The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-12
JOURNALISTIC CHEEK,

There Is one qualification for journalism II
which the PicaVtne excels and that Is cheek
Indeed, we are certain that il drove of gov
ernment mules were ct the head Of that pa.
per 1t could not run heavier on cheek than II
does now. We are led to this complimentary
observation relative to our esteemed con.
temporary by the following double-leaded
leader which it printed yesterday morning:
Attention is called to the report, which 40.
pears elsewhere, of the speech delivered yes
terday by the Hon. jefferson Davis at Mis-
slssippi City to the Association of the Army
| of Tennessee. We desire to state that this r.
| the only correct report of the speech MS 1t was
delivered. The report furnished by the Assoc
ciated Press Is not correct or complete: and
inasmuch as this is the report adopted by our
contemporaries we consider it due to the
public to call attention TO the fact that we
have rejected that report, inasmueh as IL does
not faithfully and fully present the address
as delivered.
Bully for the Pics cheek. Now the facts
are just these: the DEMOCRAT and Picdg1tne
employed, between them, a stenographc re-
porter to take down Mr.. Davis speech, 1t
being understood that he would speak extern
poraneously. Each paper paid half the ex-
pense. At the conclusion of the ceremonies
of the presentation the manuscript Of the
speech, which had been carefully prepared by
ex-Presldent Davis, was given to the DEMO
GRAFT and rendered the Picdvasne. The DEM
ocrat, well aware of the fact that no short
hand reporter can always report q speech
with perfect accuracy, and that members Of
Congress, In almost all cases, after delivering
important speeches hold them back from
publication until revised and corrected
by themselves, and assuming from the tenor
of the manuscript Of Mr.. Davis speech to the
press that he desired it printed as 1t was
therein written, promptly accepted 1t In lieu of
the stenographer's report. The PicGy1r1e, with
characteristic boorishness, If not with actual
discourtesy, but doubtless having the able and
exhaustive leader we have justquoted in view,
refused 1t. The Pic was animated, no doubt, by
the spirit of the little rag yamuffin who was
riding horse slowly along the road on
bitter cold day. The youngsters toes were
nearly frozen, his nose was as red as
o boiled lobsbter, and he was SILVER
ing from head to foot, and shedding
tears of misery. "Why don't you get
down and walk little to warm your
self, sonny" said gentleman who met him
and saw his pitiable condition. "Dod drat It,"
whimpered the little urchin, this is Dor
rowed horse, and I'll ride him IL freeze"
Now the PIC. paid half the cost of the steno-
graph report, and it was determined to use it
in preference to Mr.. Davis manuscript, even
IL 1t frOze and SO 1t did. And now, to
show the superiority of the stenographc
report over the manuscript, we give the fol-
lowing quotation, from among numerous
al hn ~ Nv
printed by the enterprisIng PIC:
The provocations OF your desoTated homes,
your wives and children often left destitute,
might have urged you to deeds OF retaliation,
but there never came voice OF complaint
against you. The peaceful homes Of your
enemies never suffered. by your approach,
and your coming never inspired terror In
anybody.
Angels and Ministers Of Grace! did Jeffer-
son Davis ever utter such twaddle as the en-
terprising PICS report attributes to him2 Is
any man fool enough to suppose that IL the
report printed by the PIC had
fallen into his hands Mr.. Davis would not
have laughed at this slush and revised it so as
to read as hespokeit? What Mr.. Davis wrote
what he said and what he meant, was the fol-
lowing, which is taken from the speech as
published by the DEMOCRAT:
Under provocation the bitterest and oft-re-
peated, yours was never the policy of retalia-
ton. While your homes were laid waste and
your families often left destitute the peaceful
home of an enemy suffered not at your hands
Nor had the non-combatants cause to trem-
BILE at your coming, either in their body or
estate.
There is the splendor of oratory and the
grandeur Of truth in these few lines, What
the PIC. printed and bowls over is simply
slush; the DEMOCRAT paid for half of it, and
the Pic. congratulates itself on its enterprise
in beating the DEMOCRAT. This is journal
ism with vengeance.