Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-06-28
NO. 26.
william Cullen Brysnt u. "a JournaiI.,.

u i'u hho ANtN Aoih hNtHluE IuhNsl
Mr.. Bryants poems offer no hint, suggest
no suspicion, of the capacity, still less of the
taste for the sharp collisions, the always be-
ginning and never ending strife and competi-
tion Of the newspaper. Yet we suspect that
great as was his delight in the exploration of
all the stores Of ancient and modern learning
joyful rs was the labor with which he COM
mitted TO the world noble thoughts and fine
fancies in exquisite settings Of verse; he found
the liveliest and most enduring satisfaction in
the work of the journalist. At all events, it
is this part Of his work which is most inter-
esting TO newspapers-which concerns espe-
cially the newspaper whose honorcd head he
has been for more than fifty years, and which
for that time has held chief place in bis
thoughts. Mr. Bryant was a newspaper man
and something more. That is to say, while
he had a relish for the keen encounters of
daily journalism and was well equipped for
Them while he had n quick eye for the pres
ent and passing aspects of things and ready
hand to turn them to account, he regarded
the newspaper not merely as "A vantage ground
from which to shoot folly as it though
he could do that upon occasion with incisive
and unerrng shaft. He knew that in the col
umns of the newspaper could be done much
of the work which the statesman does in the
Legislative hall and in the executive council
chamber. He resolved to do some of this
work and he did great deal of it, SO in
the controversies of the day. in the attacks
and defences and criticisms and retorts which
were even more plentiful in the newspapers
of the past than in those of the present, he
kept a serious and certain purpose steadily in
view. The daily discussions which some
times are held to be valuable only because
they serve to get to-day's newspaper out in
readable fashion-were employed by Mr.. Bry-
ant to support fixed convictions to bring pub
lie opinion into line with body of principles,
and TO hold it there. According to one theo-
ry of journalism, to-day is the whole of life,
and to let tomorrow take care of itself is a
part of newspaper religion. 1t cannot be de-
MED that the practice of this theory is effect
i've. To treat what is-uppermost to-day simp-
ly because it is uppermost, without caring
what may be uppermost tomorrow to fix
the readers attention to-day, no matter upon
what and no matter where his attention may
be to morrow-to do this certainly is to make
an entertaining newspaper, if not successful
one. This was not Mr.. Bryant's theory. To
him to-day was by no means the whole of
life, and he was not disposed to let tomorrow
take care of itself. On the contrary, to-day
was chiefly valuable to him so far as it provi-
ded for tomorrow. That is to say, he used
the newspaper conscientiously to advocate
views of political and social subjects which he
| believed to be correct. He set before him
self principles whose prevalence he regarded
as beneficial to the country or to the world,
] and his constant purpose was to promote
their prevalence. He looked upon the jour
nal which he conducted as a conscientious
statesman looks upon the official trust which
has been committed to him or the work which
| he has undertaken-not with view to do
what is to be done to-day in the easiest or
most brilliant way, but so to do it that it may
tell upon what is to be done tomorrow, and
all other days, until the worthiest object of
ambition is achieved. This is the most use
full journalism and, first and last, it is the
most effective and influential