men of invention and industry-第43章

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Compelled　by　this　loss　to　return　to　his　trade；　he　succeeded　in

obtaining　the　publication　of　'Lloyd's　List；'　as　well　as　the

printing　of　the　Board　of　Customs。　　He　also　established　himself　as

a　publisher　and　bookseller　at　No。　8；　Charing　Cross。　　But　his

principal　achievement　was　in　founding　The　Times　newspaper。



The　Daily　Universal　Register　was　started　on　the　1st　of　January；

1785；　and　was　described　in　the　heading　as　〃printed

logographically。〃　　The　type　had　still　to　be　composed；　letter　by

letter；　each　placed　alongside　of　its　predecessor　by　human

fingers。　　Mr。　Walter's　invention　consisted　in　using　stereotyped

words　and　parts　of　words　instead　of　separate　metal　letters；　by

which　a　certain　saving　of　time　and　labour　was　effected。　　The　name

of　the　'Register'　did　not　suit；　there　being　many　other

publications　bearing　a　similar　title。　　Accordingly；　it　was

re…named　The　Times；　and　the　first　number　was　issued　from　Printing

House　Square　on　the　1st　of　January；　1788。



The　Times　was　at　first　a　very　meagre　publication。　　It　was　not

much　bigger　than　a　number　of　the　old　'Penny　Magazine；'　containing

a　single　short　leader　on　some　current　topic；　without　any

pretensions　to　excellence；　some　driblets　of　news　spread　out　in

large　type；　half　a　column　of　foreign　intelligence；　with　a　column

of　facetious　paragraphs　under　the　heading　of　〃The　Cuckoo；〃　while

the　rest　of　each　number　consisted　of　advertisements。　

Notwithstanding　the　comparative　innocence　of　the　contents　of　the

early　numbers　of　the　paper；　certain　passages　which　appeared　in　it

on　two　occasions　subjected　the　publisher　to　imprisonment　in

Newgate。　　The　extent　of　the　offence；　on　one　occasion；　consisted

in　the　publication　of　a　short　paragraph　intimating　that　their

Royal　Highnesses　the　Prince　of　Wales　and　the　Duke　of　York　had　〃so

demeaned　themselves　as　to　incur　the　just　disapprobation　of　his

Majesty！〃　　For　such　slight　offences　were　printers　sent　to　gaol　in

those　days。



Although　the　first　Mr。　Walter　was　a　man　of　considerable　business

ability；　his　exertions　were　probably　too　much　divided　amongst　a

variety　of　pursuits　to　enable　him　to　devote　that　exclusive

attention　to　The　Times　which　was　necessary　to　ensure　its　success。



He　possibly　regarded　it；　as　other　publishers　of　newspapers　then

did；　mainly　as　a　means　of　obtaining　a　profitable　business　in

job…printing。　　Hence；　in　the　elder　Walter's　hands；　the　paper　was

not　only　unprofitable　in　itself；　but　its　maintenance　became　a

source　of　gradually　increasing　expenditure；　and　the　proprietor

seriously　contemplated　its　discontinuance。



At　this　juncture；　John　Walter；　junior；　who　had　been　taken　into

the　business　as　a　partner；　entreated　his　father　to　entrust　him

with　the　sole　conduct　of　the　paper；　and　to　give　it　〃one　more

trial。〃　　This　was　at　the　beginning　of　1803。　　The　new　editor　and

conductor　was　then　only　twenty…seven　years　of　age。　　He　had　been

trained　to　the　manual　work　of　a　printer　〃at　case；〃　and　passed

through　nearly　every　department　in　the　office；　literary　and

mechanical。　　But　in　the　first　place；　he　had　received　a　very

liberal　education；　first　at　Merchant　Taylors'　School；　and

afterwards　at　Trinity　College；　Oxford；　where　he　pursued　his

classical　studies　with　much　success。　　He　was　thus　a　man　of

well…cultured　mind；　he　had　been　thoroughly　disciplined　to　work；

he　was；　moreover；　a　man　of　tact　and　energy；　full　of　expedients；

and　possessed　by　a　passion　for　business。　　His　father；　urged　by

the　young　man's　entreaties；　at　length　consented；　although　not

without　misgivings；　to　resign　into　his　hands　the　entire　future

control　of　The　Times。



Young　Walter　proceeded　forthwith　to　remodel　the　establishment；

and　to　introduce　improvements　into　every　department；　as　far　as

the　scanty　capital　at　his　command　would　admit。　　Before　he　assumed

the　direction；　The　Times　did　not　seek　to　guide　opinion　or　to

exercise　political　influence。　　It　was　a　scanty　newspapernothing

