gold box, in spite of all these things, the Journal languished, and finally died of starvation in 1752. Ainsi va le monde.

Meanwhile the Gazette remained the official organ of the government of New York. Occasionally Bradford felt constrained to vindicate himself and his paper to the people. In March, 1736, several months after Zenger's acquittal, the Gazette published the following manifesto:

The PRINTER To his Readers:

New York, March 28, 1736.

Gentlemen it is but too well Known to you all that for above 2 years past, there has been a Difference between the late Governour Cosby and some other Persons in this Province, which has been exposed in print with some warmth, but as to the merit of the Cause I meddle not with it, nor will I enter into Controversie about it, having declared myself to be of neither party, from the beginning, yet as I am and have been above forty years last past a Servant to the Government (and consequently to the several Governours during that Time) so I have according to my duty, some times printed in my Gazette some observations which the late Governour's Friends, thought proper to make upon what the other Party printed against him, and for so doing Mr. Zenger, or some of the Party, have been angry with me, as I may suppose, (for I know not of any thing else that I have done by which they could be offended with me, they having formerly been my very good Friends) they have from time to time, Reflected upon me and against my Gazette, insinuating that what I published was not true. That I published nothing but what the Governour does allow of, &c., whereas the contrary is most true, for neither his late Excellency Governour Cosby nor any other Person ever directed me, or ever saw what News I put into my Paper before it was published to the World; only what Answers on Observations were sent to me against what the other Party printed against the Governour &c. (as before mentioned) and sometimes (when I was not present) some Friend of mine would send me an account of what passed and how the Royal Healths were drank on Publick Days, and sometimes would say, That most of the principal Merchants and Gentlemen at the Fort, &c. This Zenger's Journal oftentimes would contradict and say, the greatest number were not at the Fort, whereas perhaps neither party had made an exact calculation how many were at the Fort, or how many absent; however, this and such like trivial matters Zenger's Journal would magnifie to be a Lie, in order to discredit Will. Bradford's News Paper, that People should not believe what he publishes, and consequently not buy his Gazette. The like Treatment he has met with, at times, for two years, without contradiction, which has induced some to believe what Zenger's Journal insinuates, is True, particularly his two last Journals Numb. 123, 124, where they charge W. Bradford with his constant respect to Falsehood and dislike of Truth. His Integrity has been so long established, and the Falsity of his Assertions so often proved that I (says the Journal) as a Lover of Truth, a Friend to my Country, and one who is in Charity with all Men, take the liberty [lax liberty] of passing a few genuine Remarks upon what he (Bradford) has said. Why what has he said? Why in his Gazette, Number 540, he has pleased on Tuesday last to inform his Readers, that his Excellency (our then Governour) was in a fair way of Recovery; whereas on Wednesday last (says the Journal) he resigned his last breath; Ergo Bradford has a constant respect to falsehood and a dislike of Truth; the consequence of which is, that what he publishes is not to be believed. But as I have not concerned myself with the present Differences, nor given just occasion for these Reflections and false Charges, so I do assure my Unprejudiced Readers, that as I have had a regard to Truth, so for the future I shall be cautious what I do publish. But as all men are liable to Mistakes, so more especially the Publisher of a News Paper; for let him be never so careful, he will sometimes have wrong Intelligence; and therefore we very often find in the English Papers that they give notice that they had wrong infor mation in such an affair mentioned in such a Paper, and this is allowed of. and the Publisher not charged with Falsehood, or a Publisher of Untruths. And I hereby acquaint my Friends and Readers, that if at any time I am made sensible

The Dawn of Liberty to the Press.

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that thro' wrong Information I have published anything not true, I shall readily make known the true matter of facts. But as to what I published concerning the Governour's being in a fair way of Recovery after his Imposthume was lanced is True, according to the then Opinion of his Physicians and Friends about him, as I then had it from some of them, in writing, and still have it by me. But if my account of the Governour's Indisposition has been wrong, was any body hurt by it? I suppose my Friends nor enemies will not say it. So also what I related concerning his Excellency's Funeral I find, upon enquiry, to be true, altho' Mr. Zenger's Journal insinuates the contrary. They cite my words The Gentlemen of the Council &c., Voluntarily assisted in paying their last Duty to His Remains; and then ask W. Bradford, were none of the Gentlemen of the Council invited to that Funeral? To which W. B. answers. That he is informed that some of the Council were invited to be Pawl-bearers, and yet he will not allow that he gave a false account, when he says, They Voluntarily Assisted, &c., because he is very well informed, that the several Degrees of Persons there mentioned, did come to said Funeral of their own Voluntarily good Will. To conclude, altho' I apprehend myself to be wronged by their or his false Charges, I am obliged to him for his good Advice, (and which I hope I shall follow) where he says, I advise Mr. Bradford not rake any more in the Ashes of the Dead. The giver of which Advice will do well to apply it.

