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' ¦ . .. ' ¦ ¦ v • ¦' . " * • * . 386 fl...
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GOING liGOESTG! -. JZ±soviira—Lil 4ie -s...
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« THE STRANGER" IN PARLIAMENT. [The resp...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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' ¦ . .. ' ¦ ¦ V • ¦' . " * • * . 386 Fl...
' ¦ . .. ' ¦ ¦ v ¦' . " * * . 386 flE JiaiBll . v £ Satpbd ^
Going Ligoestg! -. Jz±Soviira—Lil 4ie -S...
GOING liGOESTG ! -. JZ ± soviira—Lil 4 ie -sortina gras ! -the -gamins . of }? aris are wont to shout when -they obserre a stout ^ gentlemaii struggling out of a crowded pit in the ehirlftcte . The present cry of the Prench natioij , according to those carefully incorrect chroniclers , the correspondents of the morning journals , is , ilj > artira , il ne partira pas . " Me will gof " He worCt go to the Crimea ^ " as vfear or hope suggests . Do not the two most civilised nations upon earth present a strange spectacle of moral
in--nrmity judt now ? " In England , we are unable even to conceive the materials of a Government beyond the circle of three or four reigning families ; we cannot believe in men under Sixty or seventy to lead in council or in 'the field . In France , when poor oldTLotJis ^ Philippe was alive and nourishing , the ^ CrirrsspBS of modern times , it was commonly believed that when Xotris Phii / ipEe died "Prancewouldtseasetoexist . l ? orthe present , 'indeed , tthere is "a tenrporary suspension df " her moral an ^ l intellectual existence : but as we her
"A physical force ^ find more than usually " vigorous ami iiemonstrative . Who would have thought , ten years ago , that the departure df the tame Eagle from Prance wouH one day be a question of life and death at ^ the Bourse - ' ? Willhe / go ? "We should at anytime , speaking a priori , consider such a " move " on the part of the French "Emperor prtib & ble enough . The Imperial Government is , " from first to last , a 'ntise en scene , -the con'di"tions df its being are excitement and adventure . The-coup d'etat was a game played by desperate gatriblers ; it was easy 'ta foresee 'that the winners would be forced to live
on stimulants , and to play ever higher and higher stakes . Louis Napoieo ^ , it is weli ^ nown , has for some time been anxious nan 4 impatient 'at 'the unexpected difficulties in the Crimea : he was the first to announce '" Sebastopol is taken , " and we believe he gave the order for'a salute of 101 guns at the Invalides , fortunately not executed . He is known to be a thorough fatalist : the unflinching-personal coolness and courage he has always displayed amidst a public either hostile or indifferent proves this : destitute of-the military-geniusof : the Pirst JS " APOi . EaN ,
he feels the obligations of the name . Decisive operations , we hear , are almost immediately expected : perhaps to essay the practical results of his own theories in gunjiery . IJouiB I-Tapoeeon may have decided to share the honours of a victory so long deferred . Prom Sebastopol he may decree a reconstitution of the Ambigu-Comique , after the manner of his uncle decreeing from Moscow the " consfcitution of the Th ^ atre-Prancais . He may return to Prance the conqueror of Russia and the idol of his army , and enter Paris through triumphal arches . But if there should be a reverse ? His rentree
xato Prance would be difficult . There rernains the field of Europe , and then would begin the second Empire , which was declared to be peace . But he leaves difficulties behind . There must be a council of Regency for the Empire during his absence : the council must bo headed by those members of the Bonapabte family who are obnoxious to himself , detested by his advisers , ignored by the nation . We do not for a moment
anticipate any Mallet conspiracies . But if he take Sebastopol , and smell powder in the field , the second Emperor ' s career as a soldier will only have begun , and the bourgeoisie ( who elected him to keep down the peasants . aqd the . workmen , as the peasants elected him to tax the- middle-clnss ) are alread y beginning to feel the pressure of a war without glory and without result . If he foil in the Crimea but we decline to imagine . sax alternative of 'which British soldiers must bear half the cost .
