New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-30
IN ENGLISH EDITOR on THE 1MERICIN
PRESS.
From, The LOndOn Tslegrdph.

From The London TeIe1rdph.
That there is much TO Ieprehend from an English
point of view in the style and conduct OF the
American press, may be, with some show OF reason,
ma II aimed; STILL q careful study of the history OF
American journalism can scarcely fail to induce the
conviction that it has exhibited within late years
q constant and steady tendency to improyement III
the direction of g the Ieas0nabeness, the purity,
and the moderation of its utterances Those who
find matter for astOnishment and regret IN what
may appear to them to he tho rbaldry, the sour,
rility and the grOssness of attacks Oh pnblic and
private character, in certain journals published IN
the United States would do well to turn to the files
OF American newspapers published forty: or thirty,
or even twenty years ago. They wOnld do better
could they attain access TO the back NUMBERS or
journals published i'll the States during the years
Immediately following the recognition OF American
Independence. and they would he more astOnished
ami more sOrrOwfu to find that the journals when
Tero opposed to the Administration or fres. ,h
fOuest calunnies. public ana private couched ia
the grossest language, on tho Father OF his Conn.
try. Yet should it in fairness he remembered that
the first two models and exemplars of style and
Smper followed by the conductors Of n press born,
so to speak, in tho midst of violent revolutionary
struggle were lot Americans but Engshmen.
American journalists. in the last years OF tho
eighteenth century, were TAIN to take lessons m
silyern- voiced Tom Paine and the y-tOngued
William Goblet In the whole history OF journal
ism there is perhaps. nothing in the way or savage
Ytuperaton and scandalOus imputatiOns equal 10
the controversy between CObbett in the "POrcu-
pino Letters. and the Democratic section OF tho
Phladelphian press. llowfar these amenities may
have acted upon the after tone and temper OF the
American press it would be difficult to ascertain;
but it cannot be doubted that the influence OF early
example in journalism as in most other things
strikes deeper and lasts longer than is ordinarily
imagined. -
That much offensive personality and good deal
of downright scurrility disigured the American
press at the period OF Charles Dckenss Ist visit 10
the United States nearly forty years ago, ~ UNI
deniabie; and the indignant descriptions IN mar
tin ChuZzlewit" of the New-YOrk "Stsbber" the
Sewer and the KeyhOe Listener" were, albeit
carcstures, founded on a substratum Of truth. Mr..
ni.l, "
man, fresh from the ranks OF repntabio fhglsh
journalism and who hal been tho pupil OF one OF
the ablest and most upright newspaper editors OF
the last generation failed wholly tG grasp the fact
that the circumstances OF country n lst to vast
extent influence the orYanizat1n ana aspee. ~ h i.s
in the Great Republic practically OF the loosst ana
vaguest nature. Sometimes 1T has been strained
ami made to act with great stIingency but u -
not n Federal law; the different States disagree
among themselves as to the amount or crimihaiiy
which attaches to printed calumny; and a. inlo
It NAV be SAID that in ninety-nine cases ont or
huDdIed newspaper articles which IN England
would give rise to civil criminal proceedings pass
il must be remembered that the Americans are al
most continually in the throes OF an election. either
Federal local either political, judicial or mum.
cipal and in electoneering, as in love ana IA war u
| is difficult to preserve tair play. On the other
| hand. newspaper Islander does much less Marin IN
America than it does in Engand; fer tne reason a~
not read New. York newspapers; Boston - wholly
Indifferent to the journalism Of Chicago; and New
Francisco. Editors all over the Union exchange
their papers with each other but only for the pur-
pose of cullIng from as many columns as possible
the largest amount procurable of drOll anecdotes
and humorous locutiOns. Libel there is generally
local. AMI not seldom dull and person caumnl-
ated in New-York would run very little risk OF find:
ing the SANDER repeated in a newspaper published
in Ohio or IN Texas. In England the London news
papers are circulated from one end OF the kingdom
to the other. The palpabe ameoration in the ut
terances of the American press may be ascribed to
the general sottening and refinement of the manners
OF the American people which has taken place dur.
ing the last twenty years, and is continually and
steadily progressing
The principal shOrtcOming OF the American press
is its widespread and seemingly incurable irrevcr-
ence-that irreverence which seems TO be, indeed,
the handspring of American humOr both IN journal
ism and In literature. TO find the cause for this
almost universal tendency to speak jocularly OF
things OF which We are accustomed 10 s. eak rev.
erently, 10 would be necessary to dig very deeply
into the history of American civilization. Perhaps
the cOuntrymen Of the grim Purltans who framed
the " Blue Laws" of Connecticut and printed IN
the margin to each sour enactment justification
in the shape of text from Scripture. may have
been made from generation to generation little
too commonly familiar with vocabulary and
history which Engllshmen shrink from turning into
rdcule Oyer-famiarIty, we all know, breeds