Kind Reader, I thought myself obliged to say something to take off the edge of some of the unworthy Reflections cast upon me in Zenger's late Journals, and that without the least cause given them; nor can I think of any design they could have in their so abusing me, but with intent (what in them lyes) to deprive me of Bread; for who will buy my Papers if they can be induced to believe that I have a constant respect to (or am Constant Publisher of) Falsehood, and Dislike to Truth; but as I profess to be a Lover of Truth, I hope to practise the same. I make this short Apology in my own defence, and not to begin a Controversie or Paper War with Zenger's Journal, or its Coadjutors (to use their own word) for as there is nothing that can be done or said, but something may be said against it, so if they make any Reflections or Observations upon what I here say, I do not intend to answer it or take any Notice of it, but do my endeavour to serve my Superiours in my Place and Station, as I have done for above Forty years last past, and also collect and publish such News and Occurrences as shall happen to come to my knowledge, in the best manner I can, be obedient to the King and to all that are put in Authority under him, and to my power, am

A Friend and Well-Wisher To all Men,

WILL. BRADFORD.

These two newspapers are thus made prominent because in history they occupy an important niche, and because the policy adopted by Zenger, like that of Franklin, and Fleet, and Thomas, and Edes, was the dawn" not only "of that liberty which afterward revolutionized America," but of the independence of the Press, which we now see so splendidly illustrated and exemplified in so many of the leading newspapers of the present day.

The Gazette was carried on by Bradford till 1742. In January, 1743, the name was changed to New York Gazette or Weekly PostBoy, and published by James Parker. The Post-Boy was a new paper, and only connected with the Gazette for the use of its name, and by the purchase of the material of that office. In proof of this, the name of the paper was changed in January, 1747, to that of the New York Gazette, Revived in the Weekly Post-Boy. As this occurred several years prior to the death of Bradford, it was undoubtedly done by arrangement with him. There were only two printing

offices in New York at that time, according to Professor Kalm, who described the city in a letter written in 1748. "There are two printers in the town," said Kalm, "and every week some gazettes, in English, are published, which contain news from all parts of the world."

Parker, like Zenger, who was "a forward boy," had been apprentices to Bradford. Indeed, nearly all the printers of newspapers in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania had been taught in his of fices either in New York or Philadelphia. It appears that Parker had run away from Bradford, as Franklin had from his brother's of fice. On the disappearance of Parker, the following advertisement was inserted in the Gazette of May 23, 1733, ten years before the Post-Boy was started, giving a full description of one of our earliest journalists. Our modern newspaper proprietors are not often publicly described in this way:

Ran away on the 17th of this Instant May, from the Printer hereof, an Apprentice Lad, named James Parker, by Trade a Printer, aged about 19 years; he is of a fresh Complection, with short yellowish Hair, having on a yellowish Bengall Coat, Jacket and Breeches, lined with the same, and has taken with him a brown colour'd coarse Coat, with flat Mettal Buttons, Two Frocks, Two Shirts, One Pair of strip'd Ticken Jacket and Breeches. Whoever takes up and secures the said Apprentice, so that his said Master may have him again, shall have Twenty Shillings as a Reward, and all reasonable Charges Paid by

WILLIAM BRADFORD.

The Post-Boy had the support of what was called the opposition party. It became involved in a difficulty with the Episcopal Church, which it severely attacked. It died shortly after. Its proprietor was a partner of Franklin's, who had spread himself over the colonies with his type and presses. One printing-office was started in South Carolina, others in different provinces, and that of James Parker in New York. These partnerships lasted for six years, and all accounts were settled quarterly. Franklin would send a printing-press and a certain quantity of type, and take one third of the profits and debts for his share. Quite a number of the early papers were established in this way.

