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.
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