CHAPTER XIV.JOURNALS AND JOURNALISTS.
Therewas no illustrated paper in 1837: there was noPunch. On the other hand, there were as many London papers as there are to-day, and nearly as many magazines and reviews. TheTimes, which is reported to have then had a circulation not exceeding 10,000 a day, was already the leading paper. It defended Queen Caroline, and advocated the Reform Bill, and was reported to be ready to incur any expense for early news. Thus, in 1834, on the occasion of a great dinner given to Lord Durham, theTimesspent 200l.in having an early report, and that up from the North by special messenger. This is not much in comparison with the enterprise of telegraph and special correspondents, but it was a great step in advance of other journals. The other morning papers were theMorning Herald, theMorning Chronicle, theMorning Post, of which Coleridge was once on the staff, theMorning Advertiser, which already represented the interest of which it is still the organ, and the oldPublic Ledger, for which Goldsmith had once written.
The evening papers were theGlobe, which had absorbed six other evening papers; theCourier; theStandard, once edited by Dr. Maginn; and theTrue Sun.
The weeklies were theExaminer, edited by the two Hunts and Albany Fonblanque; theSpectator, whose price seems to have varied from ninepence to a shilling; theAtlas;Observer;Bell’s Life;Bell’s Weekly Messenger;John Bull, which Theodore Hook edited; theNew Weekly Messenger; theSunday Times; theAge; theSatirist; theMark Lane Express; theCounty Chronicle; theWeekly Dispatch, sometimes sold for 8½d., sometimes for 6d.; thePatriot; theChristian Advocate; theWatchman; theCourt Journal; theNaval and Military Gazette; and theUnited Service Gazette.
Among the reporters who sat in the Gallery, it is remarkable that two-thirds did not write shorthand; they made notes, and trusted to their memories; Charles Dickens sat with them in the year 1836.
Yours trulyJ Croker-JOHN WILSON CROKER-
Yours trulyJ Croker-JOHN WILSON CROKER-
Yours trulyJ Croker
-JOHN WILSON CROKER-
The two great Quarterlies still continue to exist, but their power has almost gone; nobody cares any more what is said by either, yet they are as well written as ever, and their papers are as interesting, if they are not so forcible. TheEdinburgh Reviewis said to have had a circulation of 20,000 copies; theQuarterlyis said never to have reached anything like that number. Among those who wrote for the latter fifty years ago, or thereabout, were Southey, Basil Hall, John Wilson Croker, Sir Francis Head, Dean Milman, Justice Coleridge, Henry Taylor, and Abraham Hayward. TheWestminster,which also included theLondon, was supported by such contributors as the two Mills, father and son. Southwood Smith, and Roebuck. There was also theForeign Quarterly, for which Scott, Southey, and Carlyle wrote.
The monthlies comprised theGentleman’s(still living), theMonthly Review, theMonthly Magazine; theEclectic; theNew Monthly;Fraser; theMetropolitan; theMonthly Repository; theLady’s; theCourt; theAsiatic Journal; theEast India Review; and theUnited Service Journal.
The weekly magazines were theLiterary Gazette; theParthenon—absorbed in theLiteraryin 1842; theAthenæum, which Mr. Dilke bought of Buckingham, reducing the price from 8d.to 4d.; theMirror;Chambers’s Journal; thePenny Magazine; and theSaturday Magazine, a religious journal with a circulation of 200,000.
All these papers, journals, quarterlies, monthlies, and weeklies found occupation for a great number of journalists. Among those who wrote for the magazines were many whom we know, and some whom we have forgotten. Mr. Cornish, editor of theMonthly Magazine, seems forgotten. But he wrote ‘Songs of the Loire,’ the ‘Gentleman’s Book,’ ‘My Daughter’s Book,’ the ‘Book for the Million,’ and a ‘Volume of the Affections.’ Mr. Peter Gaskill, another forgotten worthy, wrote, besides his contributions to the monthly press, three laudable works, called ‘Old Maids,’ ‘Old Bachelors,’and ‘Plebeians and Patricians.’ John Galt, James and Horace Smith, Allan Cunningham, Sir Egerton Brydges, Sheridan Knowles, Robert Hall, John Foster, James Montgomery, S. C. Hall, Grattan—author of ‘Highways and Byways’—Marryat, John Mill, Peacock, Miss Martineau, Ebenezer Elliott, and Warren—author of ‘A Diary of a Late Physician’—all very respectable writers, sustained this mass of magazine literature.
It will be seen, then, that London was as well supplied with papers and reviews as it is at present—considering the difference in population, it was much better supplied. Outside London, however, the demand for a daily paper was hardly known. There were in the whole of Great Britain only fourteen daily papers; and in Ireland two. There are now 171 daily papers in Great Britain and fifteen in Ireland. In country places, the weekly newspaper, published on Saturday night and distributed on Sunday morning, provided all the news that was required, the local intelligence being by far the most important.
As to the changes which have come over the papers, the leading article, whose influence and weight seems to have culminated at the time of the Crimean War, was then of little more value than it is at present. The news—there were as yet, happily, no telegrams—was still by despatches and advice; and the latest news of markets was that brought by the last ship. We will not waste time in pointing out that Edinburgh was practically as far off as Gibraltar, or as anything elseyou please. But consider, if you can, your morning paper without its telegrams; could one exist without knowing exactly all that is going on all over the world at the very moment? We used to exist, as a matter of fact, very well indeed without that knowledge; when we had it not we were less curious, if less well informed: there was always a pleasing element of uncertainty as to what might arrive: everything had to be taken on trust; and in trade the most glorious fortunes could be made and lost by the beautiful uncertainties of the market. Now we watch the tape, day by day, and hour by hour: we anticipate our views: we can only speculate on small differences: the biggest events are felt, long beforehand, to be coming. It is not an unmixed gain for the affairs of the whole world to be carried on under the fierce light of electricity, so that everybody may behold whatever happens day after day, as if one were seated on Olympus among the Immortal Gods.