New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-17
MR. FREEMAN'S IMPRESSIONS.
ESPECIALLY AS TO AMERICAN NEWS
PAPERS.


in a neat I2mo VOLUME. is something more than
,anrint of tb, Impressions which have appeared IN
two of the English magazines. The substance or
+bosa article, is here together, saws tho author,
with .n nm ,unt Of new matter at least a. large as
the articles themselves. Large parts OF the maga-
zine papers have been republished in America anu
there is nothing in the present voiumo to distin-
euish the from the old matter. All OF H. VIII
venture TO say Of interest to the American
errors as well as truths but the only section can
say "a word about this morning is that on American
newspapers. Tne newspaper is a subject Un Whl;h
Mr.. Freeman interesting because he Is Dot an ex-
pert; truth which to nun will not seem the less
truth because 1t is clothed in the garb of paradox.
We are ALL mean all journalIsts-too much dis-
posed to look at a newspaper with purely PROBES
sonal eye. The Office opinIou rules hut the
opinion of the public is surely more Important, ana
more decisive than that of the few men who are
concerned IN the production of newspapers. Mr'
Freeman is one Of the public. He is one OF the most
positive men now living, takes strong Views anu
thu reason of his mistakes IS commonly worth ma
ing out When ne happens to be right, he Is fighe
IN a very convincing way
Now American newspapers. says Mr. freemah'
are very characteristic OF America IN the sense OF
being unlike all other newspapers as America Is
unlike all other countries. But they are not char
cause alas there is no country which 1t would be
mole unfair to Judge of by its newspapers" The
higher class OF American papers represent level OF
American lite lower than the level of English LIE
which is represented by the English newspapers
THIS Is painful if tue. Mr.. Freeman. vino has
Jury Law yors haiti of saying the thing over
more than once, to the end that the du-witted may
not miss his meaning puts II again with more lul-
ness: OF the American daily papers one may fairy
cay that the very best do not so uear to repre-
sening the thoughts and feelings of the best class
of Americans as the best English newspapers come
to representing the and feel Of the best
class Of Eug shnen." The gap LIE is afraid. IS
rather wide in either case, but certainly much
wider ia the American case; remark which per-
haps savOrs of mild pedantry. IL will not do 10
Judge newspapers by the standard which is fitting
one for literature the one hand, the drawing
room the other.
Mr. Freeman's first complaint of American news
papers rs, naturally enough. their personality lie
goes far TO call 1t vulgar personality and ex
pains that by this lie does hot mean merely speak
ing evil of people; he meals a Iuere personal
gossip Of every kind" He is willing to admit that
Kings Presidents aud Prime Ministers must pay the
penalty OF their greatness in being more talked
about than other men. But III American daily
newspapers, everybody is talked about; the Oh
tcurest people have to endure discussions aud jests
upon their personal affairs and pecullartles; gossiD
such as Is certainly seen in decent English
daily paper about Mr. Gladstone. OF the so called
society Journal in England Mr.. Freeman has head,
but il is not to them he is referring He regards
them as a very unpleasant invention. or rather re-
vival and has good word TO say for them.
So much the harder is his condemnation of the
American press when lac declares that the foremost
daily papers play the part of society paper. and a
very nfercr society paper as well. With the tngle
OF that lash laid smartly your back, you will not
be unduly elated if quote what Mr.. Freeman pro
ceeds to say about you
al suppose that, taking one thing with another,
THE NEw-YoIK TRIBUNE is the best of the Amer
lean daily papers. 1t would stand high any where
both for ability aud for character. But even He
NEw-YoRK TRIBUNE admits personal paragraphs
which would certainly never md tnelr way Into
The Iimes, The Daily Ae,rS, or The standard"
In which circumstances it may he balm to your
wounds to know that of your neighbUrs is worse
than you are in the matter CT personality. The per-
sonal paragraphs of The Nec York Herald are a by
word" 1t is not. continues the remorseless Mr..
Freeman that they are always scurrilous; IL Is
their extreme Stiffness that strikes more than ans
thing else" And no finds it hard TO conceive for
what kind of people they can he written; " GER
tainy not for the kind of people with whom
spent my time in America" Yet even for The Her
aid Mr. Freeman has good word. 1t is the only
often mesgre and confused, account Of general
European affairs the collection of American news
il wonderful; it is marvel of successful enter
prise; but its literary level is low. | wonder
whether Mr.. Freeman ever heard the story myth.
ical or otherwisel of the elder Benefits decisive
answer to the friend who asked him why his paper
was not better written. I" Better written! b it,
man, The Herald is written for men WHO can't read.
But that was long ago.
Mr.. Freemans second explanation OF the inferior
ity of the American newspaper to the English il
that there is no American London. The London
paper aspires to he national means to he read aud
understood all the country. and the VOL lC
even, and hence leaves Local news to purely loca
press and y sey and honorably eschews mere per
sonal gossip. But American pa per can have
this national character, because no American city
hear it, We New YOrkers,-is a national centre in tn,
sense in which London is" London AYERS Mr.
Freeman, not without truth, Is New York. Washing
ton and the capital of each mans own State. rolled
into one. He actually makes IT ground Of criti-
csm that the New York papers polish New-lOrb
news; notwithstanding which little blemish they
"coins nearer than any other to the character o
national papers" The remark about the national
character of the London papers is perfectly accur
ate in sense and their calm Indifference to all
London news which is not Parliamentary or socia
might be panted in stranger cOlOrs. At tho SAME
time they have over and over again proved them
selves out Of touch with the great body OF tho ma
ton they aspire To represent and to guide. The
influence in what they call the provinces is now
secondary rather than direct. They influence more
or less members of Parliament and other news
papers Twenty years ago they were all but OH
nipotent in the world Of English journalism. tn
Times a power in Manchester not less than il
London. For reasons which have stated befOr
now. and cannot stop to repeat, they have let thi
authority to great extent slip away from them
and they not likely to recover it, But they Dc
retain the ponufcal tone which they took in thei
days of wider power They preach with junction
ubi ct orb. They ignore the great papers of Man