men of invention and industry-第32章

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Melville　undertook　the　unfortunate　Catamaran　expedition。　　His

Lordship's　malpractices　in　the　Navy　Department　had　also　been

brought　to　light　by　the　Commissioners　of　Naval　Inquiry。　　On　both

these　topics　Mr。　Walter　spoke　out　freely　in　terms　of　reprobation；

and　the　result　was；　that　the　printing　for　the　Customs　and　the

Government　advertisements　were　at　once　removed　from　The　Times

office。



Two　years　later　Mr。　Pitt　died；　and　an　Administration　succeeded

which　contained　a　portion　of　the　political　chiefs　whom　the　editor

had　formerly　supported　on　his　undertaking　the　management　of　the

paper。　　He　was　invited　by　one　of　them　to　state　the　injustice

which　had　been　done　to　him　by　the　loss　of　the　Customs　printing；

and　a　memorial　to　the　Treasury　was　submitted　for　his　signature；

with　a　view　to　its　recovery。　　But　believing　that　the　reparation

of　the　injury　in　this　manner　was　likely　to　be　considered　as　a

favour；　entitling　those　who　granted　it　to　a　certain　degree　of

influence　over　the　politics　of　the　journal；　Walter　refused　to

sign　it；　or　to　have　any　concern　in　presenting　the　memorial。　　He

did　more；　he　wrote　to　those　from　whom　the　restoration　of　the

employment　was　expected　to　come；　disavowing　all　connection　with

the　proceeding。　　The　matter　then　dropped；　and　the　Customs

printing　was　never　restored　to　the　office。



This　course　was　so　unprecedented；　and；　as　his　father　thought；　was

so　very　wrong…headed；　that　young　Walter　had　for　some　time

considerable　difficulty　in　holding　his　ground　and　maintaining　the

independent　position　he　had　assumed。　　But　with　great　tenacity　of

purpose　he　held　on　his　course　undismayed。　　He　was　a　man　who

looked　far　ahead；not　so　much　taking　into　account　the　results　at

the　end　of　each　day　or　of　each　year；　but　how　the　plan　he　had　laid

down　for　conducting　the　paper　would　work　out　in　the　long　run。　

And　events　proved　that　the　high…minded　course　he　had　pursued　with

so　much　firmness　of　purpose　was　the　wisest　course　after　all。



Another　feature　in　the　management　which　showed　clear…sightedness

and　business　acuteness；　was　the　pains　which　the　Editor　took　to

ensure　greater　celerity　of　information　and　dispatch　in　printing。　

The　expense　which　he　incurred　in　carrying　out　these　objects

excited　the　serious　displeasure　of　his　father；　who　regarded　them

as　acts　of　juvenile　folly　and　extravagance。　　Another　circumstance

strongly　roused　the　old　man's　wrath。　　It　appears　that　in　those

days　the　insertion　of　theatrical　puffs　formed　a　considerable

source　of　newspaper　income；　and　yet　young　Walter　determined　at

once　to　abolish　them。　　It　is　not　a　little　remarkable　that　these

earliest　acts　of　Mr。　Walterwhich　so　clearly　marked　his

enterprise　and　high…mindednessshould　have　been　made　the　subject

of　painful　comments　in　his　father's　will。



Notwithstanding　this　serious　opposition　from　within；　the　power

and　influence　of　the　paper　visibly　and　rapidly　grew。　　The　new

Editor　concentrated　in　the　columns　of　his　paper　a　range　of

information　such　as　had　never　before　been　attempted；　or　indeed

thought　possible。　　His　vigilant　eye　was　directed　to　every　detail

of　his　business。　　He　greatly　improved　the　reporting　of　public

meetings；　the　money　market；　and　other　intelligence；aiming　at

greater　fulness　and　accuracy。　　In　the　department　of　criticism　his

labours　were　unwearied。　　He　sought　to　elevate　the　character　of

the　paper；　and　rendered　it　more　dignified　by　insisting　that　it

should　be　impartial。　　He　thus　conferred　the　greatest　public

service　upon　literature；　the　drama；　and　the　fine　arts；　by

protecting　them　against　the　evil　influences　of　venal　panegyric　on

the　one　hand；　and　of　prejudiced　hostility　on　the　other。



But　the　most　remarkable　feature　of　The　Times　that　which

emphatically　commended　it　to　public　support　and　ensured　its

commercial　successwas　its　department　of　foreign　intelligence。　

At　the　time　that　Walter　undertook　the　management　of　the　journal；

Europe　was　a　vast　theatre　of　war；　and　in　the　conduct　of

commercial　affairsnot　to　speak　of　political　movementsit　was

of　the　most　vital　importance　that　early　information　should　be

obtained　of　affairs　on　the　Continent。　　The　Editor　resolved　to

become　himself　the　purveyor　of　foreign　intelligence；　and　at　great

expense　he　despatched　his　agents　in　all　directions；　even　in　the

track　of　armies；　while　others　were　employed；　under　various

disguises　and　by　means　of　sundry　pretexts；　in　many　parts　of　the

Continent。　　These　agents　collected　information；　and　despatched　it

to　London；　often　at　considerable　risks；　for　publication　in　The

Times；　where　it　usually　appeared　long　in　advance　of　the

government　despatches。



The　late　Mr。　Pryme；　in　his　'Autobiographic　Recollections；'

