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the same press does not appear to have been successful at that early date, as the project was abandoned after a few months' trial.

A great increase, however, was exhibited both in the number of journals and their circulation, by the census of 1810, at which time there were 359 newspapers in the Union-27 being dailies-with an annual issue of about 22,321,000 copies. In 1814 the yearly circulation of American newspapers exceeded that of the newspaper press of Great Britain by more than 3,000,000 copies, and since then the excess has been almost quadrupled. For, we find that, while the annual circulation of stamped papers in Great Britain, in 1850, was not quite 92,000,000, the annual issue in the United States at that time was 426,409,978 copies.

In 1824 there were eleven daily papers in Philadelphia, and twelve of the same description in New York. The editions of those of the latter city varied from one to four thousand, which, when we reflect that they were printed on hand presses, must be regarded as a very creditable circulation. From that period forward editions increased even more rapidly, and in 1831 the Christian Journal and Advocate, a weekly issue, and the organ of the Methodist persuasion in the United States, had a circulation of twenty-five thousand copies, which was wonderful in those days of hand-presses and balls.

The number of Journals had been greatly augmented in 1828, at which time there were 852 published in the country, with a yearly issue of 68,117,796 copies; and in 1830 this number had increased to 1000, the circulation doubtless being in proportion. The census of 1840 manifested still more wonderful progress. The number was then 1631, and the yearly issue 195,838,673 copies. And in 1850, the number had reached to 2800, with an annual circulation of 426,409,978 copies, or an increase in about twenty years of considerably more than 2000 distinct newspaper publications.

As an appropriate illustration of this increase, it appears that in 1810 there were 3.81 copies to each person; in 1820, the number was 5.92 copies to each person; in 1828, 13.80 copies to each person; in 1850, 21.81 copies to each person in the Union, while there were 12.9 publications to every 100,000 inhabitants, being a condition of the press unknown in any other country.

As before stated, the number of dailies in the United States in 1810 was 27. In 1840, it had increased to 138, and in 1850, to 254. At the latter date there were 14 daily papers published in London, 2 in Dublin, and 1 in Glasgow, there being none others in the United Kingdom. There was a paper issued every day in Liverpool, but not from the same press. The issues were from different offices, and on alternate days. The contrast is remarkable.

Above we have a chronological narrative of the origin, increase, and extent of the American newspaper press up to 1850. Since that period the augmentation has been in character with past progress. We are not in possession of comprehensive data on the subject, but a few reliable materials at our command would seem to indicate with some degree of certainty the gigantic advances the American newspaper press has made since then.

In 1850 there were 106 newspapers published in New York City. In the autumn of 1856 the number had reached 120, with an aggregate annual cireulation of 80,000,000 copies, the population at the period being about 850,000. At the same time there were 113 newspapers published in Boston,

having a yearly issue of 34,000,000; and 76 in Philadelphia, with a circulation of 48,000,000, making a total in these three cities alone of 209 journals, whose combined annual issue, it is fair to presume, is now 162,000,000 copies. Cincinnati has 30 papers, 16 of which are dailies, with an annual circulation of 9,000,000 of impressions. And although printing was not practised in Minnesota until April, 1849, at a time when nearly the entire country was a wilderness, there were 3 daily journals in St. Paul, in 1856, all well supported, and 31 different newspapers in the Territory. In June, 1857, there were about 20 journals printed in Kansas, not one of which existed in 1853.

Several individual papers in the large cities have an immense circulation. The New York Herald in June, 1857, had a daily issue of 70,000 copies. The Times circulated 42,000, and the Tribune 29,000 daily. The Sun, a cent paper published in the same city, had a daily circulation, in 1856, of 50,000.

From three of these establishments dailies, semi-weeklies, and weeklies are issued. The aggregate circulation of one issue of these various editions of the Herald is 100,000 copies; of the Times, 89,000; and of the Tribune, 214,000 copies. The Public Ledger, a cent paper published at Philadelphia, has a daily circulation of about 65,000.

We have no means of accurately ascertaining the number of copies daily printed of the leading journals in the southern and western cities, but it is doubtless as great, in proportion to the population, as that of the northern papers named.

