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CHAPTER III.

Opera Box of the Temps Newspaper-M. Thiers-Eminent Writers in Newspapers-Different Rank held in their respective countries by the French and English Journalists-Effect of High Taxes connected with the Press-System of Governing by Wealth-Education of the Working Classes-Unjust Restriction-Its Consequence-Advantages of the low price of Newspapers in France—The Daily Press in France embodies more of the Intelligence of France, than the Daily Press of England does of the Intelligence of England-Folly of a System of Persecution-Extent to which this System has been carried by the Government of Louis-Philippe.

If you went to the French opera and saw a very large and very brilliant box, rather larger and more brilliant than any otherwhose would you suppose it to be? The king's? no: a minister's? no: an ambassador's? no:

a Russian prince's? no: an English lord's? no: a French peer's? a deputy's? guess again : That box is the Temps' newspaper's! What! a newspaper have a box at the

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opera? to be sure;-that box is where the newspaper does the greatest part of its business.

You see that fat smooth-faced little gentleman, and that tall thin pale figure in spectacles-one was a great man a little time ago, the other expects to be a great man soon. The editor is giving these statesmen an audience. They tell him their views, he listens. They tell him the strength of their party, he takes a note. They tell him what course they mean to pursue, he proffers advice.

The editor is a clever man. This is his way of conducting his journal. He pretends that to influence the politics of the day, and indeed to know the politics of the day, he must know the political men of the day. He makes his paper the organ of a party, and he makes himself the head of the party. But how to keep this party together?

He used to give dinners-he now takes an opera-box. I do not know any thing that better paints the character of the French, or of the state of France: than-the journalist at the head of his political party-assembled—in a box at the opera.

In England a paper has immense consideration; but th editor, however respectable, little. You rarely hear him spoken of—in

few cases is he known, unless pelted on some accidental occasion by public abuse into notoriety. As for newspaper writers, they are generally held below surmise. We do not think it worth while even to guess who they are.

There seems on all sides the most ignorant willingness to submit to newspaper despotism, coupled with an equally ignorant contempt for those who direct it.

When M. Thiers paid a visit to London a year ago, the English papers and the writers in these papers, strange to say, affected to sneer at M. Thiers, because, forsooth, he had been a writer in a newspaper. I need hardly remark that they shewed, by such conduct, a very mean opinion of themselves, and a very gross ignorance of that country in the affairs of which M. Thiers takes so conspicuous a part. It is difficult to point out a public man of any eminence in France, who has not written in a newspaper.

M. Benjamin Constant, M. de Châteaubriand, M. de Lalot, M. de Villèle, M. Salvandy, M. Villemain, M. B. de Vaux, l'Abbé de Pradt, M. Arago, M. Odillon Barrot, have all written in newspapers; and the only man worthy of being put into competition with M. Thiers, at the present moment-the only man hom at the time I am writing, the dynasty has seriously

to dread, is that gentleman who lately sought a refuge on our shores,* and whose talents and integrity have been made visible through the channel of a daily journal.

These are facts: into the causes of these facts-the advantages and the disadvantages attendant upon these facts, let us inquire!

It has been said that the different rank which the French and English journalists hold, in their respective countries, is chiefly attributable to the English newspaper-writer being anonymous and the French not.

There is an error here; and the effect is mistaken for the cause. The different degree of respect which the writers in French newspapers enjoy cannot proceed from the signature of their names, because the political writers in the French newspapers (the class most considered,) do not sign their names. They make no mystery of their names, certainly; they usually acknowledge and even boast of their productions-but they do not sign their names, and might be anonymous if they pleased it. It is not because they publish their names that they are respected—it is because they are respected that they make no secret of their names.

* M. A. Carrel of whom I have been speaking.

To ascertain the cause of this, we must ascertain the causes which constitute the success of a paper in France and the success of a paper in England.

such

What makes an English journal so powerful? a foreigner arrives in England-he goes to the Traveller's—he hears his neighbours say: 66 I do not think the ministry can stand, see how the attacks it." "Is the a very formidable paper then?" he says. "Oh! yes, a very formidable paper indeed." The foreigner takes up the paper, reads it thrice through-and unless it happen to be one of those field days, on which I admit a remarkable article may appear falsely attributes to his want of a perfect knowledge of English, his inability to see the peculiar merits of a composition which has in reality no such merits at all.

Convinced, however, that the merits are there, he enquires: "Pray, who is the great writer in this journal?" "Writer-writer !" repeats his informant, " upon my word I do not know they say a Mr. -um writes in it."

"Is Mr. -um such a very great writer then?" adds my curious stranger, "it is very odd that I never heard of his name before. Is Mr. -um then one of your first writers?"

"I rather think not-I believe not-I do not know that he is," says the Englishman, and

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