mentions　a　visit　which　he　paid　to　Mr。　Walter　at　his　seat　at

Bearwood。　　〃He　described　to　me；〃　says　Mr。Pryme；　〃the　cause　of　the

large　extension　in　the　circulation　of　The　Times。　　He　was　the

first　to　establish　a　foreign　correspondent。　　This　was　Henry　Crabb

Robinson；　at　a　salary　of　300L。　a　year。。。。　　Mr。　Walter　also

established　local　reporters；　instead　of　copying　from　the　country

papers。　　His　father　doubted　the　wisdom　of　such　a　large

expenditure；　but　the　son　prophesied　a　gradual　and　certain

success；　which　has　actually　been　realised。〃



Mr。　Robinson　has　described　in　his　Diary　the　manner　in　which　he

became　connected　with　the　foreign　correspondence。　　〃In　January；

1807；〃　he　says；　〃I　received；　through　my　friend　J。D。　Collier；　a

proposal　from　Mr。　Walter　that　I　should　take　up　my　residence　at

Altona；　and　become　The　Times　correspondent。　　I　was　to　receive

from　the　editor　of　the　'Hamburger　Correspondenten'　all　the　public

documents　at　his　disposal；　and　was　to　have　the　benefit　also　of　a

mass　of　information；　of　which　the　restraints　of　the　German　Press

did　not　permit　him　to　avail　himself。　　The　honorarium　I　was　to

receive　was　ample　with　my　habits　of　life。　　I　gladly　accepted　the

offer；　and　never　repented　having　done　so。　　My　acquaintance　with

Mr。　Walter　ripened　into　friendship；　and　lasted　as　long　as　he

lived。〃＇1＇



Mr。　Robinson　was　forced　to　leave　Germany　by　the　Battle　of

Friedland　and　the　Treaty　of　Tilsit；　which　resulted　in　the　naval

coalition　against　England。　　Returning　to　London；　he　became

foreign　editor　of　The　Times　until　the　following　year；　when　he

proceeded　to　Spain　as　foreign　correspondent。　　Mr。　Walter　had　also

an　agent　in　the　track　of　the　army　in　the　unfortunate　Walcheren

expedition；　and　The　Times　announced　the　capitulation　of　Flushing

forty…eight　hours　before　the　news　had　arrived　by　any　other

channel。　　By　this　prompt　method　of　communicating　public

intelligence；　the　practice；　which　had　previously　existed；　of　

systematically　retarding　the　publication　of　foreign　news　by

officials　at　the　General　Post　Office；　who　made　gain　by　selling

them　to　the　Lombard　Street　brokers；　was　effectually　extinguished。



This　circumstance；　as　well　as　the　independent　course　which　Mr。

Walter　adopted　in　the　discussion　of　foreign　politics；　explains　in

some　measure　the　opposition　which　he　had　to　encounter　in　the

transmission　of　his　despatches。　　As　early　as　the　year　1805；　when

he　had　come　into　collision　with　the　Government　and　lost　the

Customs　printing；　The　Times　despatches　were　regularly　stopped　at

the　outports；　whilst　those　for　the　Ministerial　journals　were

allowed　to　proceed。　　This　might　have　crushed　a　weaker　man；　but　it

did　not　crush　Walter。　　Of　course　he　expostulated。　　He　was

informed　at　the　Home　Secretary's　office　that　he　might　be

permitted　to　receive　his　foreign　papers　as　a　favour。　　But　as　this

implied　the　expectation　of　a　favour　from　him　in　return；　the

proposal　was　rejected；　and；　determined　not　to　be　baffled；　he

employed　special　couriers；　at　great　cost；　for　the　purpose　of

obtaining　the　earliest　transmission　of　foreign　intelligence。



These　important　qualitiesenterprise；　energy；　business　tact；　and

