2660. ENGLAND, Mendacity of Press.—
The British government * * * have it
much at heart to reconcile their nation to
the loss of America. This is essential to the
repose, perhaps even to the safety of the King
and his ministers. The most effectual engines
for this purpose are the public papers. You
know well that that government always kept
a kind of standing army of news-writers,
who, without any regard to truth, or to what
should be like truth, invented and put into the
papers whatever might serve the ministers.
This suffices with the mass of the people, who
have no means of distinguishing the false
from the true paragraphs of a newspaper.
When forced to acknowledge our independence,
they were forced to redouble their efforts
to keep the nation quiet. Instead of a
few of the papers formerly engaged, they
now engage every one. No paper, therefore,
comes out without a dose of paragraphs
against America. These are calculated for
a secondary purpose also, that of preventing
the emigrations of their people to America.—
To Count Van Hogendorp. Washington ed. i, 464.
Ford ed., iv, 103.
(P.
1785)
