The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-09

filled to the letter.
VI.
1t will be remembered that Lord Palmerston
was dismissed from the post 81 Foreign Secre-
tary tor Officially recognizing the Government
created by tho c"Ug d'hnt without previously
consulting the Queen or Prince Albert. or Lord
John Russell. thu Prime Minister. Reeve wrote
in the Tjn"es "A series % vehement articles
against Louis Napoleon, which caused Lord
Granville Palmerston's successor. to make the
following suggestion in n note: However de-
served such cnstigation NAV I've. 1t will be n
serious responsibility ~ goad Louis NAPOLEON
on TO acts of violence which may hc seriously
announcement 10 us In a reply Reeve pro-
rounded his views Of journalistic responsible.
~; should ncree with you in hcprecating the
censlre Of the Times on the French Govern
m"nt II | thought that it had been incit.
ed by any foolish desire ~ guad on Louis
Napoleon 10 acts " violence. or that 1t
had been carried beyond tho bounds
Of a Just rom mentarvo on the events of the day"
What are those bounds? The responsibility
OF journalists Is In proportion to the liberty
they enjoy. No moral obligation can be
greater. But their duties are not the same. |
think. as those Of statesmen. To ind out the
true state OF facts. TO report them with fidelity.
to arply to them Strict and fixed principles Of
justice. humanity and law: to inform. as far as
possible. tho very conscience OF nations. and TO
call down the judgment Of the world on what
is false or base or tyrannical. appear to me 10
be the first duties OF those who write. Those
uron whom the greater part OF political
action deNolrcs are. necessarily. governed by
other rules. After drawing this broad dis
tilrti1h between he function Of Journalists and
that OF executive statesmen. Reeve went on to
say that In this particular case | further see
advantage from the course ot "A fair and indie
pendent judgment on these affairs. II will rot.
perhaps. he forgotten hv France. when her
press RECEIVERS its voice and her real leaders
their power. that the public opinion OF England
protested with Indignation against the violence
done to her neighbor: and. "a | believe this
eclipse otliberty In France to be as e~phcmernlas
1t is violent. 1t would be a permanent source Of
resentment abroad il this country had not cx-
pressed what every free people must feel on
such an occasion. Nor is it. in my opinion,
useless or unnecessary to keep alive in Eng
land n strong feeling on this subject. This ma
ton ia a good deal enervatcd by a long
peace. by easy habits OF intercourse. by
peace societies and false economy. To
surmount the dangerous consequences Of
such q state. the Government will require the
support OF public opinion. and that can only be
obtained by convincing our countrymen OF the
truth mat we have now n dangerous and faith
less nei4hbor. Happen what may. there Is
nothing 80 important as to sustain a tone of
moral Independence and a clear Judgment
among the people of England. who will grudge
no sacrifices II they are convinced that the
principles they cherish are even indirectly
threatened from abroad. Lord Granville ac-
knowledged that the principles laid down by
Reeve were sound. Your letter" he said. lis
able and unanswerable. | have no doubt that
what the Times says is right. and that
it is justified in saving it." Reeves let
ter and Lord Granville's were laid be-
fore Delane. the editor of the Times. who
thoroughly approved Of the POSITION taken
that a Journalists duty is not identical with a
Minister'S. The two may have the same OBJ
lcct in view. but their means o! attaining it
are. necessarily. different. A Minister should
not substitute leading articles for civil de-
s~patches. neither should a journalist bore
and perpleH his readers with materials for a
blue book. Again, it was a Journalistic dui TO
protest In the name 81 justice and humanity
against such an outrage az the 'Oup d'S'nt,
whereas Minister. whatever he might feel as
a private person. was bound. in his dealings
with the French Government. to suppress his
personal opinions.
An important. and. indeed. decisive change
in Reeves literary career occurred in the
course Of 1870 In February Of thar year Sir
George Cornewell Lewis. who mad Just sue
cc"d"d 20 his haroretcy. his fathers seat in
Parliament and f4.OOn a year. became Chan
""Ilor OF the Exchequer on GIadStone's quitting
TIA" Cabinet. As he was then editor Of the
kd1Ln0t K'r;r,r. L substitute was wanted in
that post. Reeve was asked to perform the
dIty Tor two numbers. leaving Lewis at liberty
10 resume IN" editorship later. or to resign
altogether. In July Lewis found that the Min
istry was not SO precarious as he had at first
SlnIpSpl II IA Ln and then Ia1ritaI, rati..J
from the editorship The MeHsrs. LonEman
then offered Reeve the Permanent editorslip.
which he accepted on condition that he should
lie at liberty to publish his opinions else
where should he desire. What followed
- thus described: Il told Drlane what
had passed aud said that nv chief
reason for insisting uTon the condition
was that | felt It would be unhandsomr TO my
Old friends At the Times 10 retire from the
journal in the present state OF affairs: but I
added that I certainly did not intend to hold
permanently the two literary offices besides
my duties a. the Privy Council. 80 the thing
went on. and from February to Octcber. 1850,
| did hold them all. contributed largely 10 the
paper and worked the Judicial Committee
In September. however. nelane went abroad
for recreation. leaving his brother-in-law,
Dasent. in charge Of the paper. and expecting
Reeve 10 write the foreign policy and war arti-
'l'"' ~ 'lN'A bulftllN ullht SllulIdT CIR
cnmstarces. the arrangement did not work
sn oothly, and when the acting editor claimed
the right to discuss foreign questions in
accordance with his own opinions rather
than in accordance with those o. his
powerful contributor. Reeve felt that IL
was time FOR him to withdraw, and he did SO.
We and a reference to the matter in his Iour-
nal; This terminated my long connection |
with the papcr. which began in June, 1910. and
ended in October. 1Sj5-ifteen years and four
months. | believe | wrote in that time about
2.4S2 articles. and received upward OF $4,000
for them. Reckoning each article ut three |
common pages Of print. | must lave written
about fftcen octave volumes OF 800 pages each, |
lOngman was. ot course. delighted at this
occurrence and D"lane extremely annoved
when he returnedr 10 England. our friendship, |
however. suffered no interruption. and he OK
pressed 10 my wife, even more strongly than
- me-. his regret at my secession Reeve ex-
presses tn" belief thai no one had ever written
as much as h" had done in tho English press
with equal opportunities 81 acquiring informn-
ti1t, ~, tho animate bo ,,r,Ta-sol ., ... |