Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-21
HISTORY OF NEWSPAPERS
Had Their Beginning in Rome Before the
Christian Era
When the Gazetta Was Started in
Venice-EIizabetht the First
Publisher in England.


From the London Standard.
The germ of newspapers is found in an
Gent Rome That government, some two
centuries previous to the Christian era, is
known to have promulgated it's edicts by
means of written papers affixed to pillars.
Nor was there much difference between the
style of these acta diurnia, as they were
termed, and that which now prevails
further than that the former was more
brief and simple. and deficient in introduce
tory phrases and the editorial we" They
generally gave the news or occurrence in
simply indicative sentences without intro
ductien or comment of any kind.
Most of these acta, which have been pre-
served, are found to mention but one
two events. They headed with the date
in Roman fashion. and the name of the
then consul, and paragraphs such as the
following formed the staple: ut Numbered,
and an oak was struck with lightning on
that part of Mount Palatine called Summa
Nevia, early in the afternoon "Murena,
the consul, sacrificed early in the morning
in the Temple of Castor and PolluX, and
afterward assembled the senate in Pom
pegs senate house" &c. Caesar set out
for his government in farther Spain. hav-
ing long been detained by his creditors"
l. will be observed, too that these
announcements were made at a central
part of the city. only those persons who
had leisure to go thither were able to avail
themselves of the intelligence in its
thentic form; so that the utility of such
papers must have been very narrow and
confined.
Lnck of Information.
1t is hardly possible for us now, with all
the lights of science around and the shoals
of newspapers with which we are supplied,
to form a proper notion of the darkness
which for want of these involved the
masses of the people for many centuries
after the fall of the Roman empire. We
are told that the crusaders were SO gnor-
ant of geography that at every town they
approached in central Europe they inquired
if it were jerusalem When they at length
reached their destination their exploits
would have remained unknown for Years
to their relatives and friends at home had
not at times some few struggling pilgrims
found their way back to the west. Even
had news in those days could not, contrary
TO the proverb. travel fast. Every little
community must then have lived much
within itself. Their own town, at most
county. would be the limit of their little
world.
Origin of the Gmzzctta.
1t was not until the sixteenth century
that anything at all approaching even to
the scanty Roman acta diurnia can be
found to have revived in the modern world.
The war which the Venetian republic
waged against the Turks gave rise in 1853
TO the custom Of communicating the mill
tary and commercial information in Venice
by written sheets, nOtizic scritee. to be read
in q particular place to those DESTROYS of
hearing the news, who paid for this privi-
lege with d coin 10 longer in use. called
gazzetta. a name which came in time to be
applied TO the neWS-Sheet itself both in
Italy and France, and subsequently in Eng
land, when this mode of imparting news
came into nse. The Venetian government
eventually gave these announcements in
rpUlIllr mont h. DIt thew
were too jeaions to allow them to be
printed. Only few written copies were
transmitted to such as subscribed and paid
for th@m Thirty volumes of these valuable
manuscript newspapers exist in the Magll
Bechian Library at Florence. About the
same time advertising wants comm 2nced.
the father of Montague, the celebrated
essayist. being credited with the suggestion
for making the wants of individuals known
to the public in France. These were received
al offices established for the purpose. and
were firstly posted on the walls of public
places. receiving the names of affiches. In
time this led to systematic and periodic
publication in sheets. These were termed
afficheS, in consequence OF their contents
being originally fixed up placardS,
though the word itself is French for adver-
tiSeEnent.
Elizabeth az a Publisher.
1t is TO England as represented by Queen
Elizabeth that the honor of commencing
printed sheets of public intelligence is to
he asclibed. When the Spanish armada
threatened an invasion of this country that
sage queen remarking the disadvantage of
the vague and alarming rumors which cir
culated everywhere, resolved to inform her
people truly of the impending dangers. She
began to publish from time to time a sheet
bearing the following title: The English
Mercuire, published by authorize, for the
contradiction of false reports" OF this
publication three copies are preserved in
the British Museum, the earliest. No. 80
bearing date the ODD of July. 1858. The
first article, dated from Whitehall contains
advices from Sir Francis Walsingham that
the armada was seen in the channel. MAX
ing for the entrance with a favorable gale.
An account is then given of her majesty's
fleet, which consisted of eighty sail, di-
vided into four squadrons, commanded by
the lord high admiral, in the Ark Royal
Sir Francis Drake. and Admirals Hawkins
and Frobisher. Under the head, London,
there is an account of an Interview which
the mayor and corporation had on the pre-
vious day with her majesty. for the pur-
pose of assuring her of their resolution to
stand by her with their lives and fortunes
to the last. Under the same head appears
the following paragraph: Yesterday the
Scotch ambassador had a private audience
of her majestic, and delivered a letter con-
taininge the most cordial assurances OF ad-
herring to her majestie'S interests, and to
those of the Protestant religion, and the
younge king. James With said to her maj
esties minister at his court that all the
favour he expected of the Spaniards was
the courtesie of Polyphemus to Ulysses,
that ne should be devOured to the last"
We wonder what would be thought of
Dassado.s in these days If they interlarded
their oral communications with such CLASH
cal references
Manila Cigars.