more；　Any　political　matters　referred　to　were　usually　introduced

in　〃Letters　to　the　Editor；〃　in　the　form　in　which　Junius's　Letters

first　appeared　in　the　Public　Advertiser。　　The　comments　on

political　affairs　by　the　Editor　were　meagre　and　brief；　and

confined　to　a　mere　statement　of　supposed　facts。



Mr。　Walter；　very　much　to　the　dismay　of　his　father；　struck　out　an

entirely　new　course。　　He　boldly　stated　his　views　on　public

affairs；　bringing　his　strong　and　original　judgment　to　bear　upon

the　political　and　social　topics　of　the　day。　　He　carefully　watched

and　closely　studied　public　opinion；　and　discussed　general

questions　in　all　their　bearings。　　He　thus　invented　the　modern

Leading　Article。　　The　adoption　of　an　independent　line　of　politics

necessarily　led　him　to　canvass　freely；　and　occasionally　to

condemn；　the　measures　of　the　Government。　　Thus；　he　had　only　been

about　a　year　in　office　as　editor；　when　the　Sidmouth

Administration　was　succeeded　by　that　of　Mr。　Pitt；　under　whom　Lord

Melville　undertook　the　unfortunate　Catamaran　expedition。　　His

Lordship's　malpractices　in　the　Navy　Department　had　also　been

brought　to　light　by　the　Commissioners　of　Naval　Inquiry。　　On　both

these　topics　Mr。　Walter　spoke　out　freely　in　terms　of　reprobation；

and　the　result　was；　that　the　printing　for　the　Customs　and　the

Government　advertisements　were　at　once　removed　from　The　Times

office。



Two　years　later　Mr。　Pitt　died；　and　an　Administration　succeeded

which　contained　a　portion　of　the　political　chiefs　whom　the　editor

had　formerly　supported　on　his　undertaking　the　management　of　the

paper。　　He　was　invited　by　one　of　them　to　state　the　injustice

which　had　been　done　to　him　by　the　loss　of　the　Customs　printing；

and　a　memorial　to　the　Treasury　was　submitted　for　his　signature；

with　a　view　to　its　recovery。　　But　believing　that　the　reparation

of　the　injury　in　this　manner　was　likely　to　be　considered　as　a

favour；　entitling　those　who　granted　it　to　a　certain　degree　of

influence　over　the　politics　of　the　journal；　Walter　refused　to

sign　it；　or　to　have　any　concern　in　presenting　the　memorial。　　He

did　more；　he　wrote　to　those　from　whom　the　restoration　of　the

employment　was　expected　to　come；　disavowing　all　connection　with

the　proceeding。　　The　matter　then　dropped；　and　the　Customs

printing　was　never　restored　to　the　office。



This　course　was　so　unprecedented；　and；　as　his　father　thought；　was

so　very　wrong…headed；　that　young　Walter　had　for　some　time

considerable　difficulty　in　holding　his　ground　and　maintaining　the

independent　position　he　had　assumed。　　But　with　great　tenacity　of

purpose　he　held　on　his　course　undismayed。　　He　was　a　man　who

looked　far　ahead；not　so　much　taking　into　account　the　results　at

the　end　of　each　day　or　of　each　year；　but　how　the　plan　he　had　laid

down　for　conducting　the　paper　would　work　out　in　the　long　run。　

And　events　proved　that　the　high…minded　course　he　had　pursued　with

so　much　firmness　of　purpose　was　the　wisest　course　after　all。



Another　feature　in　the　management　which　showed　clear…sightedness

and　business　acuteness；　was　the　pains　which　the　Editor　took　to

ensure　greater　celerity　of　information　and　dispatch　in　printing。　

The　expense　which　he　incurred　in　carrying　out　these　objects

excited　the　serious　displeasure　of　his　father；　who　regarded　them

as　acts　of　juvenile　folly　and　extravagance。　　Another　circumstance

strongly　roused　the　old　man's　wrath。　　It　appears　that　in　those

days　the　insertion　of　theatrical　puffs　formed　a　considerable

source　of　newspaper　income；　and　yet　young　Walter　determined　at

once　to　abolish　them。　　It　is　not　a　little　remarkable　that　these

earliest　acts　of　Mr。　Walterwhich　so　clearly　marked　his

enterprise　and　high…mindednessshould　have　been　made　the　subject

of　painful　comments　in　his　father's　will。



Notwithstanding　this　serious　opposition　from　within；　the　power

and　influence　of　the　paper　visibly　and　rapidly　grew。　　The　new

Editor　concentrated　in　the　columns　of　his　paper　a　range　of

information　such　as　had　never　before　been　attempted；　or　indeed

thought　possible。　　His　vigilant　eye　w