looks
upon The Daily Ners its more immediate ana par
ticular rival;-I hardly see why unless II be that
The Daily telegraph has been distinguished Tor the
worthlessness of its war correspondence ana me
Ddy Neics for the excellence of its war correspond
ence. 81 hear" adds the indiScreet ehronlcler
whom / am quoting, that the genial chairman OF
the evening Mr.. Salal has not been looked upon
fayorably by his employers Iof Peterborough court
for the part he took III the evenings entertainment"
And he goes on to speak of the worse than idiotic
jealousy which exists between the daily papers,"
and openly pronounces it disgrace to the craft;
cor it would be a disgrace were it rot so utterly
childish and absurd" This seems to imply that
chid1shness and absurdity would be no disgrace to
the craft.
As foreigner and what is sometimes called
guest in this country. should never dare to speak
in this strong way. Perhaps l ought not even to
quote what do did, however, permit myself to
point out, the other day, what | thought unfortu-
nate gaps in the list Of journals represented at the
Forbes dinner 1t is true that The Times, The Ddiy
Teegrapk and The Standard were not represented by
any of their owners, editors or managers. But l
believe it is also true that they were not asked, or
that some of them were not asked; and
that perhaps somo were asked too late.
That two dinner parties were given the same even
ing by two members Of the staff Of of these jour
mails may be only coincidence. The weekly press,
saws this critic was well represented. should have
thought not. Among the serious weekly journals
The Spectator The Economist the church papers The
AhenGug, Tie .ieadcmy, and what are called class
journals. were all SO far as | know, without dele
gate. The success of the dinner must be judged OF
with some reference to the novelty Of 1t, perhaps
with some allowance, also, for the Jealousy which
is alleged to exist among journalists. / remember
hearing it said, with reference to Mr.. Rus
sell Youug's dinner to General Grant that
nobody but an American would have dreamed Of
getting forty newspaper men into the same room,
and getting them out again without quarrel That
only shows how much the enmity or Jealousy, OF
whatever il Is that keeps journalists apart has been
exaggerated. Mr. Russell loung's experiment was
complete success. so was the Forbes dinner "a far
as it went and the ice having been thusibroken,
don't see why the absurd fiction of personal estrange
ment based on real or supposed conflict of business
interests should continue to be spread about.
In the general interests Of the profession it Is time
10 stop talking nonsense of that kind. English
journalists do not know their own strength and are
but slowly taking their right position. 1t is the
,,olit,n here social
The moment social topics mentioned, you ap-
proach no doubt delicate subject Lord Palmers-
ION said long ago that the contributors t0 the press
are the fayorites and the ornaments of the social
circles into chich ey enter. The sting of the sentence
if sting must be sought where none was meant
lies, as usual in its tail IN the words ltahclsed
journalism in England does not confer social posi-
ton. \ journalist makes his way, so far as he
makes it, by virtue Of his personal qualities and
riffs where he has not birth or friends TO help him.
society in the sense in which the word is used in
the West End OF London. Is nothing but an organ
ICED aristocracy; an arstocracy Of rank OF blood,
of wealth of accident; to some extent of personal
charm and acceptabiity, OF mere celebrity OF poht
zeal distinction of anything that makes man or
woman the fashion or the lion of the hour. There
are worlds outside Of this certainly. There Is lit
erary society another that is artistic, third that
draw a hard and fast line anywhere. Some
of the men who are most seen in the
most purely fashionable society are men Of
letters some are artists; mlliOnaires, and
are there because they are that while Others of the
same class not less famous in the outside world not
not less admirable rich are not inside the magic
circle. Ii rests, IN great measure, with the Jour-
nalist himself whether he enters il or not he viii
not be admitted because he is journalist, nor ex-
Guided because he is a journalist. l did not cite
Lord Palmerston's testimony as a certificate OF re-
spectabiity but for the sake Of what follows in the
same speech-the rather memorable one in which he
repelcd Mr. Horsman's insinuation that improper re-
ations Of some sort existed between Lord Pamerston
and The Times. lie admitted that he knew Mr. Deane,
that he met him frequently in society, and that Mr.
Delane had sometimes, to use Lord Palmerstons
phrase mixed in society under his roof. " That So
ciety," adds Lord Palmerston " was composed Of
persons of al shades of politics, of various pur-
suits and need hardly say feel proud when per-
sons so honor me without undertaking any other en-
pagement than that which Mr.. Delane always
makes good--of making themselves agreeable dur
ing the time of their stay"
II is precisely this last talent that of making
themselves agreeable, which would serve as pass
mort 70 mentor there are such-who may be heard
complaining of their exclusion from society. If
man really cares for society and has good manners
he NAV 90 almost where he will, on condition of
making himself agreeable. have heard people who
know it well say that society is always grateful to
q man who will provide it with entertainments If
he can talk, he may 90 anywhere. That is
the real distinction between a man who is born
into society and man who gets into it.
The latter will be welcome in proportion TO
his social talent do not mean that talent will cut
ont rank 1t is probable that, in most houses, dull
duke would be thought TO shed more lustre din