Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1880-02-06
THE HISTORY OF JOURNALISM.

Interesting Facts az 90 the Newspapers,
Past and Present--BenjamIn Frank
lin and the Boston Press--OpiniOns
OF Great Men.
The Hon. Erastus Brooks, in letter
before the New York Historical Society
recently, gave most interesting sketch
OF the history of journalism-a subject
of general interest and almost limitless
in extent. 1t appears that in l72l there
were but two journals published in the
United States. From ITO to 1925 the
number had increased to 5000, while
now there are 7,500-a number nearly
equal to all the journals published in
every other part of the civilized world.
Like many of our prominent institu-
tions, the history of the press began in
old Rome, where the news was written
in red chalk upon the walls of houses.
Sometimes tablet was thus inscribed
and hung out where the populace could
read it. 1t was in this way that julius
Cesar, who was himself a Journalist,
instructed the people as to the proceed
ings of the Roman senate. The press
was power then as now. In it were
recorded births, deaths, trials, execu-
tions and anecdotes. Reporters were
abroad then as now, and stenographers,
after a method of the period, took down
the debates OF the Roman senate. Ex-
amples of Roman journalism are extant,
among them description of fight in a
public house, in which the landlord was
killed; another of robbery of promi-
nent citizen, and another of the defalca-
ton and absconding of a municipal
officer, who, in this case, was caught
and compelled to refund the money he
had taken. Pontifex Maximus was
editor of the first newspaper published
in Rome.
Cromwell established newspaper
with his army in Scotland, which was
reprint of the London journal. Ma
poleon, also, had paper at Kremlin
during the Russian campaign. Not till
the French revolution was there any
thing like freedom of the press in Eng
land in Italy a new era in journalism
arose with the reign ofVictor Emmanuel.
Old Ben Franklin's paper, in Boston,
called the Cowant, was the first rebel
organ published in the United States
and for little plain talk his brother
James Franklin, was locked up for a
month, and was notified to discontinue
publication. The responsibility of
printing the paper then fell to Benja-
min, who lampooned the Assembly all
he dared. In l772, for simply saying
that the Massachusetts authorities were
tardy in sending out vessels to stop the
pirates marauding off Beech Island,
Franklin brought down upon his head
the wrath of the Assembly. When Bos-
ton had population of 5000 people
the Nes0S-L Letter appeared, and created a
sensation there. The postmaster, John
Campbell, was the publisher.
The Nee0S- Letter appeared on April
"a, 1874, and contained the latest news
from London, thirteen weeks old. After
seventy-two years of existence this
paper gave up the ghost. 1t was usually
printed on a single sheet of foolscap, but
often appeared on half a sheet. During
the war of the American revolution
newsboys ran through the streets O!
New York crying, New newsr New
newsm News of bloody wars and fight
ings" Franklin, who might be called
the founder of the American press, had
his tiffs with his brother aud the State.
When seeking work in London, Frank
lin presented himself at newspaper
office for employment. He was looked
upon with contempt, and asked what
he, coming from America, knew about
the art of printing! Making no reply,
Franklin picked up composing-stick
and set the forty-sixth verse of the first
chapter of John: "And Nathan said
unto him, can there be anything good
come out of Nazarethp Philip said unto
him. come and see" The readiness of
the youth so pleased the printer that
Fran X lin rot pmDlOVmpnt
To Alexander. Hamilton the press of
the country owes the recognition of the
doctrine that ITO publish truth is no
libel" which is now part of the law
of the land, and recognized by all courts.
Hamilton, through the press, also pre-
vented the election of Aaron Burr to
the presidency, and was afterward
called out and killed, for what he had
printed, by Burr.
Madison, Jefferson, Franklin, Web.
ster, Clay, Marcy, and in England
Macintosh, MacauIay, Coleridge, Addi-
son, Steele, Swift, johnson, Goldsmith,
and host of Others, all wrote for the
press. In our day it is too niue II the
custom to complain of the comments of
the press, as it is also too much the
custom to indulge in the license of dis
cussion. The severest critics of the
press are those who had been elevated
into power by its partiality and had
been pulled down again by an abuse of
that partiality. How to read, what to
read, and when to reaG books or news
papers must be put down as one of the
Lnsolved problems Of past or present
times. DR.. johnson said he never took
up a newspaper without finding some
thing he should regret to have lost.
Sydney Smith was never bored even by
Il newspaper. The modern newspaper
should not follow the lead of public
opinion but should become the instruc-
tor of mankind.