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populace; and he habitually abandons the principles of political science to
assail the characters of individuals, to track them into private life, and
disclose all their weaknesses and errors.
The personal opinions of the editors have no kind of weight in the eyes of
the public: the only use of a journal is, that it imparts the knowledge of
certain facts, and it is only by altering or distorting those facts that a
journalist can contribute to the support of his own views."
Nu Dickens. Martin Chuzzlewit maakt kennis met Amerikaanse journalisten:
"My name is Colonel Diver, sir. I am the Editor of the New York Rowdy
Journal."
Martin received the communication with the degree of respect which an
announcement so distinguished appeared to demand.
"The New York Rowdy journal, sir," resumed the colonel, "is, as I expect
you know, the organ of our aristocracy in this city."
"Oh! there is an aristocracy here, then?" said Martin. "Of what is it
composed?"
"Of intelligence, sir," replied the colonel; "of intelligence and virtue. And of
their necessary consequence in this republic. Dollars, sir."
Als Martin Chuzzlewit een exemplaar van de krant heeft gelezen en door
Colonel Diver naar zijn mening wordt gevraagd, zegt hij:
"Why, it's horrible personal", said Martin.
The colonel seemed much flattered by this remark; and said he hoped it was.
"We are independent here, sir" said Mr. Jefferson Brick, "we do as we like."
Het blijkt later dat journalisten van de "New York Rowdy Journal" de
ingezonden brieven zelf schrijven, en aldus invloed uitoefenen op de manier
zoals door De Tocqueville aangegeven.
De bloemrijke taal van de Amerikanen.
In een hoofdstuk getiteld "Of the inflated style of American writers and
orators" schrijft De Tocqueville:
"1 have frequently remarked that the Americans, who generally treat of
business in clear, plain language, devoid of all ornament, and so extremely
simple as to be often coarse, are apt to become inflated as soon as they
attempt a more poetical diction. They then vent their pomposity from one
end of a harangue to the other; and to hear them lavish imagery on every
occasion, one might fancy that they never spoke of anything with simplicity
The English are more rarely given to a similar failing. The cause of this may
be pointed out without much difficulty. In democratic communities each
citizen is habitually engaged in the contemplation of a very puny object,
namely
