The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-04-13
ELECTRIC WARFARE.
KILLING TINE AND SPACE.
s.we Of the Remarkable Achievements OF
MsSern journalism In che Ma"er OF yet
ting News.


v.~v ssw probably. who received az
ths,r breaksast-sables yesterday the news
,hst orr gallant troops were actually at
.sa, very moment engaged with the Arabs
~ Ts,,sn,eb failed 20 be struck with the
-, Sswsui results worked In modern times
~, ne electric telegraph aud other deyel-
onments OF modern journsiism. Before
the blood shed upon the thirsty sand had
time 70 dry, while the smoke OF the guns
was still hanging about the shrubs from
which our soldiers bad driven me
enemy. and the wounded We're stlt
wing in the captured rihe-pits, English
man and African together. people here al
home bad read the welcome news that Us
man Digna was beaten. and that his IN.
trenchments were occupied by our regl-
ments. As the fight proceeded, ana teie-
gram after telegram arrived describing
each phase OF the memorable day, IL SEEM
ed as IL the scenes which the special CORE
spendent had under his eyes were actualy
nj the readers door, and in the inagina-
tiou space and time were practically ell
faced. In the old days men were content
10 wait for their news. They took II IKE
their port, crusted. After an engagement
borsemen rode TO the nearest seaport with
the generals dis patches, a Sc swift "-sanllng
shin cot under way. and, according to tue
state of the weather, arrived In que
course in harbor. The special messen-
ger again took up the precious packet,
and. riding "extra post" delivered II
in so many days INTO the sovereignNS
hands. By royal pleasure 1t was c0mfn1-
picsted TO ministers, and by aud by the
clasbjng OF bells and the salutes oil cannon
announced 10 London that another famous
victory had been won. And then, 1t might
he the tide of fortune would turn. For
time Is checkered, and perhaps on the very
day that our soldiers were dying hard,
oyerpowered by the enemy, while our
flags and our cannon were in the hands OF
the foe, England, by order OF the Court,
would be celebrating publicly the original
victory, and utterly ignorant. during their
reiojciugs, OF the catastrophe which had
subsequently, occurred. And so, step by
stem. the campaign would drag along, and
the events OF one year be the news OF the
next.
To 20 even still further back in history.
when Chinese lethargy, As compared win
European activity, possessed even the
most enteTprising nations, and intelligence
crept In a fumbling, purbhnd way around
the sleepy globe-in those DAYS men knew
nothing OF their contemporaries; they
talked only Of the previous generation OF
their neighbors. Acquaintance were all
posthumous. The returning hero, as
rule, brought his own news, or al any
rate arrived in time to enjoy the first en-
tbusissm OF his country. The intelligence
OF victory was given to the people together
with the spoils. The public got It's earli'
est information at first hand; but nova
DAYS we grumble at single days delay.
Who cares for yesterdays The special corr e.
spondent sees the crisis OF the day, aud VIII
tie picture OF the battle still before his
ewes turns from the field and rides H.
hard as horse or camel can 90. over
head the Photograph is flashing the news
officially from point to point, but he reaches
the telegraph office, and the race is his.
The magic needle goes at work, and a"
sheet after sheet flies from under his pencil,
he is sure that, il no accident superyenes,
they are reading at home the words as he
writes them; and, his dispatch finished, hc
rides back to the field easy in his mind, Tor
he knows that enough Is already published
in London TO make the country glad; while
fuller details must wait till the battle il
fairly finished and the last sulky gun ST.
fenced. The modern newspaper can
not have patience. Tomorrow is close al
hand with It's own urgencies to be attended
10, It's own chronicles to be written.
The modern reader has even less,
for the Londoner OF to-day can often BE-
heard grumbling in the evening that there
il nothing later than the news OF noon.
Only that satisfies which is immediate
The telegraph goes on pouring into Flee'
street the news of the four continents
every minute Of the day and night, and
simultaneously the dramas of life, wher-
ever being acted, are reproduced in our
city hour by hour. We watch at the SAME
moment the advance Of Russian troops IN
Central Asia, of the French in China, Of
the British in the Soudan. We are
informed of the movements OF every
crowned head Of Europe; in the same
column and on a single sheet stand side
by side the doings Of every capital OF great
city of the world. Cultivated. therefore.
to such pitch OF luxury in its news, hu.
manity not only forgets how short time
has elapsed since the leisurely, easy-going
DAYS OF stage-coach and sailing ship, but
projects Imagination into the future, en-.
yious of the superior appliances for re-
rations after us will enjoy. The wonders
OF electricity, instead Of contenting US
satisfying our requirements only open up
to ,ls new possibilities. and make Ills eager
10 possess that which is reserved for pos
terity. We grudge them their date, ana
think ourselves ill-used in mol being per-
mitted to anticipate the coming miracle.
The philosophy Of the Chinese has no
charms for our active spirits. In Catnay
one hall the empire knows no more OF the
other half than it does OF the moon. mes
senger arrives at the court with the In
formation OF rebellion on the frontier,
and the troops are ordered to march. The
rebels have year or so TO themselves, Dul
the imperial troops arrive at last, and when
they once commence arriving they never
leave of. The orders OF Pekln are that
troops shall be concentrated there till the
rebellion Is thoroughly stamped out, so
battalion after battalion crawls oil, and the
campaign goes on. News, several months
old, keeps coming Ia !, but the prodigious
persistence OF Chinese effort. when once
aroused, is not 10 be baked. Hurry
Is no object time Of no value.
Regiments arrive. build villages, and
sow crops. Other regiments come after
them, occupy the same halting-places,
and reap the harvest Of their predecessors.
As years pass on, two generations OF the
same family are in the beld together. All
this while, however, the empire Is in pro-
ioundest tranquility, and apparently COM
pletely indifferent 10 the course OF events.
The news that II has pleased the Emperor
tc, confer decoration button or feather
upon the ancestors OF successful general
gives the public a hint that there has
been victory somewhere. But they ac'
cept IL as. matter OF history, and dc
not affect any more exhilaration at the
intelligence than an EnglishmaD Of to-day
might do upon hearing that the French
had been badly defestedat Agincourt. This
natural letbargy strikes the European with
his telephones and telegraphs, six-and-a-
halliday passages TO New York, and express