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latiire wras lately engaged in discussing the curious
question, whether the security of the British government,
or of the States of Jersey be the better ! ! !
I shall conclude this chapter with a few words nn
the state of the public press, in Jersey. Few communities
so limited as Jersey, possess so many public
journals; and yet, I question if there be a community
in any free country, so little influenced by the public
press. The reason of this is, that the number of those
who dare to think for themselves, is extremely limited:
with few exceptions, the journals are the organs of one
or other of the two parties; and so fearful are they of
giving offence to the party which patronizes them,
that nothing like freedom of sentiment is ever found
in their columns. I at present allude more particularly
to the French papers; for these being chiefly read by
the country people, are the only journals, which under
worthy management, might exercise any important
influence over the public mind. Without exception,
these are the furious organs of party; and are conducted
with apparently the sole view of pleasing
certain partisans. The acrimony, invective, and personal
abuse, which figure in their columns, extremely
surprise a stranger who has been accustomed to the
more gentlemanly tone of the English press; and
certainly reflect no great credit upon the taste of the
public, who are not only satisfied, but delighted with
this manner of Avriting; and who, with few exceptions,
look upon the most powerful and most nervous writing,
as tame, if it be not seasoned with personality. There
is indeed one excuse for this depraved appetite on the
part of the public: it is, that both in the legislatiA^e
i
body, and in the courts of justice, an example is set.
The harangues in the “ States” are too frequently a
tissue of personalities; such, as in no well regulated
assembly, would be for a moment endured : and even
in court, allusions are made to the judges on the bench,
and a virulence of language permitted, very unusual
in such places. Nothing, by the by, can be a better
illustration of the indifference of the natives of Jersey,
tOAvards all that lies beyond their little world, than the
contents of the French local papers. These are small
sheets, like the smallest of the French papers, sold at
\ \ d . : one and half, or two, of these small pages, is
filled with island news,—the proceedings of the States,
—the pleadings of the Court,—parish meetings,—and
original articles, or letters, upon local politics. The
most scanty space imaginable, is made to suffic^e for
the world at large. The most important debates in
the British parliament, are despatched in a paragraph;
and the foreign intelligence of Europe, is evidently a
matter of very minor consideration. As for British
domestic intelligence, there is no department for it.
I recollect observing, that no mention was made in
one of the most read journals, of the death of the
king of Spain,—at that time, from many causes, an
event of great political interest. Several of these
journals enjoy a large circulation, and all of them are
conducted with a fair portion of talent, though unhappily
made subservient to the narrow views of party.
There are also, six English newspapers in Jersey,
which are read by the educated classes of the natives,
and of course, also, by the British residents. In these
journals, whose contents are of the miscellaneous