In 1850, the dailies of the Union averaged a circulation of 3200 copies cach; the tri-weeklies, 851; the semi-weeklies, 1200; and the weeklies, 1365 copies each. The average number issued of each journal was 1785. It is said on good authority that there are firms in New York and Boston who sometimes sell 100,000 papers each in a single day; but many of these are sent to country dealers, or to persons in the large towns near at hand. No person, we feel confident, will venture to doubt that the American people have a greater love for newspaper reading than those of any other nation. This is a wellestablished fact. In 1850, no less than fifteen newspapers were printed in the United States for every inhabitant of the country.

It is estimated that there are now about 4000 newspapers in the Republic. A Press of such magnitude must exert a corresponding influence, nor do we over-estimate its power when we assert it to be more potent, as a whole, than that of Great Britain. Its universal popularity and cheapness extend its dominion, and create readers. And we must not forget, in our description, that it is not merely local, nor even national, but has a world-wide character. It registers the news of the globe; and in this respect differs essentially from the press of all other countries. It is the daily reading book of the working man, the public educator, and the political instructor. So popular has it become that a town of 2000 inhabitants, which in England would not support a journal of any description, in America has its daily; and cities of 20,000 persons, which in England are content with their semi-weeklies, or weeklies, in the United States support four or five dailies, with as many weeklies. Even villages of a few hundreds of inhabitants have their papers, which, if not supported in the hamlet, draw patronage from the surrounding rural population, and there is scarcely such a curiosity in town or country as a family not in re

ceipt of a journal. In the cities the working man looks for his morning paper as naturally as he does for his breakfast.

Mr. Knight Hunt, in his "Fourth Estate," makes the following sensible remarks on the influence of the press, and we quote them for their truth: "The prevalence," says he, "or scarcity of newspapers in a country affords a sort of index to its social state. Where journals are numerous the people have power, intelligence, and wealth; where journals are few, the many are in reality mere slaves. In the United States every village has its newspaper, and every city a dozen of these organs of popular sentiment."

Cheapness is a marked peculiarity of an influential portion of the American press. Until 1833, this was not generally the case. In January of that year the first paper for the "million" was tried in New York. At the commencement it was sold at two cents a copy, but at the end of a fortnight was reduced to a cent, and three days after ceased to exist. This failure did not dishearten other capitalists, and in September following the Sun was successfully started. It was sold to "carriers" at 62 cents the hundred, who resold it a cent per copy. It continues to be published, and is profitable. Cent papers were soon after tried in other large northern cities, all of which now support daily penny journals.

That many American journals are carelessly conducted we do not deny, but, as a whole, they pay strict attention to morality. Attacks upon religion or delicacy are scrupulously excluded from their columns, and the public fully sustain them in this. No publication of disgraceful character has ever succeeded in the United States. The political press we know is, at times, exceedingly harsh in tone, partisan feeling getting the mastery of sober judgment, but this is not common. It is but proper to say that an indulgence of personality cannot be fairly charged to the American press, the few vile prints that are addicted to the habit being the most decided exceptions and excrescences. A powerful moral force is found in the Religious press. There are 120 papers of this character in the United States, with an estimated weekly circulation of 500,000!

The Journalism of the United States, like the character of the people, is versatile, flexible, and practical. Every interest, every social, and every political doctrine has its organ. Brevity, point, and terseness, characterize the editorials. The editor aims less at fine writing than at felicity and force. At times careless writing is discoverable, but this is owing mainly to the fact that the whole literary labour is too often performed by one man, and he is not equal to the task of always writing elegantly. In truth, the wonder is how one person manages to write so much, and so well, daily, as some American editors we could name.

Of the able journals of the United States, the National Intelligencer, at Washington, for moral tone and literary worth has no superior in Europe. The Journal of Commerce, Evening Post, Courier and Inquirer, Commercial Advertiser, Tribune, and Times, at New York; Pennsylvania Inquirer, Press, and Evening Bulletin, at Philadelphia; Patriot and American, at Baltimore; Courier and Bulletin, at New Orleans; Traveller, Post, Advertiser, and Courier, at Boston; Inquirer and Commercial, at Cincinnati; Whig, at Richmond, Va.; Journal, at Louisville; and Republican, at St. Louis, would do credit to the

daily journalism of any country. Of the valuable weekly papers, The Home Journal and Independent, at New York; Saturday Evening Post and Episcopal Recorder, at Philadelphia; Telegraph, at Germantown; and Scientific American, at New York, deserve special mention. The list is capable of being extended did our space allow; but as those named fairly represent the ability of the American press, this is not called for, and we can only desire that these in future shall be more quoted from in Europe than heretofore.

