The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1880-10-01


Letter to John Norvel. lsOg.l
To your reques, OF my opinion of the manner
in which a newspaper should be conducted,
so a. to be most useful, should answer, By
restraining it to true facts and sound principles
only Yet fear such paper would find few
subscribers. IL is q melancholy truth, that q
suppression OF the press cnuld not more com
pleiely deprive the nation of its benefit, than il
done by its abandoned prostitution to falsohood
Nothing can now be believed which is seen in q
newspaper Truth itself becomes suspicious by
heing put into that polluted vehicle. The seal
extent of this state of msinformaiiOn Is known
only to those who are in situations TO confront
facts within their knowledge with the lies ef the
day. really look with commiseration over the
great body Of my fellow citizens, who, reading
newspapers, live and die IN the helief, that they
have known something Of what has been passing
in the world In their time; whereas the accounts
they have read in newspapers are just - true
history of any other period Of the world % Of
the present, except that the real names of the
day are affixed to their fables. General facts may
indeed be collected from them, snch - that En-
rope is now at war, that Bonaparte has been q
successful warrior, that he has subjected gfeak
portien Of Europe to his will, &C., &C.; bls 10
details can be relied on. win add, that the
man who never looks into . newspaper b bet
ter informed than be who reads them: iunsmncA
as he who knows nothing 10 nearer to truth than
he whose mind 10 filed with hlsehoods and er@
rors. He who reads nothing win learn great
facts, and the details are al hlse."
Such were the newspapers 0f JeAerson's time.
To compare them side By side with the news-
papers OF the present day, We have only 70 Rad
his description Of an ideal editor and his work
Perhaps an editor might begin Felnrmsiion
in some snch work as this Divide his paper into
four chapters, heading the 1st Truths; "a, pfub-
abilities; I'd, Pnssibillties; zth, Liea. The GuG
chapter would be vesy sh0rt - IL wonld eppr
tain little more than authentic papers, and infbf-
mation from such sources, - the elliisr w1al1
be willing to risk his own reputatinn far theis
truth. The second would coniain what, non .
mature consideration Of ell circnmstssean, his
Judgment should conclude to be psohabY true.
This, however. should rather contain loo little
than tao mnch. The third and lnurth ahen1d be
professedly fer those readers who would rather
have lies fos their money than the blAnk pmpel
they would occupy.
such an editor, too would have 10 set his face
against the demOraiixing practice of feeding she
public mind habituAlly IN siander, and - q.
pravity Of taste which this nauseous aliment IN
duces. Defamation b becoming . neceanary a
life; insomueh that dah of ~ d H. nnpsninG
or evening cannot be digested without the sima-
lAnt Even these who do nol believe thess nhnuh.
inafionz, ssili Tead them wifh osup1ainncn 4
their auditnrs and instead az The ahkorrenco a11
indignation which should an vfgsuoW mind
be,Fzy secret pleasure in ehe pnesfhflfty 80
some may believe them, though they - ~
themselves. II seems 70 escape the8, tkax s &
mt he who psines. buf be who pmyB 90 psin1in1
. aslander. Who , - reai au1hpr.