Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-04-17
Responsibilities of journalism.

The importance of the newspaper CORE.
spondent is the theme of an article in the
London Spectator of March 30th. There are
some half dozen daily papers which virtu.
ally control English opinion, exerting an in
iluence and filling a sphere which have no
ferent in this country, where almost every
hamlet has its newspaper TO contest the field
in circulation and influence with our metro
politan journals. Each of these English
journals has its agents in foreign capitals
and wherever is likely to be any important
political news, and the dispatches which
they forward are read with interest and fur
nish the basis for editorial comment and ex-
ert an enormous influence upon public senti-
ment. 1t is evidently of the first importance
that the men who occupy such important
positions should be in every way trustworthy
and responsible. On all great events they
are the first to reach the public ear, and it is
in their power, if they are dishonest or inca
pable, to do a vast amount of mischief. This
fact is well understood 10y the leading jour
mails, and the men employed for this respon-
sible work are, as a rule, men who are trained
for their profession, and who could fill the
highest diplomatic stations with success.
The Spectator mentions two instances in
which a mistaken correspondent has done
great damage. One of these was the recent
case of the embarkation of the Russian
guard at Buyukdere. One correspondent was
informed, on what he thought to be good
grounds, that the embarkation was prelimin-
airy to an act of treason--the seizure by
power which had just signed treaty of
forts belonging to its submissive adversary,
which, if occupied, would secure advantages
to the occupation of the capital.
lie teegraphed the rumor as news, and in
stantly all England was excited; the funds
dropped, and there was general expectation
of war. The influence of the statement was
such that, but for prompt denial by other
it might have been impos-
sible to prevent resolutions which would
have rendered war inevitable" And the
Spectator says that if four or five correspond
ents had combined the policy of half the
statesmen of Europe might have been over
turned, and the world once more visited with
hat most grave of calamities, European
war without defined object"
The other instance referred to by the
Spectator was more serious in its results,
md accounts for much of the bad blood en-
yendered during our civil war, the bitter
ruits of which will remain long after the |
luthor of the mischief shall have passed |
away. The Spectator says, at is, we be-
ieve, strictly true to say that for ten years
he whole position of this great country has
,een affected by the letters forwarded home
~ the London Times American correspond |
mt during the civil war-letters written bv |
man whose good intentions were never
Inspected, but who sympathized so far with
he South, or with English sympathy with
he South, that he could not see which way
he struggle would go, or what its inner
meanings were. To the lasting injury of
he country, therefore, the Times went South.
IN, and with it the whole upper and mid
lie class"