POWER OF THE PRESS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXI, Issue 2341, 26 October 1926, Page 6

POWER OF THE PRESS.

HOW IT AROSE.

DAWN OF ENGLISH JOURNALISM,

British journalism arose out of the tremendous controversies of the Civil War, Great men living in the country used to pay people in London to write them news letters, and these were circulated through the neighbourhood. John Dillingham, a London tailor, was employed to write news to Lord Montague of Boughton. In 1641 newspapers, called news-books, began to make their appearance. The power of the press was quickly realised, and in January, 1642, the House of Commons passed a stringent order levelled against the liberty of the press. In April, Dillingham reported to his patron that “the printers being frighted, the diurnals cease, which, though to me trouble is yet joy for I endure not news common.” He means that as a citizen he regretted this interference with liberty, but that as a journalist he rejoiced in the prospects of “scoops,” his letters not being subject to censorship. Dillingham’s career is sketched in an article by Mr. G. E. Mainwaring in the Edinburgh Review for July. In June. 1643, printing under censorship was allowed, and Dillingham, who had discovered by this time that he could write, founded The Parliament Scout, Communicating His Intelligence to the Kingdom. In his firslxleader he says: “Considering withall the condition the Kingdom now stands in, when the Times is the only study, and that when I find a necessity that a right intelligence be kept and imparted throughout the Kingdome of the proceedings of the Parliament and their Armies, to the end the well-affected party, who are willing to sacrifice life and fortune for their Religion and Liberty and the good of the King and Kingdome may from time to time be informed and receive encouragement.” But Dillingham was not satisfied with chronicle. He must comment, and thus the tribulations of this first of English leader-writers arose. A fellow Presbyterian complained of him that he was “so pragmatic all, that he thinks that he can teach Parliament how to order State affairs and the Ministry how to frafcne their prayers and begin their sermons.” On January 30, 1645, complaint was made to the House of Lords, “of a scandalous pamphlet entitled the Parliament Scout, wherein is a great defamation of the honour of the Lord General,” and inconsequence it was “ ordei’ed that the printer and author should be found, taken into custody, and brought befor the H6use.” The two men spent three weeks in prison before the case was dealt with, and then were re-, leased; but the Parliament Scout was suppressed. Dillingham’s next venture was a newspaper in French, written for foreign merchants to send to their countries informing them of the position of affairs in England. This weekly was called “Le Mercure Anglois. It contained also translations of news from abroad. It, too, had a stormy career. On account of its “lavish expressions” it was at “divers times called in.” The last issue is dated September 14-24, 1648. The second Civil War led Dillingham to commence the Martial Intelligencer, Impartially communicating" martial affairs to the Kingdom of England. In this he promised “an extract weekly of such things as come to knowledge and are fit l'or publike view. . . . which shall ever be according to .intelligence and without invectives.” Dillingham’s sympathies swung round to the King after the Civil War, and it was said that “the Diurnal and he are confederate, and resolve to utter nothing but perfumed breath.” In 1648 this man, whose courage helped to make English journalistic tradition, scored neatly off the censor. He wished to comment strongly on Parliament’s action in sending John Lilburne, the famous agitator and leveller, to the Tower without a trial. “If the case be thus, then," he said, “Dieu nons donne ties Parlements briefe, rcis de vie longue.” (God give us short Parliaments and long-lived Kings). The censor knew no French, but ho had his revenge and carried on Dillingham’s paper for him in the most scoundrelly fashion. During interruptions Diliingham resumed his trade as a tailor. With a news letter which is a firstrate historical document, he tells Lord Montague : “I have made the gentleman your son two coats of frieze, and this Saturday I carry them suits. If I find Mr. Edward desirous of another coat I will make him one trimmed with silver lace for Sundays, or some other garment that shall please him.” Dillingham resumed his journalism, and his account of the execution of Charles I. is a little masterpiece which was reprinted in The Times of January 30 of this year. Disgusted by the mendacity of the official press, for the benefit of which he had been suppressed again, Dillingham made another attempt with a newspaper in 1652. “The Age,” he ccmplatins, _ “is so desperate an adorer of novelties that it embraces newes in any language or under any colour. Every man hath his peculiar fancy, and if that be tickled, no matter where truth lies.” Dillingham disappeared from the world of journalism in 1655, when Cromwell finally suppressed the popular newspapers. He may have made money, for in 1672 a John Dillingham gave £lB5 a year to found an academy in Leicester “to teach young gentlemen to Ryde the Great Horse, fence, vault, and other exercises.”