CENTENARY OF THE “ABERDEEN JOURNAL.”
On Wednesday evening, January 5, 1848, the gentlemen connected with the city and county of Aberdeen gave a splendid entertainment to Mr David Chalmers, the present proprietor of the “Aberdeen Journal,” in celebration of the centenary of that newspaper, it being exactly one hundred years that day since its first number was published.
The art of printing was introduced into Aberdeen in the year 1622, by Edward Raban, the “Laird of Letters,” as he styled himself, who printed the first Aberdeen Almanack, “long the only work of its kind in Scotland, and, as such, acquiring a sort of proverbial celebrity. The password of pious Mr Turnbull, in the novel of Red Gauntlet—‘a plague on all Aberdeen Almanacks’—will readily occur to the reader.”
Raban commenced business in Aberdeen under the auspices of the magistracy and University, and one of his successors in trade and patronage was Mr James Chalmers, son of the then Professor of Divinity in Marischal College, the projector of the “Aberdeen Journal,” and grandfather of its present proprietor. “Early in life,” said Mr David Chalmers, at the centenary celebration above alluded to, “my grandfather commenced business, as Printer to the City of Aberdeen, and was but a young man when our country became convulsed by the bold and chivalrous attempt of the last of the Stuarts to regain the throne of his ancestors. My grandfather, himself a Protestant, warmly embraced the cause of the House of Hanover, and through his press and his pen, gave wide circulation to principles of attachment to the reigning sovereign. This made him rather a marked man; so that his life was sometimes in danger; and he had on one occasion to fly from his own house, and seek refuge in that of a friend in Old Aberdeen, a Professor in King’s College. In the memorable spring of ’46, the town of Aberdeen had a visit from the royal army, on its way to the field of Culloden. My grandfather joined the king’s standard, and took part in this battle, which forever crushed the hopes of Prince Charles and his gallant and devoted followers. The services of my ancestors were for a time rewarded by an official appointment, namely, that of receivers of the rents of some of the forfeited estates in this county; but these were soon after restored; and are now happily in the hands of their rightful owners. At this period, there were in Edinburgh but two papers, the ‘Evening Courant’ and the ‘Caledonian Mercury’: and one in Glasgow, which has long ceased to exist. It is known that, at this period, the Government of the day had much to do in order to efface the painful recollections, and to appease the angry feelings of the people, justly irritated and incensed by the needless cruelties which followed that fatal fight. They, therefore, felt anxious to see the principles of loyalty and good order widely diffused among the population of the North. My grandfather, impressed with the same views, engaged in the undertaking which has given birth to the present meeting. During the progress of, and subsequent to, the rebellion of ’45, he had published occasional reports, or what would be now called bulletins, of the state of public affairs; but it was not until the beginning of 1748 that the ‘Aberdeen Journal’ took the form of a regular newspaper. From that period, it was published by him, with varying success, until the year 1764, when he died, and was succeeded by my venerated and respected father, who conducted it until his death, in 1810. It then fell into my unworthy hands; but with this consoling reflection, that during the last twelve years of his life, I had had the privilege and the happiness of aiding and assisting him in the laborious duties and distracting cares of an Editor. Such has been the birth and parentage of the ‘Aberdeen Journal,’ whose life now presents the somewhat singular feature of having reached its hundredth year during the lives of three successive generations of the same family.
The few following extracts from No. 1. of the ‘Journal’ will give some idea of newspaper writing one hundred years ago, and also indicate the state of public feeling at that day towards our Gallic neighbours:
“As the publick may be alarmed with the report that ran so currently yesterday upon the Exchange, that a contract is negociating for the delivery of 400,000 quarters of wheat to our mortal enemy the French, we hope every Englishman will judge so tenderly of his neighbour, as not to believe it possible any merchant can entertain so pernicious a thought, or be such a traitor to his country, at a time when our allies the Dutch have totally prohibited all commerce with that perfidious nation under the severest penalties.”
“However the report yesterday might arise, of a particular contract for sending 400,000 quarters of wheat to France, it is certain that an article from Bourdeaux, in a late Dutch Mail, mentions that a large number of English ships, laden with corn, had put in there, and caused a sudden plenty in the midst of scarcity; adding, that these ships had sailed under a pretence of being bound for the Mediterranean. If these were private traders only, who ventured thus to risk their fortunes, in contempt of their duty and allegiance, the affair deserves to be particularly enquired into, that the delinquents, if taken, may be punished. But if their voyage was in virtue of a contract, that is a jobb; the business is the more iniquitous, as it must be a transaction among persons of no small distinction. We shall not pretend to guess who the jobbers may be; but it was very imprudent of the French who were to be essentially served, to blab a secret that may prevent their friends here from making a little more profit of our present plenty.
“We hear that it having been affirmed, in a certain H—— Assembly, that a practice of sm——g would never have arisen to its late pitch but for the encouragement of some R—— H—— persons, one, who seemed to be severely wrung, exclaimed loudly on the occasion, and affected to clear himself and friends, by calling for such proof as he knew it was impossible at that time to adduce.”
While the initials and dashes in the last quotation form a striking contrast to the out-spoken manner of the press now-a-days, the following jeu d’esprit denotes the unchangeable and everlasting grumble against taxation:
“No more Gambols.
’Twas merry at Christmas, when money was plenty,
And taxes took off not above five in twenty:
But how is it possible mirth should arise?
Now all that can make it is under Excise.
When light is not free in the worst of dull weather;
Wheels pay, if we ride; if we foot it, shoe-leather.”
Such was the “Aberdeen’s Journal” a hundred years ago. Its first number contained 39,560 separate pieces of type; its 5217th No. extends to above 750,000, or in other words 3 of the 48 columns of the present paper contains an entire reprint of the first No.