public　spiritsufficiently　account　for　his　remarkable　success。　

To　these；　however；　must　be　added　another　of　no　small　importance

discernment　and　knowledge　of　character。　　Though　himself　the　head

and　front　of　his　enterprise；　it　was　necessary　that　he　should

secure　the　services　and　co…operation　of　men　of　first…rate

ability；　and　in　the　selection　of　such　men　his　judgment　was　almost

unerring。　　By　his　discernment　and　munificence；　he　collected　round

him　some　of　the　ablest　writers　of　the　age。　　These　were　frequently

revealed　to　him　in　the　communications　of　correspondentsthe

author　of　the　letters　signed　〃Vetus〃　being　thus　selected　to　write

in　the　leading　columns　of　the　Paper。　　But　Walter　himself　was　the

soul　of　The　Times。　　It　was　he　who　gave　the　tone　to　its　articles；

directed　its　influence；　and　superintended　its　entire　conduct　with

unremitting　vigilance。



Even　in　conducting　the　mechanical　arrangements　of　the　papera

business　of　no　small　difficultyhe　had　often　occasion　to

exercise　promptness　and　boldness　of　decision　in　cases　of

emergency。　　Printers　in　those　days　were　a　rather　refractory　class

of　work　men；　and　not　unfrequently　took　advantage　of　their

position　to　impose　hard　terms　on　their　employers；　especially　in

the　daily　press；　where　everything　must　be　promptly　done　within　a

very　limited　time。　　Thus　on　one　occasion；　in　1810；　the　pressmen

made　a　sudden　demand　upon　the　proprietor　for　an　increase　of

wages；　and　insisted　upon　a　uniform　rate　being　paid　to　all　hands；

whether　good　or　bad。　　Walter　was　at　first　disposed　to　make

concessions　to　the　men；　but　having　been　privately　informed　that　a

combination　was　already　entered　into　by　the　compositors；　as　well

as　by　the　pressmen；　to　leave　his　employment　suddenly；　under

circumstances　that　would　have　stopped　the　publication　of　the

paper；　and　inflicted　on　him　the　most　serious　injury；　he

determined　to　run　all　risks；　rather　than　submit　to　what　now

appeared　to　him　in　the　light　of　an　extortion。



The　strike　took　place　on　a　Saturday　morning；　when　suddenly；　and

without　notice；　all　the　hands　turned　out。　　Mr。　Walter　had　only　a

few　hours'　notice　of　it；　but　he　had　already　resolved　upon　his

course。　　He　collected　apprentices　from　half　a　dozen　different

quarters；　and　a　few　inferior　workmen；　who　were　glad　to　obtain

employment　on　any　terms。　　He　himself　stript　to　his　shirt…sleeves；

and　went　to　work　with　the　rest；　and　for　the　next　six…and…thirty

hours　he　was　incessantly　employed　at　case　and　at　press。　　On　the

Monday　morning；　the　conspirators；　who　had　assembled　to　triumph

over　his　ruin；　to　their　inexpressible　amazement　saw　The　Times

issue　from　the　publishing　office　at　the　usual　hour；　affording　a

memorable　example　of　what　one　man's　resolute　energy　may

accomplish　in　a　moment　of　difficulty。



The　journal　continued　to　appear　with　regularity；　though　the

printers　employed　at　the　office　lived　in　a　state　of　daily　peril。　

The　conspirators；　finding　themselves　baffled；　resolved　upon

trying　another　game。　　They　contrived　to　have　two　of　the　men

employed　by　Walter　as　compositors　apprehended　as　deserters　from

the　Royal　Navy。　　T