flGHE "JiEAflER" -AND 3 & QRD -STANLEY . . 'At the preseht time , wlien it < is not * ttnnAtu * ally a matter of rem-a * k , * hat the n & Wspaper preas -is -either opposed or generally silent updti the great . changes proposed by the Government in the laws of the press , we may be " pardoned if we recur to the course of the Leader upon this question . We have noticed with satisfaction the able and generous aid rendered toward the solution of this question of the postal law of newspapers by Lord Stanley . A letter , argued with considerable ability , and expressed with felicity ,
bearing the name of the noble ' lo , appeared in the course of last month as a supplement to our contemporary " the Press . Striking" passages in his lordship ' s letter bear a marked coincidence with ideas Advanced in the " Leader ( Nos . 158 , 159 ) 'two years ago . TPfoni the Leader of 1853 , and the Tress of t' 855 , we quote a few parallel passages ; not 'all we might select , bttt sufficient to show that ttoe'flaine subject , ' which'has now the conspicuous advantage -of 'L ord Stanley ' s ^ advocacy , was urged upon the attention df the Government in these pages at a time
when the Society for the -Repeal -of the OJaxeson Knowledge had fewer friends thannow , and its success'was * more
remote?vTbeie « Ktor r April , 1853 . The Press , Feb ., 1855 . Tbis cheap and bumble After all , is there so maoh press will be a universal danger of our press becoming HonVp » yid e * 'forthe : dsarer " parochial ? " As matters and abler , press , which is-now stand , the existence of local comparatively unread by the journalism in small commass of the people . " What is munities " is the exception the common complaint ? Is Tatber than the rule . It is it not that a philosophic and only the large town , or the high-toned paper is too good populous district , which can to succeed—that the public support a high-priced stamped do not appreciate it . The . journal , abler a weekly paper in England , the fewer readers it has apart from class connexions . .. '"" ¦' . No penny journal can The apprehension , then , command the highest sources that journals of the most exof news , nor will the excise pensive class will not be able duty and cost of paper and to hold * . their own seems necessary salaries of editors , wholly groundless . Each writers , and reporters , ever rank of society will find its permit any penny proprietary ; own oi"gan , the -exponent of in this country to compete its opinions and ideas : and with the regular newspaper , this is desirable . But early Thenatureof things is against intelligence- —familiarity with it . The events of-the week the political questions of the can never be recorded for one day—eloquence and argupenny , and the nsnal news- mentative power—are not to paper buyers want all the be had without paying for news , and that early , and them ; and in these , though they will have U . Take off stripped of the artificial arid the taxes on knowledge to- unfair privilege which they morrow , and we shall have now enjoy , the superiority of cheap papers for the poor , the large aud Iong-estaband better papers for -the—lisbed journals will continue rich ; but the same class dis- to consist . Nay , as it seems tinctions founded on price to me , the power and inwill exist . The penny paper fiuence of such journals over will be a penny paper still , the public mind will bo not and the higher' priced paper diminished but augmented , will be better in proportion to its price , and will , as now , be sought after by all who wnnt a perfect journal , and the regular newspapers will have' this advantage , that more readers will be created for them by the Penny ' Pioneer Press . The Leader , April , 1853 . The Press , Feb ., 1855 . Some urge , that tho pro- Either ( which is most unvinciul press is in some dis- likely ) the unstamped press ' tricts indifferently odited , and will rival the stamped in tho that the working man's press value of its information and might compete with St . Tho the merit of its writing—and only result in these cases in that case it matters not would be , that tho gentle- whether one or the other is man's journal would bo most extensively patronised ; quickened and improved— or it will not—tho higjinot superseded . Th « greater priced journal will etill mainresources of the rich Pro- tain its superiority—And tho priotora would always enable cheap local prints will not them to keep in tho first drivo it out of tho market , rank . Whatever journal , but attract another class of daily or weekly , is first in customers , those who at the power , will retain its readers , present moment neither purand multiply thorn in tho chaso nor road any puper , good ( unstamped ^ timo and thus flourish by its side which is coming . Therepoal without doing it injury . of tho taxes on knowledge Toko an illustration oil' tho will create a small pionoer state of tho caso . Suppose news Litoraturo—a second- the same legislative sagacity rate newspaper trade , which which dictates tho retention docs not exist now , and which of tho stamp , duty , to Imve will carry small portions of prevented all cheap travelling light , knowledge , nnd refine- on railways — to have promont to thousands who now hibitodtho railroad companies get none . The penny news- from taking second or third jmper compete with the class passongers—is it likely sixpenny or fourponny or that the number of first class threepenny one t As well travellers would havo been argue that tho third class on increased by tho number of
