tory. About the only good thing that has been said of it is found in a favorable comment by a historian, on the happy choice of name. As Cincinnati was then the western frontier of civilization and the gateway to the rich territory beyond, it was deemed especially appropriate that a "centinel" should stand guard at this outpost. The same writer speaks of the early issues as containing few advertisements, no editorials, and no local items." Another writer says that "it had no editorial articles, no local news, reviews, or poetry,” and even so careful a writer as William T. Coggeshall, an Ohio man, a journalist by profession, and one of the best librarians that the state ever had, in his "Origin and Progress of Printing, with Some Facts About Newspapers in Europe and America," published in 1854, states that the issues of the Centinel were "irregular," that they contained nothing "but meager details of foreign news, not more than half a dozen advertisements, no editorials, no local news, no opinions on country, state, or national questions, no lessons from history, no poetry, no wit, no sentiment," and as a parting shot he says that rules were not used between the columns. These statements are so sweeping and have been so widely and frequently copied that something tangible must be offered to warrant a dissenting opinion. We appeal to the paper itself to The Centinel of the North-Western Territory-a copy of which Mr. Coggeshall and his copyists certainly never saw. To begin with, the paper was not issued irregularly. As stated, the first number appeared Saturday, November 9, 1793, and every subsequent Saturday, for a year at least, it was delivered to subscribers. A rapid but somewhat careful examination of files does not bring to light the omission of a single issue within the entire period of its publication. A facsimile of part of the first page of the first issue, herewith submitted, shows very clearly that the paper had rules between the columns. And what is true of this is also true of every subsequent issue. The Centinel was indeed a "brief chronicler of the times." It was a four page three column sheet, in small quarto form, the type of each page occupying a space eight and one-half by ten and one-fourth inches. The columns were lengthened three and one-half inches, July 12, 1794. The motto of the masthead "Open to all parties-but influenced by none," one generous critic assures us has never been violated by its successors in the states formed from the Northwest Territory. Not being familiar with all the "successors," we will not venture an opinion, but after a careful and thorough examination of the files of the Centinel, we can truthfully say that its editor, through the three years of its life, did not deviate from the motto. Opposing interests were presented through their local champions, but the editor maintained a sphinx-like silence. In the printing of communications he was discreet and just. At the head of the first page of the first issue is the editor's salutatory. He says in part: Note: In quotations, capitalization and punctuation of original are followed. "The Printer of the CENTINEL of the North-Western Territory, to the Public: "Having arrived at Cincinnati, he has applied himself to that which has been the principal object of his removal to this country, the Publication of a News Paper. This country is in its infancy, and the inhabitants are daily exposed to an enemy who, not content with taking away the lives of men in the field, have swept away whole families, and burnt their habitations. We are well aware that the want of regular and certain trade down the Mississippi, deprives this country in great measure, of money at the present. time. These are discouragements, nevertheless I am led to believe that the people of this country are disposed to promote science, and have the fullest assurance that the Press, from its known utility, will receive proper encouragement. And on my part am content with small gains, at the present, flattering myself that from attention to business, I shall preserve the good wishes of those who have already countenanced me in this undertaking, and secure the friendship of subsequent population. "It is to be hoped that the Centinel will prove of great utility to the people of the Country, not only to inform them on what is going on east of the Atlantic in arms, and in the arts of peace-but what more particularly concerns us, the different transactions of the states in the Union, and especially of our own Territory at so great a distance from the seat. of general government. It is a particular grievance that the people have not been acquainted with the proceedings of the legislature of the Union in which they are as much interested as any part of the United States. It is expected that the Centinel will in a great measure remedy this misfortune. * * "The editor therefore rests his success on the merits of the publication. * * * I hope therefore, all men of public spirit will consider the undertaking as a proper object of attention, and not consult merely their own personal interests, but the interest of the public and the coming time." Following this is a short story from Sterne; news from London dated July 15; from Portland, Maine, August 25th; from New York, September 4th; from Philadelphia, September 4th; from Fredericksburg, Va., October, 3d. There are also items of local news under date of September 9th, 1793. They read in part as follows: "Many reports having been circulated with respect to the attack made by the savages upon a convoy of provisions, some little time ago, between Fort St. Clair and Fort Jefferson, the following is an authentic account of the affair. "Lieut. Lowry, of the second, and ensign Boyd of the first