The younger Franklin, when he entered upon his new enterprise, had evidently acquired some experience in his profession. As was customary with the earlier journalists, he often asked indulgence of his patrons. In one instance he stated that he had received a new font of types from England, and that he hoped, in the next four months, to bring up the arrears of foreign news. This font of types was presented to him by his uncle, Benjamin Franklin, who thus made his brother James "ample amends for the service" he had "deprived him of by leaving him so early." In these ancient sheets there are always paragraphs of interest. One finds in the Mercury, for instance, a detailed account of Arnold's treason, and then the news of Andre's execution. Here a piece of scandal from the court of Louis XV. Then an item of a ball given by Washington, and the particulars of one of Nelson's victories. In a number issued in 1759 appeared a suggestion which was adopted three quarters of a century later in our famous Florida War. It was this:

The great Columbus, we are informed, in his expeditions against the Indians, made use of dogs with great success. The same experiment might be practised at this time against the wild Canadians and Indians, who, on account of the impenetrableness of the woods, have too successfully hitherto surprised our regular forces, &c.

James Franklin the second suddenly left Newport and never returned. Mrs. Ann Franklin, his mother, immediately placed her imprint on the paper, and issued it regularly as before. She was a woman of energy, industry, and experience. She carried on the business till the marriage of her daughter to Samuel Hall. He then took charge of the establishment. Subsequently he sold out to Solomon Southwick, who continued to publish the Mercury till December, 1776, when it was discontinued for a time for fear that the British, on landing, would destroy his office and material. Southwick was a patriot. He early took up the cause of his country with much vigor and effect. Three years before the affair at the North Bridge, in Concord, he published a communication in which the following bold paragraph appeared:

To the Printer of the Newport Mercury.

We are much mistaken if there be not something now brewing, in some parts of Europe, which will infallibly free this country from the worst of temporal curses, under which it at present groans, the curse of being tyrannized over by a parcel of dependant tools of arbitrary power, sent hither to enrich themselves and their MASTERS, on the spoils of the honest and industrious of these colonies; whom Satan envies as he did Adam and Eve in paradise; and therefore has let loose his Legions to work their final overthrow.

The press on which the elder James Franklin and his brother, Benjamin Franklin, so often worked in Boston, remained in the Mercury office over one hundred years. In 1859 it was sold to John B. Murray, Esq., he agreeing to place it in the Patent-office at

The Franklin Presses.

III

Washington, or some equally public and safe place, the desire being to insure its preservation for future generations as the first press on which Benjamin Franklin worked. Mr. Murray decided, in 1864, to present it to the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanics' Association on the one hundred and fifty-eighth anniversary of the birthday of Franklin. The press will be recognized as the original of the front panel of the Franklin statue in front of the City Hall, in School Street, Boston. Another press, on which Franklin worked in London in 1725-6, was obtained by Mr. Murray in 1841, and placed in the Patent-office at Washington.

On the title-page of the Mercury it is now published that the paper was "Established by Franklin, A.D. 1758."

The New London Summary was added to the list of newspapers on the 8th of August, 1758. Timothy Green was its publisher till 1763, when both paper and printer died.

Our records state that another New York Gazette was started on the 16th of February, 1759. William Weyman was its printer. This paper was a revival of the old Gazette of Bradford and the Gazette and Post-Boy of Parker. The latter, after a short banishment to Connecticut, returned and became a partner of Weyman's, and the new Gazette was conducted by the new firm, and, as such, was immortalized by Freneau in verse. In 1763-4 Parker retired from journalism, but continued his printing-office and became secretary of the Post-office.