-the railway will displace the those who now travel " in the first and * second- ^ that ihe itftfe-r-Jfrieed carriages ? ifa enniibusrioterest-will- 'dastroy -it not fckar fcbat tin tbc . ietfae cab interest—that the striction being removed a vast beer-houses will abolish the multlttlde " ofTpersotls would hotels—that the-sixpenny begin'fofrthe ¦ ftsfrtime tease ordinary will supersede the the railways who never used half-crown and live shilling them before ? So will it be table d'hote— -ihat the three- -tfithrthe press . Those who penny concert will 'attract \ now iakeun ^ tfeeTimes , & a $ y the audience tfrom-the Royal News , 'Herald or Advertiser , Italian Opera . No ! all these are not likely to substitute for preferences are ptfrt of human these first-class journals , with nature , and they have their their early intelligence and seat in what is nearly -as superior writing , the cheap strong as human nature—in penny print which " will cirhuman custom , pride , And culate among mechanics and convenience , which an aet of labourers . I'haveno doubt Parliament did not make , and that a dinner may be had in which the repeal of the news- various London taverns at a paper stamp act will not very much lower rate than is change . charged by the clubs ; yet the clubs are not deserted in consequence ! The Leader , April , 1853 . The Press , Feb ., 1855 . . And'here lies close' to our To the vague and angry iands a okar answer to-all 'declamation of those who cry , who fear that an untaxed " "You want to pull dow . 1 press -would , in this conn- English journalism and subtry , descendto the level of . stitute an American press in the " rowdy" portion of the its placs , " I scarcely hold if * American press . Neverlira- worth while to reply . The less English nature and Eng- plain answer is—like people lish culture should also be -like press . The American changed by the same Act of press ( which by the way , Parliament which ansfcamps does not by any means the press . Can the skilful universally deserve the bad mechanic endure bad ma- character given to it in this chinery ? Will the cultivated country ) reflects , faithfully architect endure an incon- enough , the prevailing serttigruous building ? or a painter ment of American citizens , endure a daub ? or an orator , It is democratic—so are they . spouting ? or a practical po- It is often vulgar , violent , lftician loud-mouthed rant ? abusive , addicted to bragor the-scholar illiterateness ? . gadocio , and credulous of or the artist bad taste ? And marvels— these are exactly as of art and manners , so of the faults , a little exaggerated newspapers . The cultivated , -in : the copying , of a young thoughtful operative will not and growing nation , in which tolerate a paper . inflated , material prosperity has actantagonistic , and superficial , vanced faster than the arts So of- other ^ ' nd more edu- and refinements of lite . It cated classes . National cul- in the English mind there be ture will govern the taste a corresponding state of feelof the English press , and ing , by all means let it be " rowdy" journals will never exposed * rather than consell in Great Britain until we cealed . An evil fully brought possess a " rowdy" population to light is half remedied . and Yankee backwoods . In But , in truth , the English the United States the same character differs widely troin law holds good . The first- the American ; and a popular class journals of that country press , though ultimately it are supported by the cream of may help in forming , must the inhabitants , and the rising follow , and be suited to , the tone of the American press bias of the popular mind , generally indicates what it will be on the social consolidation of the great Transatlantic Republic— > -.- . — ¦¦ - - - —
« The Stranger" In Parliament. [The Resp...
« THE STRANGER" IN PARLIAMENT . [ The responsibility of the Editor in regard to these contributions is limited to the act of giving them publicity . The opinions expressed are those of the writer : both the Leader and "The Stranger" benefit by the freedom which ia left to his pen and discretion . ] We are now at the end of three months of incessant revolutionary writing and talking against the governing and administrative system of Great Britain ; and really , it is time we should see some results of such an agitation . There ' s Mr . Layard showing twice a week that the country will sink to a thirdrate power unless tho little interests of little men are put on one side by a great nation : and there ' s the
Times every morning elaborately proving , considerable type , that our salvation depends upon putting tho right men in the right places . E verybody thinks with Mr . Layard , and is delighted to read the limes . Tho « spirit of the country" has clearly reappeared . You can traco it in the energy of provincial meetings—you meet it in tho Liberal Club of tho City , mfct to consider the re-election of Lord John . There are half-a-dozen Administrative Reform Associations getting' up . But tho rosult ? Parliament when it
sits day after day , and votes money . Or , doesn't vote money , it discusses the Kennedy case . Half tho Ministers arc on the hustings : but who opposes tho re-elections— who makes conditions ? Lord Palmerston Qaroa and deflcs opposition . A plundered people , mourning a murdered army , is restive under its old lords : and tho Premier scofld at their vulgar declamation . Europe , watching u continuous Miniateriui crisis , was Intent on the decline and ikll of tho "> Governing Classes , " and in tho teeth of tha nation , tho old loid who had got the
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), March 3, 1855, page 14, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_03031855/page/14/
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