north america-2-第65章

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rature　is　the　child　of　leisure　and　wealth。　　It　is　the　produce　of　minds　which　by　a　happy　combination　of　circumstances　have　been　enabled　to　dispense　with　the　ordinary　cares　of　the　world。　　It　can　hardly　be　expected　to　come　from　a　young　country；　or　from　a　new　and　still　struggling　people。　　Looking　around　at　our　own　magnificent　colonies；　I　hardly　remember　a　considerable　name　which　they　have　produced；　except　that　of　my　excellent　old　friend　Sam　Slick。　Nothing；　therefore；　I　think；　shows　the　settled　greatness　of　the　people　of　the　States　more　significantly　than　their　firm　establishment　of　a　national　literature。　　This　literature　runs　over　all　subjects：　American　authors　have　excelled　in　poetry；　in　science；　in　history；　in　metaphysics；　in　law；　in　theology；　and　in　fiction。　They　have　attempted　all；　and　failed　in　none。　　What　Englishman　has　devoted　a　room　to　books；　and　devoted　no　portion　of　that　room　to　the　productions　of　America？　But　I　must　say　a　word　of　literature　in　which　I　shall　not　speak　of　it　in　its　ordinary　sense；　and　shall　yet　speak　of　it　in　that　sense　which　of　all；　perhaps；　in　the　present　day　should　be　considered　the　most　ordinary；　I　mean　the　every…day　periodical　literature　of　the　press。　Most　of　those　who　can　read；　it　is　to　be　hoped；　read　books；　but　all　who　can　read　do　read　newspapers。　　Newspapers　in　this　country　are　so　general　that　men　cannot　well　live　without　them；　but　to　men　and　to　women　also　in　the　United　States　they　may　be　said　to　be　the　one　chief　necessary　of　life；　and　yet　in　the　whole　length　and　breadth　of　the　United　States　there　is　not　published　a　single　newspaper　which　seems　to　me　to　be　worthy　of　praise。　A　really　good　newspaperone　excellent　at　all　pointswould　indeed　be　a　triumph　of　honesty　and　of　art。　　Not　only　is　such　a　publication　much　to　be　desired　in　America；　but　it　is　still　to　be　desired　in　Great　Britain　also。　　I　used；　in　my　younger　days；　to　think　of　such　a　newspaper　as　a　possible　publication；　and　in　a　certain　degree　to　look　for　it；　now　I　expect　it　only　in　my　dreams。　　It　should　be　powerful　without　tyranny；　popular　without　triumph；　political　without　party　passion；　critical　without　personal　feeling；　right　in　its　statements　and　just　in　its　judgments；　but　right　and　just　without　pride；　it　should　be　all　but　omniscient；　but　not　conscious　of　its　omnipotence；　it　should　be　moral；　but　never　strait…laced；　it　should　be　well　assured　but　yet　modest；　though　never　humble；　it　should　be　free　from　boastings。　　Above　all　these　things　it　should　be　readable；　and　above　that　again　it　should　be　true。　　I　used　to　think　that　such　a　newspaper　might　be　produced；　but　I　now　sadly　acknowledge　to　myself　the　fact　that　humanity　is　not　capable　of　any　work　so　divine。　The　newspapers　of　the　States　generally　may　not　only　be　said　to　have　reached　none　of　the　virtues　here　named；　but　to　have　fallen　into　all　the　opposite　vices。　　In　the　first　place；　they　are　never　true。　　In　requiring　truth　from　a　newspaper　the　public　should　not　be　anxious　to　strain　at　gnats。　　A　statement　setting　forth　that　a　certain　gooseberry　was　five　inches　in　circumference；　whereas　in　truth　its　girth　was　only　two　and　a　half；　would　give　me　no　offense。　　Nor　would　I　be　offended　at　being　told　that　Lord　Derby　was　appointed　to　the　premiership；　while　in　truth　the　Queen　had　only　sent　to　his　lordship；　having　as　yet　come　to　no　definite　arrangement。　　The　demand　for　truth　which　may　reasonably　be　made　upon　a　newspaper　amounts　to　this；　that　nothing　should　be　stated　not　believed　to　be　true；　and　that　nothing　should　be　stated　as　to　which　the　truth　is　important　without　adequate　ground　for　such　belief。　　If　a　newspaper　accuse　me　of　swindling；　it　is　not　sufficient　that　the　writer　believe　me　to　be　a　swindler。　　