New-York tribune., 1878-01-17

ances to rob the public have neeh eAPosgcu.
Mr.. Bowles was newspaper hero IN those
days He could not however command INC SYN ~
psthy Of his veteran antagonist hlr. Wendell mi
lips, who published bitter attack upon hIm ID Ihe
Anh-SldrerV Standard. In December. 1870 there
appeared in The RcpUblican paragraph IL when
Mr.. David Dudley FIELDS professional rioId GohI
dnet a was sharply erIic,ea nd dcussd Mr. followed
on the rights of lawyers and clients, editors and
critics. The debate was subsequently resumed IN
the columns of THE TRIBUNE. In ms reply 10 MI.
Field Mr. Bowles took pains to set forth the proper
limitations of journalism. In an article Wnlch was
printed subsequently in Tie IRdpcHdeaf. his vleMa
on tins subject were expressed cautiously. lie
spoke OF cur journalism as hot. i'yerSi, material;
often vulgar and coarse, and closely allied 10 ana
illustrated by the individuaties of Its prominent
conductors" He went on 10 say:
Eenceforth / think, shall note different phase
of progress The telegraph has placed all Journals sun
stanaiig on IN equality as to The great
right 70 look for steady and large progress IN c-
ture end consccntiosness in candor ana piiosopy ~
oi the universal questions of NE ana cNzon va, ,s
come within their msatiae naws AZ perSomals'lcs rss
~ thSir rrogress and powcr Thc ambition and
aggressIytnrss the cXcrcscnccs ana ccCcnriclcs
OF editors and prOpIicOrS have been valuable rClh'
Necessary in the ra- of American journalism; but tine
d,s in which great paper is Simply great man o. M
has ro,n 70 be Greater tan tie Individual IIencf,rth.
the latter ust bc subordinate 10 the former. The true
paper shond have character and eonc"nce OF lts own
IL must be fed of cOurscCd evenly the energy, Tie
wisdom aud the culture OF individuals, the SAVIOR of
whose head and hear, will necessarily be impaired to It's
rngcs but it must to the iournaio.h future rise com,
arltiycly above Their wcakucsses their prciudiccs and
merely personal ambitions III should o ciough 10
sa sf amy journalist to feel The responsibility of his post
un ihe bread of the audience which addresses aud
The width the influence when he cXclts The reward
the faitcry OF power, know Is not direct there Is no
quickly following Of incense lOwing back u Ls
soul like that which comes to the preacher ana the
orator. The Journalists work Is very much Ike
bread cast upon the waters hui the granca0n oil ms
work ls higher deeper, and nofr kind than tiat
which with moe direct manipulation 0i persons
and Things Of lie To to one mai-0r dozen mei--
20 and goeth is very barren power compared 20
that which flows 0ut through the columns oi widely
circulated Journal. Therefore, look for these features
10 mark the future character and progress OF American
ftrsL-Hn increased growth Of impcrsonalty in It's
duct There Will he fewer Grcc!cys, baymonds, Bents
Second-An enlarged sense Of the power and respon-
sibitcs of journalism; and with It, an increased dignity
and self respect.
ThTd-A sill greater independence Of mere PARTISAN
snip. ...
Ihis /, alSo the tendency ana c'ssy of It's growth
This somewhat extended extract is WORTH giving
as cxcmplifying Mr. Iiowlcss idea of his profession
and of the important service to which he devoted
his life. This feeling he carried to the management
of his own newspaper. He demonstrated that
country journal need not be duh mediocre, per iNonal
and provincial in the bad sense of TIE word. He
was Undoubtedly fortunate IN the circumstances of
his local position: but il he had been without anlpi-
ton TO produce exceptionally good newspaper he
would have failed 10 avail himself OF his opportunl-
ties great and tempting as they were.
In the last Presidential campaign, Mr.. Row'cs
Illustrated bis ideas of thorough political ndoprn-
dcnce i'm n somewhat peculiar way. Neither party
could claim hn-at least neither party could clam
him long for lie seemed to Ice occupying position
of armed neutrality. Neither candidate was entirely
acccptab!c TO him, for he had IA fayorito candidate
of his own; and the tcnaCity with winch, ia season
and out of season. hc adhered To the plan ot nosI-
Mating Mr. Charles Francis Adams for the i'rcSldcr-
cv spoke volumes for hls Cdndor II not alSp l"r thr
soupdncss OF his Judgment or the value OF bis irIrd-
ship. he accepted the general pdbilc dissent from
his idea Of right and cNpodency WIZ rs GOOD siac'
as hc could commands; aud bad doubtless the salts
faction of knowing that ii be had made a mistake
he had d"re 50 honestly. He did not like mistakes
but he had no morbid fear oi theIh
Few men have had more friends and acquaintance,
than this busy journalist. H. was always travelling
and if he did not know everybody. he knew and va,
known pretty generally and misccllaneously. A
man Is not spoken Of familiarly Sam in San
Francisco. Chicago Washington, Ncw-York and
Boston unless he has marked personal character
isiics and something 10 do with the fluctuations of
public affairs. Mr.. lowlcs found time to make scy-
cral long Journeys, and 10 d",cre IN letters TO IRE
Republican afterwards collect ri IN yolumesl what Inc
saw and heard. In 1850 he published "Acro,s th,s
Continent and III $50, "Our New West and
"Thc switzerland Of America the latter dcscrr
ton Of Colorado. These iImoly works IN which the
scenery. manners, and resources oi interesting.
though conparatiycly unknown regions, were set
forth were well received by the ready public. were
well spoken OF by the critics, and had large sale
Mr.. Bowie. was always worker. When he sup
posed that lac about to die, he said, with smile
10 an old friend: Nothing, the matter with mc but
thiry-fye years of hard work., and he added after
wards: " was never much Of boy: | had very
little boyhood" This lac might we'll say. consider
ing that he was the editor of a daily newspaper be-
fore he had attained bus nIl1iity. He ws cheerful
in the presence of the great change which had come
to him long before he old III years. and rcmcui-
bcrcd kindly his absent friends and a-Socatcs.
Death. which heals all fcuds and arrngcs AL mis-
understandings. has afforded opportunity Of
judgng, aud of judging fayDrthly. the talents the
energy and the indomIt1llc perseverance, of Il man
in many respects remarkable.