The Daily Phoenix

Newspaper Writing.--Few imagine the labors of a newspaper writer, says the Wilmington Star, and fewer still are anxious to bestow praise where it is due, or to withhold censure where it would be proper to so do. Many gentlemen of leisure, unable themselves to pen a grammatical phrase, are quite ready to criticise unsparingly, and to acidulate their critical remarks with a scorn that reflects little credit on their heart and less on their head.

He who writes for a daily paper must often form opinions without time for reflection, and write paragraphs without the opportunity of revision. He must frequently write of that which he only partially understands, and must equally often eject from his mind articles that haste constructed, and correction would improve.

In truth, often his labors are exposed to the merciless criticism of those who too willingly censure without regard to propriety, and too eagerly deny credit without respect to justice.

When it is remembered the press generally relies on report for its information, it can scarcely be supposed that its authority should always be beyond the imputation of incorrectness, or its judgment always prove unerring.

When it is borne in mind the writer of newspaper articles has few minutes for reflection, none for revision, but little opportunity to arouse latent powers, and but small compass to display acquirements, it can scarcely, with justice, be supposed that he should never fail, where failure is imminent, and success unattended with praise or accompanied with credit.

And when one dwells on the magnitude of his labors, and reviews the variety of subjects of which he must treat, it is not startling that he occasionally commits errors which are rarely forgiven, and fails to attain that standard which may relieve him from censure; but not entitle him to the encomia of the generous, and barely shields him from the sneers of the cynical.