The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1905-03-18

81. Hanley Smith, a grandson Of
Samuel Harrison Smith, has recently
shown me an entry in the manuscript
"reminiscences of the latter's widow
indicating that Mr.. Jefferson was re-
sponsible for Mr.. Smiths removal from
Philadelphia to Washington to estab-
lish the famous National Intelligencer.
The memorandum says that during
part of the time that Mr.. Jefferson
was president of the Philosophical So
ciety Of Philadelphia, Mr.. Smith was
its secretary. A prize offered by the
society for the best system of national
education was gained by Mr.. Smith.
The merit of this essay first attracted
the notice of Mr.. Jefferson to it's author.
The personal acquaintance which
then took place led to a friendly in
tercourse, which Influenced the future
destiny of my husband. And it was
by Mr.. Jefferson's advice that he re-
l~m1ved- to washington and established
the National Intelligencer.'
"There is nothing among the Jeffer-
son papers confirming this statement"
continued Mr.. Ford, "but there is no
reason to doubt it's accuracy, and it is
a pleasure to find Mr.. Jefferson en-
couraging an able and upright jour-
nalist.
"In those days papers were gener-
ally short-lived, and, maintained for
campaign purposes only, sank into OBJ
livion after the object Of the campaign
| had been attained. During the Wash
ington administration we find cohort
of such papers, edited, as a rule, by
aliens, whose records before they
refugeed to America were fortunately
thinly yelled in ignorance, with just
enough known to add piquant flavor
to their personalities. 10 pose as mar
tyrs of the persecution of foreign
monarchy was an almost certain pass
port to an American editorial office.
There were newspapers adapted to the
Republican palate and others to the
anti's. OF the latter class were the
Columbian Sentinel, the Hartford
| Newspaper, Noah Webster's Minerva,
Tennow's Gazette, Davies Richmond
paper, etc. The leading Republican
papers were Adams Boston paper,
Greenleaf's of New York, Freneau's
Of New Jersey, Bache's of Philadel-
phia, and Peasants Of Virginia.
While the publishers Of these news
papers were Americans, the principal
writers were Of foreign origin and rep
resented a not very high type of ad-
venturer. A plentiful supply of bill
ingsgate, intense partisanship, trace
of intelligence and bigoted assurance
that the opposing party was entirely
wrong, represented the full outfit of
these so-called journalists. Webster
and Cobbett lived long enough to ex-
haust their partisanship and turn to
instruction in the use Of the English
Language.
LAS the head of the colonial postal
service, Franklin had tlle appointment
of postmasters, and he soon saw that
the profit of the postoffice would be
helpful in sustaining local news
paper. He supplied the types and
press, and it is remarkable in how
many newspapers Franklin had an in
terest, drawing profit from such as
We're edited by postmasters or whose
editors had lucrative appointments as
lprinters to the honorable, the governor
or to the legislature.
"Jdhn Adams admitted the influence
of these men in overthrowing the fed
eralists-Freneau, Duane, Calender,
Cooper and Lyon-with their great
patron and protector, j. e., Jefferson
He called them "a group of foreign
liars, encouraged by few ambitious
native gentlemen, who have discom-
lifted the education, the talents, the vir-
ltues and the prosperity Of the country.
Jefferson had intimate relations
with some of those scribbling immi-
grants, continued Mr.. Ford. William
Duane was one of the ablest if not
the ablest. and his connection with