Year: 1866

johnson mas du opportunisy W immortohAo


himself and to take stronger position before


the country than any Of his predecessors ever


had, If he will make himself thoroughly ac-
quainted with the subject and lay the facts be-
| fore the people. The Philadelphia Convention


should direct its attention especially to this
| matter, for it is the vulnerable point at which


to attack the radicals; the stump orators all over
| the country should use IL vigorously in the ap-
| preaching elections, and the President should
| make such plain sLatesmanlike exposition Of
| it that all may understand and be led to elect
q different and better class OF men to Congress.
| The Atlantic Cable and the London Des-
patches.


A good deal Of conjecture and speculation
and no little doubt surround the future USE


fulness Of the Atlantic cable II has, however,


been the means of furnishing some important


news from Europe, for which the public are in
| debted entirely to the HERALD. We published
| the first special despatch from our correspond


ent in London which contained any important


news relating to the critical situation of affairs


in Europe the announcement Of four weeks


armist:ce between the hostile Powers. This


was the first newspaper despatch that came
over the cable. An attempt was made by some


of the small journals TO prove that it was not


genuine. We need hardly say that subsequent


news has confirmed it bsyond a doubt. We


rec ived on Sunday afternoon, and published


yesterday, another despatch from our London


correspondent, dated from the Queens Hotel


on So urday, containing news of still graver
importance the conclusion OF peace


between Prussia, Austria and Italy, with all the


details upon which the negotiations were based.


This information was obtained hy our corre-
spondent from various points in Europe at our
expense. 1t was sent Especially TO us, and yet it
was published simultaneously in the other
papers as On Associated Press despatch. The
agent of the Associated Press had that despatch
seven hours before it was sent to us, and he
kept 1t back all that time. The public were


thus deprived of this most important intelli-


gence until yesterday morning, when the infor-


maton--for which we, and not the Associated


Press, bore the expense Of gathering through


out Europe-was given in all the city papers.
The Executive Committee of the Associated


Press do not know any ything about the manage


ment Of that institution, and they accordingly


leave it in the hands Of their agent in this city,


who knows still less about it. They pay their
share Of the telegraphing, 1t is true, but they
do not pay any part Of the expense OF obtain
ing the news which we have established sys-


tenn OF procuring all over Europe for the


benefit of the public.


Mr.. Field or the managers Of the cable are


not to blame for the fact that important news


is withheld from the American people. They


are not collectors of news for the newspapers,


but managers of cables They know how to
manage a cable very well, AZ events prove,
but they do not know how to provide news
for the press. That is the business which the


agents of the Associated Press undertake to


perform. and how imperfectly they fulfil their


duty the fact to which we refer as occurring on


Sunday sufficiently proves. II was Of vastly
more importance to the public to know that
peace had been concluded in Europe than to


receive incorrect quotations OF the price Of
| cotton and Of stocks which have been fur


nished from day to day from Liverpool
and London, while the former intensely inter


esting political intelligence is withheld for
seven hours by the Associated Press agent In
this city, who alone Is responsible for the
dereliction Of duty in the matter. We fur
nished news Of the utmost public interest, col
lected at our own Cost, from all points ON the


European continent, which the people should


have received at the earliest moment and
which they would have had on Sunday had our
| dispatches not been detained from early in the
day until halt-past eight O'Clock in the evening


by the agent Of the Associated Press, at which
time they were furnished to all the other papers,
who, Of course, gave us no credit for them.


We have for long time had cause to COM
plain Of the manner in which the business OF
the Associated Press is conducted, and II has
now become endurable no longer We viii
give il q little more trial and II the system is
not thoroughly reformed We will most assursdly
smash the concern up and establish system
for ourselves. BY which the country will not be
shut Oh from important news through the in
competency Of executive committees or agents.
We have means enough at our command to do
IL, and II the Associated Press do not change
their method Of transacting business and con-
trive to do justice TO the great American public
we will undertake II ourselves in the public
interest We will take care that the large


newspaper reading community Of the country
shall not be kept In the dark as TO momentous
events transpiring In the Old World, with


which our interests, commercial and political
| are intimately connected, so long a. there Ia .


perfect telegraphic communication preserved


between the two continents, and there IL IN


influential and widely read newspaper like the


HERMD TO circulate It. We do not want to
interfere with the Associated Press If 1t Is
properly conducted. 1t Il not the interest Of .