Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 June 1884 — Early Newspaper Organs. [ARTICLE]

Early Newspaper Organs.

Newspaper “organs” formed an important feature of the early political machinery at Washington. Railroads as well as the magnetic telegraph were then unknown, and it took two days or more for the transmission of intelligence between the Federal metropolis and New York, while it was a week or two in reaching Portland, St. Louis, New Orleans or Savannah. This made it advisable for each successive administration to have a newspaper published at Washington, which would reliably inform the subordinate officials what was being done, and keep alive a sympathy between them and the Presidents. The “outs” and prominent aspirants for the Presidency also had their organa to keep the partisans advised of what was going on, and to secure uniformity of action. The National Intelligencer was never devoted to Mr. Adams, as its proprietor had a kind regard for Mr. Clay, but it was always hostile to the election of Gen. Jackson. Joseph Gales, its editor, wrote ponderous leaders on the political questions of the day, and occasionally reported, in short hand, the speeches of Congressional magnates. His partner, W. W. Seaton, attended to the business of the establishment, and by hospitable attention to Congressmen secured the public printing and several lucrative typograpical jobs. During Mr. Adams’ administration these matters were investigated by a committee of the House of Representatives, but there was no evidence of any intention to defraud the Government. The National Journal had been established as a Calhoun organ, with John Agg, an Englishman of great ability, as its editor, and Richard Houghton, afterward the popular editor of the Boston Atlas, as its Congressional reporter. In 1825 the paper was purchased by Peter Force (afterward noted as a bibliologist,) and became the “hand-organ” of all the elements of opposition to Gen. Jackson. Such abusive articles and scurrilous remarks as the dignified National Intelligencer would not publish appeared in the columns of the National Journal. Some of these articles—which reflected upon the character of Mrs. Jackson—gave great offense to her husband, who was persuaded that they were inspired by President Adams. Mr. Houghton was succeeded as Congressional reporter for the National Journal by Eliab Kingman, a graduate of Brown University, who inaugurated Washington correspondence with the press. Othefs had written letters to some one paper, but Mr. Kingman was the first to write to several journals in different places, sending to all the same items of news in different forms. He died here last sptgpig, having amassed a handsome property. Among the other newspaper men in Washington were William Hayden, Congressional reporter for the National Intelligencer, who afterward succeeded Mr. Houghton aB editor of the Boston Atlas; Lund Washington, equally famed as a performer on the violin and a writer of short-hand; James Gordon Bennett, afterward the founder of the New York Herald, who wrote spicy political letters tor the New York press; S. L. Knapp, a graduate of Dartmouth, who abandoned tha law for journalism, and corresponded with the Boston Gazette; and James Brooks, a graduate of Waterville, afterward the founder of the New York Express and a Representative in Congress, who was the correspondent of the Portland Advertiser.—Ben: Per ley Poore?s Beminiscences.

It is just as well to sit down in the office and write up an interview with a leading politician as it is to hunt him up. He’ll deny seven-eighths of the article any way after seeing it in print. As humanity progresses in intellectuality and goodness the teaching of sects become unreasonable and mythical