The herald., 1898-05-18
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3 FIRST NEWSPAPERS IN WAR :
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Il OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES q g q

In the present exciting epochs OF grea
national Importance, when news and news
papers take on an extraordinary interest
some Information of their first publication
cannot fail to be Of especial consequence.
For this important information we are
indebted to George Chalmers of London
who, after thorough investigation, fount
that mankind is indebted to England ane
to the wisdom of Queen Elizabeth and th'
prudence and sagacity Of Burleigh for the
first newspaper. And also that the epocf
of the Spanish armada is the epoch OF the
genuine newspaper. In the British mu-
scum are several newspapers which were
printed while the Spanish fleet were In tho
English channel during the year 1888.
1t was here that the great utility and
Importance Of the newspaper was nrst rec
ognized, as 1t was a wise policy to prevent
during the time of general excitement and
anxiety the danger of false reports by
publishing real and authentic information
The English Mercurie was the first news
paper published, which by authority was
imprinted at London by Christopher Bark
er, her highness' printer. 1888.
Burleighs newspapers were all extraor-
binary gazettes, which were published from
time to time as that profound statesman
wished either to inform or terrify the peo-
pie The Mercuries were probably frs,
printed in April, 1885, when the Spanish
armada approached the shores of England
After the Spanish ships had been dispersed
by wonderful exertion OF prudence and
spirit these extraordinary gaxettes very
seldom appeared.
The Mercurie, No. 81, dated Monday. No
vember "a, 1888, informed the public thai
the solemn thanksgiving for the successe:
which had been obtained against the Span.
ish armada was this day strictly observed
This number also contains an article OF
news from Madrid, which speaks Of putting
the queen to death and of the instruments
of torture that were on board the Spanish
fleet.
We may suppose that such paragraphs
were designed by the policy of Burleigh
who understood all the articles of printing
such reports to excite the terrors of the
English people, to point their hatred and
resentment against Spain and to inflame
their love for Elizabeth. OF the three
numbers Of the English Mercurie preserved
two are printed In modern type and one In
old English.
In the reign of James I. packets Of news
were occasionally published in the shape
of small pamphlets, entitled News From
Italy, Hungary" etc. In the year 1922
when the thirty years war was on and the
exploits of Gustavus Adolphus excited GU
riosity, the occasional pamphlets were con-
verted into a regular weekly, entitled
Certain News of the Present Week."
1t was during the civil war that news.
papers first acquired that political import
ance which they have ever since retained
Whole flights of "Diurnals" and "Mercu-
ries" in small quarto then began to be dis
seminated by the different parties into
which the state was divided.
Nearly a score are said to have been
started in 1913, when the war was at its
height Peter Heylin in his "Cosmog-
raphy." mentions that the affairs of each
town or the war was better presented In
the weekly news books. Some papers
were entitled News From Hull Truths
From York. Warranted Tidings From
Ireland" and Especial Passages" from
other places.
AS. the contest proceeded the Impotence
of the public for early intelligence short
ened the intervals of publication, and pa
pars began to be distributed twice or thrice
a week. Among these were the French In
telligencer. the Dutch Spy, the Scots Dove
the Parliament Kite. the Secret Owl and
other odd titles. One paper would have
printed on one side THE Weekly Discov-
erer'' and on the other 1.-The Weekly Dis
coverer Stripped Naked" There were also
Papers of a humorous kind, such as News
From Hell,' 1.-THE Laughing Mercury
etc.
And so important an auxiliary was the
press even at that time considered that
each of the rival armies carried printer
along with them.
The first newspaper ever printed in
Scotland was issued under the auspices VI
q party of Cromwefl's troops at Leith. who
caused their attendant printer to furnish
Impressions of London diurnal for Their
information and amusement
The Mercurious Caledonius had some
very amusing traits Of the extravaganza Joy
occasioned by the restoration, along with
much that must be set down as only the
product of very poor wit trying to say
clever and amusing things. After this the
Scotch had only reprints Of the English
newspapers till $780, when the Edinburgh
Gazette was established.
The first newspaper published in this
country appeared about the beginning Of
100, entitled the Boston News Letter. In
1720-21 a second paper was started in Bos
ton-the New England Courant-by James
brother of Benjamin Franklin; and the lat
ter in 1929 became editor and publisher 81
the Pennsylvania Gazette, in Philadelphia
the best paper then published.-Ira Gale
Tompkins in Chicago Times-Herald.
Is This Truee
The mass of the American people do no,
th,t Ii, ho To- or