On the 27th of September, 1732, the Rhode Island Gazette was issued in Newport, the first in that state. It was printed on a half sheet of cap paper, by James Franklin. After his failure in Boston, in consequence of the persecutions of the authorities, he thought, as Roger Williams did, that he would leave the original Puritans, and try the atmosphere and people of Rhode Island for more freedom of mind and conscience; but he was soon discouraged, partly from ill health, for only twelve numbers are known to have been published. The Gazette did not survive three months, and Franklin died in 1735. The Gazette contained no advertisements. There were no

Newport before the Revolution.

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Helmbolds, Knoxes, Brandreths, opera-houses or theatres, steamship lines, or Schiedam schnapps in those days. There was very little local news. In that period of hebdominalism the arrivals and departures of vessels were given briefly-so briefly, indeed, that the sea-captains of the last century were not enrolled on the pages of history as they have since been. There were no gentlemanly captains then, nor polite pursers. Newport was not a fashionable watering-place, per se, in 1732, as it is in this fast and elegant age. It promised then to be the Commercial Emporium of the Western World. It could boast of its foreign commerce, and bid fair to be more than a rival to New York, in consequence of possessing one of the finest harbors on the North Atlantic coast. There was no idea then of simply being wealthy in magnificent summer residences, and having its splendid bay merely the summer rendezvous of the New York Yacht squadron.

One number of the Gazette, in 1732, contained the following marine report of Newport for one week:

Entered Inward.-Vincent from Virginia, Dyer & Sears from Eustatia, Gullin from Hispaniola, and Walters from Boston.

Outward Bound.-Briggs for Barbados.

Cleared Out. Bell for Barbados, Linsey for Leward Islands, and Fame for Antigua.

One number of the Newport Mercury of 1871 contained, in amount of tonnage as well as in number of vessels, more arrivals in one day, of pleasure yachts alone, than is embraced in the above list of arrivals and departures for a week. If any Rip van Winkle, who saw the Vincent, and Gullin, and Walters enter that port in 1732, stood at the railroad dépôt in the summer of 1871, and saw the Sappho, and Cambria, and Dauntless, and Fleetwing come bouncing up that expansive and beautiful bay, he must have been bewildered with the sight, or believed it all a dream.

CHAPTER V.

APPEARANCE OF THE PRESS AT THE SOUTH.

THE FIRST NEWSPAPER IN SOUTH CAROLINA.—THE FIRST IN VIRGINIA.THE BRADFORD FAMILY IN PENNSYLVANIA. THE STAMP ACT.-ITS ORIGINATOR IN BOSTON. — OPPOSITION OF JOURNALS. THE FIRST PAPER IN MARYLAND.-VERY OLD PRESS. -THE FIRST CARRIERS' ADDRESS. -THE GERMAN PRESS.

OUR sketches of the Press of the colonial period must necessarily be written with a running pen.

The South must have her chronicles. On the 8th of January, 1731, the South Carolina Gazette was published in Charleston by Thomas Whitemarsh. It was printed on a half sheet for about a year, and died with its proprietor. In February, 1734, it reappeared in name, and was published for several years by Lewis Timothy.

The first paper in Virginia made its débût in Williamsburg in 1736 -a rare old town, the society of which has been graphically described by Wirt in his Life of Patrick Henry. This newspaper was the Virginia Gazette, and printed by William Parks, sometimes on half a sheet of foolscap, and sometimes on a whole sheet. It was continued till Parks's death in 1750, and during that time was under the influence of the governor. After the death of Parks the Gazette was revived under new auspices, and issued in February, 1751, as the Virginia Gazette, with the freshest advices, Foreign and Domestic. The new paper was printed on a crown sheet, and had a cut of the arms of Virginia incorporated with the title. It bore this imprint:

Williamsburg: Printed by Wm. Hunter, at the Post Office, by whom persons may be supplied with this paper. Advertisements of a moderate length for Three shillings for the first week, and Two shillings each week after.

With Hunter's death in 1761 the Gazette was enlarged, and published by Joseph Royle. On his demise it was conducted by Purdie and Dixon till the Revolution. It was managed by Purdie alone during the war.

The Boston Weekly Post-Boy, in imitation of Parker's paper, was published by Ellis Huske. Its first number appeared in 1734.

Huske was Postmaster of Boston. It was believed that he recommended the obnoxious Stamp Act of 1765 to the British government. He must have been astonished with the excitement and in