s long before the days of
the _Atlantic_ and _Putnam's_. The _New-England_ originated in the
desire of my brother Edwin, who, at that date, was just twenty-one years
of age, to rise to a higher position than that of editor of a daily
paper. He had been for some years connected with my father, first, as
assistant editor of the _New England Galaxy_, and then of the Boston
_Courier_. People estimate very differently now the position of the
editor of one of our city dailies; but at that time, though such an
editor had an influence and a very great one, he could not be said to
rule so far in political and social life, and to be so nearly supreme,
as he has since become through the talents and labors of the Bennetts,
of Greeley, of Raymond, of Thurlow Weed, and of Samuel Bowles. It is
true, Mr. Bryant, of the _Evening Post_, was already at his station, so
was Joseph E. Chandler, of Philadelphia; and Gales and Seaton, of the
_National Intelligencer_; and Nathan Hale also, of the Boston
_Advertiser_, exerted an important influence, wherever that paper was
read. But an editor now addresses every day ten thousand or a hundred
thousand readers, where fifty years ago the issue of his paper was
limited to little more than a thousand copies. My brother Edwin felt,
apparently, that to be editor of a monthly magazine would bring him into
closer connection and intimacy with the leading men of literary eminence
throughout the country, and so the magazine was originated by him and by
my father on his account.

Edwin was an accomplished writer at that early day. He had not learned
the art at school; for he left school altogether when he was fourteen
years of age. At that early period of life, he entered into the
printing-office of the _New England Galaxy_, learning to set type, and,
shortly, came to have charge of the making up of the paper. My father
often said that the best school education one could get was at the
compositor's stand. Edwin early began to write for the paper, and I
remember, now, with what admiration an article of his on "Massachusetts"
was read more than sixty years ago, and while he was yet a boy. The
_Galaxy_ was sold in 1827; and my father and brother gave themselves up
more particularly to the editorship of the _Courier_. Before Edwin was
twenty-one, he spent some winters in Washington, as special
correspondent of the newspaper; and while there attracted no little
attention from the great men of the nation. He was a