Devoted to Whig Principles
Established in 1826, the Fall River Monitor was the oldest newspaper in the city spanning seventy-three years, when it last appeared in the business directory in 1899. An advertisement from that year informed the public that it had “a Large Circulation in the City and Surrounding towns … it is filled with interesting Reading Matter and is a FIRST CLASS MEDIUM FOR ADVERTISERS.”
Not only did this paper offer weekly editions but also daily ones and stated in an 1866 advertisement that it was “THE LARGEST PAPER IN THE CITY.” What a feat for printer Henry Pratt, who published a paper that was self-described as being “Devoted to Whig Principles.”
While many Colonists referred to themselves as “Whigs” during the American Revolution, this party was originally formed by the British in reference to the opposition of the King, and so, the term “Whig” used the same way in America in the 1770’s. However, the Whig Party was officially formed in the United States by Henry Clay in 1831-33 in opposition to President Andrew Jackson and how he was running the country – the party grew considerably by the late 1830s. In today’s climate, the Whigs would be considered more Liberal than Conservative, promoting things such as mandatory schooling, federal handouts to improve infrastructure, national banks, and anti-slavery; some were even for prohibition, but I digress.
A few short months after the Civil War (1861-1865) ended, the “Monitor” released a “prospectus” which informed its readers that they were “offering [the] community the renewed publication” and their proposal was “at its re-appearance to give to this city and vicinity a journal of a Commercial, Social, Moral and Literary character, such as we trust, may tend to advance the varied interests of our citizens.”
Unfortunately, it was all too common for readers of daily papers, such as the one described above, to default on their bills while still trying to obtain a subscription to the periodical to stay connected. Due to the lack of follow-up with collecting payments and the unwillingness or inability of people to pay ahead for their papers, many went into the red and never recovered. It is truly wonderful that this paper came out of the ashes of war, Phoenix-like, and thrived for an additional thirty-four years.
