Year: 1868

CONSISTENCY IN JOURNALISM.


From the Round Table, June 81
unusually thoughtful and well expressed article on
newspaper consistency, some Of the points OF which,
u not especially original are worth more attention
thah they appear commonly to receive Ii palpably
true, II not generally acknowledged, that many


party editors mean by consistency a persistence In
certain political dogmas, whether applicable not
tS H .ne circumstances of the times" The usefulness
is undoubtedly much Diminished by that incapacity
for Judicial speculation which is 80 apt to attend and
partlenlar eaTw Sppn SpTsv the pledged adherens Of


happen that all the measures OF one party
are tne .s,,9, Dest Co. ana all those Of another the
usual external pressure that writers who are ayowed
advocates OF either party constrained to insist on
no less so that the public know beforehand that any
proposal whatever let its intrinsic merits he what
they may, II brought forward by one party will be
organs Of the other the pubic is thus accustomed
to regard such q SYSTEM as matter of course and
its morality passes unquestoned for the most part,
by universal consent. IL follows, then when a pub.
licst happens TO possess the courage or the patriot
Ism to defend or adopt measure repuenant TO his
trimmer, and his Inconsistency" is taken for granted
without the least examination into the moral or IN
tellectual merits OF the charge. The HERALD in the
article We nave mentioned, proceeds 10 Vindicate h
position as f0llOws:-


the w we sSS $ 70 yGvs IL 5
might but f should spite Of and the
integrity Of the country were threatened We shoua 80 With
And this in fact as is well known has been The
carrying out and the copperhead consistent in
w Of the s % wa"
OF the country they or We under the Every


the proper sense Of the word and the party press


There is logical force in this which people VINO do
not IKE the HERALD Will be reluctant to acknowledge,
but which those who see any proprety in striving
TO be fair minded men as well rs consistent politi,
clans Will scarcely deny There were thousands OF
no thA fhrAn " flA ant.
ery opposed ID the political attitude OF their govern
ment, but who yet strained every nerve in tne field
and elsewhere to prevent that governments
destruction. There are thousands who heartily advO-
Gated universal emancipation but who now
negro suffrage such persons, whether they speak in
private or through the press, are either tainted az
backsliders, renegades and aposates to freedom or
are more geDly treated as being inconsistent"
Society enc0ura this species OF malversatiOn for
which very easy to understand. Political
power is enjoyed in this country by great many un-
educated or partly educated people, who are readily
impressed and persuaded-as such people always
have been from time immemorial-by plausible cries
OF leveing, SubverSlve or Revolutionary character.
The rights OF man, universal brotherhood, the over
throw OF tyranny are speclous catchwords, which,
often utterly unmeaning or totally napplicable az re-
CARDS the present business In hand are always
safely depended upon by those who make profit
to laws Old the hills and seas, win always
up TO the turning point of relief from anarchy
through accepted despotism, prefer a bad govern.
ment, in which all have voice, to good government
directed by the wiser few. Not the ostensbe end OF
the best possible management Of public affairs, but
the management, good or bad in which all have o
share, is the ideal Of the masses who habitually,
incOrrlgaby, and inevitably confuse means ana
ends. That this should readily be taken advantage
of by denagOges in a democratic country s per-
fectly natural; aud In fact we constantly see men
whose insanity II is to make themselves at all costs
conspicuous going from extreme to extreme, shout
ing wildly to the people To follow, and squirting
the people to revlle and to punish all who
dissent from their teachings. Sensible Ameri-
cans are much ashamed OF Mr. George Francis
Train and wonder that journal OF the pretensions
of the World should be so foolish as to print his pre-
posterous rawlings; but yet Mr.. Train ls only the
legitimate Outgrowth, the ultimate fruit, of social
and political conditions whose graduated products
may be pointed out IN other men, ''leaders among
the peope,r who are scarcely less ridiculous than
himself. The lesson unconsciOusly taught by all
these demagogues pScudOdemagogues is clear.
They teach that it is only needful 20 be consistent
In trusting TO the uttermost degree the lnllibiy
and blindness OF the crowd, not only to establish


conspicuous position but also the privilege authori-
tatively TO denounce all Others as inconsistent and


deserving OF the party taboo who refuse TO so to the
furthest extremes Of extravaganza and fol.y


The seven republican senators who voted to acqnc
the President are. of course, In the eyes OF such In


are told that some negroes in Washington collected
in church lately and prayed that condign punish
ment from above might be meted out 10 those recre
ant Legislators "who after takin solemn oa, voted
to acquit de prisoner" And this Is just the sort Of
spirit and the sort OF knowledge on which dema-
gOgic spirit depends in order TO carry its pur-
poses The cry for universal education and difrused
intelligence, 80 often raised by journals advocating
extreme opinions Is suicidal II no, disingenuOus;
for II the standards OF education ana Intelligence
were really advanced among US the whole trace and
rdisOn detIe Of such journals would be done away
with; not because their work as popular educators
would have been accomplished, but beca se their in
huence and strength positively depends upon the pre-


vaence OF that ignorance which they affect depre
cate. To understand this We have only l. AK our
selves, as illustrations, how long a paper Ike the
ChuJch UntOH would live in our own Cambridge, or
how long paper like the Tribune would live In the
English oxford Only by becoming really "iDcon-
sistent" would these sheets be able ~ re;an their
vitality; they certainly could not continue 10 exist


by continuing 20 be what they are for they live by
the weakness that Is without rather than by the
strength that is within, ana would perish II life de-
pended upon the secretion of individuality, heroism
and independence OF thought, without exterior aid
or cOuntenance. Journalists, on the other iand OF
different type-men Of catholic spirit AMI eclectic
lberality men who have too much self-respect TO
depend for their status upon the passions and
prejudices OF the ignorant will frequently dare,
like Wellington or Peel or Dsraei, or these


same seven Senator'S 10 think and act for themselves


In directions traversing or directly opposite to their
former paths thus rsking the reproacn OF inconsist
ency, or even the imputaon OF dishonesty, for the
sake OF well established Internal CONVICTIONS con-
viction that Is not established by arguments drawn
from other mems prejudices but from their own
moral nature. On the whole it Is perhaps true that
what Is commonly termed consistency Is generally
overrated, and this especially by the ignorant. OBJ
stlnacy and party zeal get credit often for virtues
when they better deserve to be stigmatzed vices
The truly progressive soul Il inconsistent always in
the sense OF Knowing more and being wiser to-day
than Yesterday II wond he well for us all n such
souls were more numerous and II "a greater number
OF our Journals were directed by then for surely an
independent and progressive, rather than q mere
party and consistent press Is the best moral and
intellectual educator for the people.