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 Rise of Metropolitan JouriialisDi 459 certainly were, for after witnessing Jackson's inauguration, Bennett wrote that "Justice, with firmer grasp, secured her scales, ' Hope, enchanted, smiled,' and the Genius of our country breathed a living defiance to the world." " What a lesson," concluded Bennett, "for the monarchies of Europe!" Republican sentiments were still glittering with the charm of novelty to this young Scotchman, and his exuberance of imagination was not simulated. It was quite native and spontaneous. The process of disillusion followed speedily and was too rapid and extended for his moral health. He became a member of the Tammany Society and he became inti- mately associated with Webb and Noah. Nevertheless, so stead- fast was he to the name and doctrine of democracy that he cut loose from Webb and* Noah when they, in 1832, under strong sus- picion of venality, abruptly abjured the Jackson faith. The Courier and Enquirer became the leading organ of the party which Col. Webb first called "Whig," and Bennett was thrown out of employment. Bennett expected aid from the Re- gency for whom he had sacrificed himself He seems to have had no further aim as yet than to become a political journalist like his neighbors and associates, and to await the rewards of partisan ser- vice. He made two shortlived attempts to establish a party organ, and in its behalf he wrote appealing letters to Hoyt and to Van Buren asking for loans of money. Van Buren, who was just then complaining to Hoyt that his newspaper chorus was too expensive, buttoned his pocket against James Gordon Bennett, and the other Regency politicians refused to help. These keen-witted men had discerned Bennett's volatile character. He was too elusive for them. He had even made fun of CrosweU and he had not been obsequious enough regarding the Democratic policy concerning the deposits. So they passed him by on the other side, and thereby assisted to revolutionize our newspaper world. Bennett had discovered that a paper which is universally de- nounced will be universally read. He had perceived that a demo- cratic revival demanded a more democratic press, and his tough Scotch fibre was elastic enough to endure either pull or pressure. Stung by what he termed Van Buren's heartlessness, he determined to make a paper which should be the master of politicians, not their tool. To that purpose, despite all his frivolities and sinuosi; ties, he clung with the tenacity of a Scotchman and the effrontery of a Frenchman. Moreover Bennett possessed in a high degree the ability which is at once the pride and bane of two-thirds of our so-called successful journalists to-day — the ability to write crisply, interestingly, and omnisciently about everything, including the things of which he knew nothing.