He　should　have　ample　and　sufficient　ground　for　such　belief；　or　else　in　making　such　a　statement　he　will　write　falsely。　　In　our　private　life　we　all　recognize　the　fact　that　this　is　so。　　It　is　understood　that　a　man　is　not　a　whit　the　less　a　slanderer　because　he　believes　the　slander　which　he　promulgates。　　But　it　seems　to　me　that　this　is　not　sufficiently　recognized　by　many　who　write　for　the　public　press。　Evil　things　are　said；　and　are　probably　believed　by　the　writers；　they　are　said　with　that　special　skill　for　which　newspaper　writers　have　in　our　days　become　so　conspicuous；　defying　alike　redress　by　law　or　redress　by　argument；　but　they　are　said　too　often　falsely。　　The　words　are　not　measured　when　they　are　written；　and　they　are　allowed　to　go　forth　without　any　sufficient　inquiry　into　their　truth。　　But　if　there　is　any　ground　for　such　complaint　here　in　England；　that　ground　is　multiplied　ten　timestwenty　timesin　the　States。　　This　is　not　only　shown　in　the　abuse　of　individuals；　in　abuse　which　is　as　violent　as　it　is　perpetual；　but　in　the　treatment　of　every　subject　which　is　handled。　　All　idea　of　truth　has　been　thrown　overboard。　　It　seems　to　be　admitted　that　the　only　object　is　to　produce　a　sensation；　and　that　it　is　admitted　by　both　writer　and　reader　that　sensation　and　veracity　are　incompatible。　　Falsehood　has　become　so　much　a　matter　of　course　with　American　newspapers　that　it　has　almost　ceased　to　be　falsehood。　Nobody　thinks　me　a　liar　because　I　deny　that　I　am　at　home　when　I　am　in　my　study。　　The　nature　of　the　arrangement　is　generally　understood。　So　also　is　it　with　the　American　newspapers。　But　American　newspapers　are　also　unreadable。　　It　is　very　bad　that　they　should　be　false；　but　it　is　very　surprising　that　they　should　be　dull。　　Looking　at　the　general　intelligence　of　the　people；　one　would　have　thought　that　a　readable　newspaper；　put　out　with　all　pleasant　appurtenances　of　clear　type；　good　paper；　and　good　internal　arrangement；　would　have　been　a　thing　specially　within　their　reach。　But　they　have　failed　in　every　detail。　　Though　their　papers　are　always　loaded　with　sensation　headings；　there　are　seldom　sensation　paragraphs　to　follow。　　The　paragraphs　do　not　fit　the　headings。　Either　they　cannot　be　found；　or　if　found；　they　seem　to　have　escaped　from　their　proper　column　to　some　distant　and　remote　portion　of　the　sheet。　　One　is　led　to　presume　that　no　American　editor　has　any　plan　in　the　composition　of　his　newspaper。　　I　never　know　whether　I　have　as　yet　got　to　the　very　heart's　core　of　the　daily　journal；　or　whether　I　am　still　to　go　on　searching　for　that　heart's　core。　　Alas！　it　too　often　happens　that　there　is　no　heart's　core。　　The　whole　thing　seems　to　have　been　put　out　at　hap…hazard。　　And　then　the　very　writing　is　in　itself　below　mediocrity；　as　though　a　power　of　expression　in　properly　arranged　language　was　not　required　by　a　newspaper　editor；　either　as　regards　himself　or　as　regards　his　subordinates。　　One　is　driven　to　suppose　that　the　writers　for　the　daily　press　are　not　chosen　with　any　view　to　such　capability。　　A　man　ambitious　of　being　on　the　staff　of　an　American　newspaper　should　be　capable　of　much　work；　should　be　satisfied　with　small　pay；　should　be　indifferent　to　the　world's　good　usage；　should　be　rough；　ready；　and　of　long　sufferance；　but；　above　all；　he　should　be　smart。　　The　type　of　almost　all　American　newspapers　is　wretchedI　think　I　may　say　of　allso　wretched　that　that　alone　forbids　one　to　hope　for　pleasure　in　reading　them。　　They　are　ill　written；　ill　printed；　and　ill　arranged；　and　in　fact　are　not　readable。　　They　are　bought；　glanced　at；　and　thrown　away。　They　are　full　of　boastings；　not　boastings　simply　as　to　their　country；　their　town；　or　their　party；　but　of　boastings　as　to　themselves。　　And　yet　they　possess　no　self…assurance。　　It　is　always　evident　that　they　neither　trust　themselves；　nor　expect　to　be　trusted。　　