sub-legions, with a command consisting of about ninety non-commissioned officers Note In quotations, capitalization and punctuation of the original are followed. and privates, having under their convoy twenty wagons loaded with grain and commissary stores, were attacked between day-light and sunrise, seven miles advanced of Fort St. Clair, on the morning of the 17th ult. These two gallant young gentlemen, with thirteen non-commissioned officers and privates, bravely fell in action. The Indians killed or carried off about seventy horses." * * * * * * * "In the twilight of Saturday evening, the 19th ult., a party of about forty or fifty Indians made an attack upon White's station, ten miles north of this place. * X * * One of the men and two of the children were killed. * * "The army are preparing to go into winter quarters on the southwest branch of the Miami, six miles in advance of Fort Jefferson. The ground of encampment is already laid off in the form of a rhombus, three hundred yards long, on a commanding situation.” * * * * Here is local matter; of interest not only at the time, but for all time. Of personal items, the visits of friends, social events, and the like, there is a dearth, but these matters did not figure prominently in the everyday life of a people engaged in the work of subduing the wilderness. In the early issues, as the critic states, there were few advertisements, but later they were comparatively numerous. In the first number the editor uses the advertising column to extricate himself from a dilemma. He was so deeply interested in getting out his first paper that he lost a memorandum containing a partial list of his subscribers. The notice is so quaint and original that we reproduce it: "Subscribers to this Paper, will please to call at the. office for it, as there has been a subscription paper mislaid, and the names of a number of subscribers not yet known to the Printer." This reveals business methods that would not pass muster to-day. There is no evidence, however, that the advertisement did not meet the exigencies of the occasion. But we are told that there were "no opinions on country, state or national questions." If this refers to the editor, the statement is true; but it was far from being true of the paper. The very first issue contains an article signed "Manlius" on the subject of unequal taxation under the territorial government. It includes a sharp criticism of the legislature, which then consisted of Governor St. Clair and the judges appointed by him. In speaking of the law imposing special taxes on merchants and tavern keepers, the writer says: "It cannot be supposed that the legislature are disposed to make this law perpetual, and yet no limitation is in the act; it appears to have been calculated merely to save the landed interests from paying taxes; and this is not astonishing, when one of the greatest land holders in the government was, and still is, one of the legislature. Human nature is the same in all countries, and self interest is never taken away by any Vol. III. 10 Ex. D. 146 office: man is man, and he will do what conduces to his private emoluments, whether he be peasant, judge or king. If taxes are necessary under this government * * * the people ought to be taxed in proportion to their property." In subsequent issues the territorial and national governments were criticised and defended, and the opening up of the Mississippi to free navigation was advocated with vigor. No favor was shown and even the "Father of his country" did not escape the pungent pen of some of the Jeffersonian correspondents. This pioneer journal reflects the deep interest in matters political, which has ever characterized the states carved out of the Northwest Territory. But we are told that the editor gave no space to "poetry, wit or sentiment." This is a serious charge that is hardly sustained by reference to the paper. The first issue contains the following "anecdote:" "Milton was asked by a friend, whether he would instruct his daughters in the different languages. To which he replied 'No, sir; one tongue is sufficient for a woman.' This, of course, is a little ancient, but doubtless we all should have enjoyed and appreciated it one hundred years ago. Issue No. 2 has the following in the anecdote column: "(`olonel Bond, who had been one of King Charles the First's judges, died a day or two before Cromwell, and it was strongly reported that the protector was dead. 'No,' said a gentleman who knew better, 'he has only given bond to the devil for his future appearance., This may not be wit, but it prepared the way for some of the "pun gent paragraphs" of modern times. In the first issue of the Centinel occurs the following: Why should our wishes miss their aim? My friends, 'tis strange, self-love that rules The mystic cause I did explore, And blamed their want of thought. My occupation I despised, New schemes and calling straight devised. And found them all but naught. To Cincinnati shaped my course, With stick in hand, without a horse, 'Twas galling to my mind! Till on the banks of Ohio's flood I near a chinky cabin stood, For selling grog designed. The feet here are somewhat lame. Imagery is lacking. This is hardly poetry. I suppose with our modern vocabulary we should call it "the army canteen." It shows that some things do not change much, after all, with the flight of time. In close proximity to this effusion is an appeal in rhyme to the local bards to awake and "court the smiles of Apollo." And the bards in time responded. When Robert Elliot, contractor for army supplies, was killed by Indians near Fort Hamilton, October 6, 1794, a friend wrote a tribute of some length from which we quote the following: "In star hung chambers of the empyreal sky, ぶ |