In the excitement growing out of the efforts of Sir Henry Moore to enforce the Mutiny Act in 1768–9, and the favorable action of the Assembly on the subject, an inflammatory handbill, charging the Assembly with a betrayal of its trust, was issued in the interests of the Sons of Liberty. In the search for the author, its publication was traced to the printing-office of Parker, and he was arrested and confined in the fort. Threats to deprive him of his office and promises of indemnity induced him to disclose the name of Alexander M'Dougall as the author. M'Dougall afterwards became famous. in the annals of the patriotic press as the editor of the Journal. He was, of course, arrested. He was taken before the chief justice, and, refusing to give bail, was confined in the new jail, now the Hall of Records, opposite the old Tammany Hall, where the Sun Building now stands. The Assembly voted the handbill libelous, and the proceedings were printed on the forty-fifth page of the journal of that body. "Forty-five" became, therefore, the countersign of the Sons of Liberty. M'Dougall was overrun with visitors. They were so numerous, as in the case of Leigh Hunt, of the London Examiner, in 1812, that he was compelled to publish the following card:

Many of my Friends who have honored me with their Visits since my oppressive Confinement in this Place, have advised me, as I intend to devote a considerable Part of my Time to do Justice to the Public, in the Cause for which I am imprisoned, to appoint an Hour from which will be most convenient for me to see my Friends; I do therefore, hereby notify them, that I shall be glad of the Honor of their Company, from Three o'clock in the Afternoon till Six. I am, Gentlemen,

New Goal Feb. 10, 1770.

With great Esteem and Gratitude
Your very humble Servant,

Alex. M'Dougall.

The Journal of February 15, 1770, in giving an idea of the character of these visits, says:

Yesterday, the forty-fifth day of the year, forty-five gentlemen, real enemies to internal taxation, by, or in obedience to external authority, and cordial friends to Captain McDougal, and the glorious cause of American liberty, went in decent procession to the New Gaol; and dined with him on forty-five pounds of beef stakes, cut from a bullock of forty-five months old, and with a number of other friends, who joined them in the afternoon, drank a variety of toasts, expressive not only of the most undissembled loyalty, but of the warmest attachment to Liberty, its renowned advocates in Great Britain and America, and the freedom of the press. Before the evening the company, who conducted themselves with great decency, seperated in the most cordial manner, but not without the firmest resolution to continue united in the glorious cause.

The only newspaper printed in Delaware, during this epoch, was the Wilmington Courant, which was published for about six months in 1761, by James Adams, who introduced printing in that state.

The third paper in Rhode Island was published in Providence in 1762, and was named the Providence Gazette and Country Journal. It was in the Gazette of 1822 that the well-known song of "Old Grimes," written by Albert C. Greene, was first published. Greene was one of the writers, if not the editor, of the modern Gazette. In 1833-4 he edited the Literary Journal and Weekly Register. He afterward became a judge, and died in 1868.

Away down South the next journalistic enterprise appeared. James Johnston, a native of Scotland, began the publication of the Georgia Gazette in Savannah on the 17th of April, 1763. It was published by Johnston for twenty-seven years, and was the only newspaper in that state before the Revolution.

On the death of the Summary the New London Gazette made its appearance. It was issued on the 1st of November, 1763. Its name was changed in 1773 to that of the Connecticut Gazette, and is the oldest paper in that state.

Another Century Paper.

113

CHAPTER VII.

SPREAD OF THE REVOLUTIONARY SPIRIT.

NEW PAPERS ESTABLISHED.-SCARCITY OF RAGS.-APPEALS TO THE PEOPLE. -HOW PAPER-MILLS WERE SUPPLIED.-CHARLES CARROLL, OF CARROLLTON. EARLY OPINION OF NEWS IN VIRGINIA.-THOMAS JEFFERSON AND THE PRESS.

ANOTHER Century newspaper is now announced.

On the 29th of October, 1764, a specimen number of the Connecticut Courant was published by Thomas Green "at the Heart and Crown, near the North Meeting House," in Hartford. The first regular issue of the paper, which has continued without interruption or change of name to the present time, was on the 19th of November, 1764.

Its prospectus read as follows:

Fing thuman- Nature, and rendering Life agreeable and happy, none appear

F all the Arts which have been introduc'd amongst Mankind, for the civilizof greater Advantage than that of Printing: for hereby the greatest Genius's of all Ages, and Nations, live and speak for the Benefit of future Generations.

Was it not for the Prefs, we fhould be left almost intirely ignorant of all thofe noble Sentiments which the Antients were endow'd with.

By this Art, Men are brought acquainted with each other, though never so remote, as to Age or Situation; it lays open to View, the Manners, Genius and Policy of all Nations and Countries and faithfully tranfmits them to Pofterity.-But not to infift upon the Ufefulness of this Art in general, which must be obvious to every One, whofe Thoughts are the leaft extefive.