They　have　made　no　approach　to　that　omniscience　which　constitutes　the　great　marvel　of　our　own　daily　press；　but　finding　it　necessary　to　write　as　though　they　possessed　it；　they　fall　into　blunders　which　are　almost　as　marvelous。　　Justice　and　right　judgment　are　out　of　the　question　with　them。　　A　political　party　end　is　always　in　view；　and　political　party　warfare　in　America　admits　of　any　weapons。　　No　newspaper　in　America　is　really　powerful　or　popular；　and　yet　they　are　tyrannical　and　overbearing。　　The　New　York　Herald　has；　I　believe；　the　largest　sale　of　any　daily　newspaper；　but　it　is　absolutely　without　political　power；　and　in　these　times　of　war　has　truckled　to　the　government　more　basely　than　any　other　paper。　　It　has　an　enormous　sale；　but　so　far　is　it　from　having　achieved　popularity　that　no　man　on　any　side　ever　speaks　a　good　word　for　it。　　All　American　newspapers　deal　in　politics　as　a　matter　of　course；　but　their　politics　have　ever　regard　to　men　and　not　to　measures。　Vituperation　is　their　natural　political　weapon；　but　since　the　President's　ministers　have　assumed　the　power　of　stopping　newspapers　which　are　offensive　to　them；　they　have　shown　that　they　can　descend　below　vituperation　to　eulogy。　I　shall　be　accused　of　using　very　strong　language　against　the　newspaper　press　of　America。　　I　can　only　say　that　I　do　not　know　how　to　make　that　language　too　strong。　　Of　course　there　are　newspapers　as　to　which　the　editors　and　writers　may　justly　feel　that　my　remarks；　if　applied　to　them；　are　unmerited。　　In　writing　on　such　a　subject；　I　can　only　deal　with　the　whole　as　a　whole。　　During　my　stay　in　the　country；　I　did　my　best　to　make　myself　acquainted　with　the　nature　of　its　newspapers；　knowing　in　how　great　a　degree　its　population　depends　on　them　for　its　daily　store　of　information；　for　newspapers　in　the　States　of　America　have　a　much　wider；　or　rather　closer　circulation；　than　they　do　with　us。　　Every　man　and　almost　every　woman　sees　a　newspaper　daily。　　They　are　very　cheap；　and　are　brought　to　every　man's　hand；　without　trouble　to　himself；　at　every　turn　that　he　takes　in　his　day's　work。　　It　would　be　much　for　the　advantage　of　the　country　that　they　should　be　good　of　their　kind；　but；　if　I　am　able　to　form　any　judgment　on　the　matter；　they　are　not　good。

CHAPTER　XVI。　CONCLUSION。

In　one　of　the　earlier　chapters　of　this　volumenow　some　seven　or　eight　chapters　pastI　brought　myself　on　my　travels　back　to　Boston。　It　was　not　that　my　way　homeward　lay　by　that　route；　seeing　that　my　fate　required　me　to　sail　from　New　York；　but　I　could　not　leave　the　country　without　revisiting　my　friends　in　Massachusetts。　　I　have　told　how　I　was　there　in　the　sleighing　time；　and　how　pleasant　were　the　mingled　slush　and　frost　of　the　snowy　winter。　　In　the　morning　the　streets　would　be　hard　and　crisp　and　the　stranger　would　surely　fall　if　he　were　not　prepared　to　walk　on　glaciers。　　In　the　afternoon　he　would　be　wading　through　rivers；　and；　if　properly　armed　at　all　points　with　India…rubber；　would　enjoy　the　rivers　as　he　waded。　　But　the　air　would　be　always　kindly；　and　the　east　wind　there；　if　it　was　east　as　I　was　told；　had　none　of　that　power　of　dominion　which　makes　us　all　so　submissive　to　its　behests　in　London。　　For　myself；　I　do　not　believe　that　the　real　east　wind　blows　elsewhere。　And　when　the　snow　went　in　Boston　I　went　with　it。　　The　evening　before　I　left　I　watched　them　as　they　carted　away　the　dirty　uncouth　blocks　which　had　been　broken　up　with　pickaxes　in　Washington　Street；　and　was　melancholy　as　I　reflected　that　I　too　should　no　longer　be　known　in　the　streets。　　My　weeks　in　Boston　had　not　been　very　many；　but　nevertheless　there　were　haunts　there　which　I　knew　as　though　my　feet　had　trodden　them　for　years。　　There　were　houses　to　which　I　could　have　gone　with　my　eyes　blindfold；　doors　of　which　the　latches　were　familiar　to　my　hands；　faces　which　I　knew　so　well　that　they　had　ceased　to　put　on　for