The size of many American journals is often objected to in this country, but the objection applies rather to the form than to the actual dimensions. As a rule they seldoni exceed in size that of the London newspapers, but as they are ordinarily in folio, instead of quarto, their appearance is deceptive. The largest of them exceed the dimensions of the London Times by a few square inches only. In 1775 but few American papers were larger than cap or demi; in 1785 they were ordinarily medium where paper of that size was procurable; about 1812 they were mostly royal; a few years later double medium; since which the introduction of cylinder presses has increased the scope of newspaper enterprise to such an extent, that the size is no longer known by the old definite terms, but our ears have become as familiar with blanket and mammoth as were those of our fathers with cap and medium.

The demand for a higher description of ephemeral publications than newspapers is exhibited in the large number of monthly magazines which abound in the United States. In 1810 there were about twenty such publications, but we have not the means of ascertaining the number at present. That they are many, however, is well known, and several of them are conducted with great ability and success. As early as 1820 the Edinburgh Review spoke of the North American Review, as a work "written with great spirit, learning, and ability," a character it continues to maintain with a list of contributors, amongst whom are Everett, Dr. Robinson, Sparks, and Longfellow.

It would be invidious to particularize other periodicals on account of their literary worth where there are so many; but before closing these brief remarks on the monthly and quarterly publications of the United States, we must refer in terms of eulogy to the high tone and varied excellencies of Harper's Magazine, a journal with a monthly circulation of about 170,000 copies, in whose pages are to be found some of the choicest light and general reading of the day.

We speak of this work as an evidence of the literary taste of the American people, and the popularity it has acquired is merited. Each number contains fully 144 pages of instructive matter, appropriately illustrated with good woodcuts, and it combines in itself the racy monthly, and the more philosophical quarterly, blended with the best features of the daily journal. It has great power in the creation and dissemination of a love for pure literature.

The Knickerbocker Magazine is one of the oldest, if not actually the oldest of its class, in the United States. This periodical is very ably conducted, has among its contributors some of the leading literary men of the country, has a steady and large circulation, and a deservedly high character.

A more recently established magazine-the Atlantic Monthly-bids fair to attain a high position. This is to contain only original contributions from noted authors, in order to afford the public a high-toned periodical at a reason

able price, as well as to make the project profitable alike to writers and publisher. It already contains good matter, and among its contributors are some of the first writers of the United States and Great Britain.

In January, 1857, the first number of a very useful publication, on the plan of "Notes and Queries," was begun at Boston, under the title of The Historical Magazine, and Notes and Queries concerning the Antiquities, History, and Biography of America, which has met with a reasonable amount of patronage, and supplies a vacuum in American periodical literature that has long existed. It is destined to be the repository of many valuable historical fragments, and already serves as a convenient medium of communication between men in all parts of the Union, whose object is the illumination of obscure points in American history, and the elucidation of mooted questions. In the brief period of its existence it has brought to light many curious incidents in the early history of the country heretofore scaled to the mass of readers. Judging from its character it is destined, among other achievements, to secure a uniform system of American bibliography, and to reform that shameful practice, now too prevalent among publishers in the United States, of printing octavo and quarto editions of the same book from the same plates, as well as to effect the total abolition of the habit so often indulged by American authors and publishers, of giving two or three titles to the same book, and thus by two dishonest practices involving American bibliography in confusion, and surrounding research with every conceivable difficulty.

CHAPTER XIII.

PRINTING PRESSES.

ALMOST as great progress has been made in the improvement of the structure of the printing press in the United States as in the extent and amount of the printing business itself. The first presses used in the colonies were imported from England; although some were manufactured in the country before the Revolution. These were mostly after the model of the invention of Blaew, the time-honoured wooden screw-press, subsequently improved by Adam Ramage, whose name it now bears in the Union. At first Ramage's presses were so constructed that two impressions were required for each side of a medium sheet, the platten being only large enough to cover one-half of a medium form; but he subsequently remedied this defect, if it were one; and after other manufacturers had adopted iron he substituted that material for wood, but not until the popularity of his presses had materially declined. Still, as they are really excellent, they are much in use in the country districts; which cannot be said of the celebrated Columbian press, now obsolete in the United States, although it, strangely enough, maintains its popularity in England. This was invented in 1816. It was soon after introduced into Europe, and in 1818, its inventor received 1500 dollars as a present from the Emperor of Russia, and a gold

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