ons of
Guizoism, and all the turpitudes and chicanery of Louis Philippism. When
the _Presse_ was not a year old it had 15,000 subscribers, and before it
was twelve years old the product of its advertisements amounted to
150,000 francs a-year. Indeed this journal has the rare merit of being
the first to teach the French the use, and we must add the abuse, of
advertisements. We fear the _Presse_, during these early days of the
gentle Emile and Granier Cassagnac, was neither a model of virtue,
disinterestedness, nor self-denial. Nor do we know that it is so now,
even under the best of Republics. There are strange tales abroad, even
allowing for the exaggeration of Rumor with her hundred tongues. One
thing, however, is clear; that the _Presse_ was a liberal paymaster to
its _feuilletonistes_. To Dumas, Sand, De Balzac, Theophile Gautier, and
Jules Sandeau, it four years ago paid 300 francs per day for
contributions. The _Presse_, as M. Texier says, is now less the
collective reason of a set of writers laboring to a common intent, than
the expression of the individual activity, energy, and wonderful
mobility of M. Girardin himself. The _Presse_ is Emile de Girardin, with
his boldness, his audacity, his rampant agility, his Jim Crowism, his
inexhaustible cleverness, wonderful fecundity, and indisputable talent.
The _Presse_ is bold and daring; but no man can tell the color of its
politics to-day, much less three days, or three months hence. On the
25th of July, 1848, it was as audacious, as unabashed, and as little
disconcerted as two days before. When the workmen arrived in crowds to
break its presses, the ingenious Emile threw open the doors of the
press-room, talked and reasoned with the greasy rogues, and sent them
contented away.

The number of journals in Paris is greater--much greater,
relatively--than the number existing in London. The people of Paris love
and study a newspaper more than the people of London, and take a greater
interest in public affairs, and more especially in questions of foreign
policy. Previous to the Revolution of February 1848, it cannot, we
think, be denied that newspaper writers in France held a much higher
rank than contributors to the daily press in England, and even still
they continue to hold a higher and more influential position, though
there can be no good reason why they should have done so at either time.
For the last fifteen years there cannot be any doubt or question that
the leadi