The Benefit of a Weekly Paper, must in particular have its Advantages, as it is the Channel which conveys the History of the present Times to every Part of the World.

The Articles of News from the different Papers (which we shall receive every Saturday, from the neighbouring Provinces) that fhall appear to us, to be most authentic and interefting fhall always be carefully inferted; and great Care will be taken to collect from Time to Time all domeftic Occurrences, that are worthy the Notice of the Publick; for which, we shall always be obliged to any of our Correfpondents, within whofe Knowledge they may happen.

The CONNECTICUT COURANT, (a Specimen of which, the Publick are now prefented with) will, on due Encouragement be continued every Monday, beginning on Monday, the 19th of November, next: Which Encouragement we hope to deferve, by a coftant Endeavour to render this Paper ufeful, and entertaining, not only as a Channel for News, but assisting to all Those who may have Occasion to make use of it as an Advertiser.

On the 25th of April, 1768, Ebenezer Watson became a partner in the concern, and its sole publisher in December, 1770. On the 2d of March, 1779, Hudson and Goodwin were the publishers, Mr. Watson having died. Barzillai Hudson married the widow Watson, and

H

assumed her interest. Various changes have occurred, since the first issue of the paper, in the condition of the country and the Press. In running over the early files of a century newspaper, one can trace the growth of that sentiment which led to such great results on this continent. The Courant, in alluding to its past history, said:

*

When the COURANT was started, the utmost deference was paid in words to the English government, and "His Gracious Majesty's most loyal and dutiful subjects" were full of expressions which now grate harshly on an American ear of fealty to the British throne. As the time wore along, the "Loyal Sons of Liberty" whose doings are faithfully reported by their organ the COURANT, toned up the public mind to the great issue which all sagacious men knew to be not far in the future, and when the war of Independence broke out, the COURANT was bold as the boldest in sustaining the American doctrine. * * *The early publishers of the COURANT were patriotic and courageous in opposing the tyranny of the ministers of George 3d, the stamp act, the tea tax, &c.-Historians like Bancroft, Trumbull, Stuart, Hollister and other writers and politicians have freely quoted and cited from the files of the COURANT. At the time when the acceptance or rejection of the Constitution of the United States was pending, the debate is fully reported, and as such men as Oliver Ellsworth, Jeremiah Wadsworth and Roger Sherman took part in it, no abler debate can be found.

The proprietors of the Courant, during the War of Independence, erected a paper-mill in Hartford, and made the paper on which they printed, and numerous appeals and entreaties are to be seen in the files of the paper to the people to save every scrap of rags or other material that could be converted into paper, and take it to the Courant paper-mill. The want of rags was the great desideratum of the early publishers of newspapers. After starting a paper-mill, it was difficult to supply it with the raw material. Rags were gathered on a very limited scale. Increase of population is an increase of rags. Fashion aids the paper-maker. But to gather the cast-off tatters was a task. Peddlers' wagons now go through towns and villages, and buy up all they can find. They purchase old books, old papers, old manuscripts, for money or tin-ware. Bell-carts go about the cities and collect all they can, but the quantity is too small to supply the great demand. Our paper-makers, therefore, resort to Italy and other foreign countries. Immense quantities are imported. Bell-carts were used in the last century for the collection of rags only. Old books and old newspapers were a rarity then. One bell-cart, and no more, it appears by the following advertisement in the News-Letter of March 6, 1769, and only one paper-mill, in New England in that year:

ADVERTISEMENT.

The Bell Cart will go through Boston before the end of next month, to collect Rags for the Paper-Mill at Milton, when all people that will encourage the Paper Manufactory, may dispose of them. They are taken in at Mr. Caleb Davis's Shop, at the Fortification; Mr. Andrew Gillespie's, near Dr. Clark's; Mr. Andras Randalis, near Phillips's Wharf; and Mr. John Boies's in Long Lane; Mr. Frothingham's in Charlestown; Mr. Williams's in Marblehead; Mr. Edson's in Salem; Mr. John Harris's in Newbury; Mr. Daniel Fowle's in Portsmouth; and at the Paper-Mill in Milton.